The apostle Paul was a man who believed his actions were simply the wishes and desires of God. This was until the Lord met him on the road to Damascus. Paul’s warfare with the Lord was likened to Paul kicking against pricks. Though Paul thought he was doing the right thing, he was, in reality, hurting himself by putting himself at odds with the Lord. Some men in Paul’s position would testify to the Lord concerning their own good when directly confronted by the Lord. Paul, however, responded by submitting himself to the Lord’s conviction and seeking out the necessary means for proper restitution. He did not accuse the Lord or justify himself. Instead, the apostle asked the question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”
Most men’s attention focuses upon the outward appearance of conviction. Yet, the Bible is clear that conviction’s initial work does not exhibit itself outwardly. According to Psalm 73:21, Asaph was grieved in his heart and pricked in his reins. No doubt, this work eventually manifested itself outwardly. Yet, conviction began in the heart where only God and the troubled individual could be aware of its work. Unfortunately, men have focused so much attention upon the outward signs of conviction that they fail to recognize the inner working of conviction. Because of this misplaced emphasis, Christianity continues to produce temporary, carnal, and fake conviction, ultimately producing another hypocrite. If the work does not originate within the heart, it is not of God and it is not conviction.
The Bible says that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34). This means that the words proceeding out of our mouths originate in our hearts. When we speak bitter words, it is because there is bitterness within our hearts. David likened bitter words to arrows that pierce the flesh (Psalm 64:3). Our words ought to be “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6); instead, we often allow our words to pierce through others. We tear people down rather than building them up. Why is this? Because we have a root of bitterness growing inside that finds its way from our hearts into and out of our mouths. Those who demean others generally do so because they are bitter. Attempts to justify this behaviour are fruitless because the Lord knows the root of the problem stems from our heart.
