“Then were assembled unto me everyone that trembled at the words of the God of Israel. . .”

Ezra 9:4a

Because of it, we should never stray far from the Christ and the Cross.

Conviction.

Do you feel it this morning, Pilgrim? Do you, like Jeremiah, feel the “burden of the Lord” (23:33-38) weighing down on you as you ponder His Greatness and agonize over your own wretchedness?

If so, run to Jesus. And, stay there.

The Word is sharp, piercing through the veneer of pretense as it exposes everything that lies within (Heb. 4:12). Like the priest’s sharp knife that split open a penitent worshiper’s sacrifice from the tip of its nose and down its back to the tip of its tail, so does the Holy Spirit use God’s Holy Scalpel to “search our hearts and minds” (Ps. 139:23-24).

At first, it’s for the purpose of conviction of our lost condition. Until we know we’re lost, we feel no need of a Shepherd. Until we know we’re sick, we feel not need of a Physician (Mt. 9:12). But, “when the Commandment comes” (Rom. 7:9), a holy terror grips our soul as we feel the sharp piercing of the “curse of the Law” (Dt. 27:26; Gal. 3:10).

But, thankfully, in that curse there is a Cure.

And, that Cure is Jesus (Gal. 3:11-14). Hallelujah!!

How we should thank God for the Law that helps us know our need of Him (Gal. 3:19-29). Then, we should thank the Father for His Spirit-Word that “convicts us of sin, the need of righteousness and judgment to come” (Jn. 16:8-11). . .for such conviction will hopefully lead to heartfelt repentance and holy consecration (Rom. 12:1-2).