Thank God. Thank God. Amen. The Lord is in this place. In 2 Timothy 1:12, the apostle Paul says, “That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” The apostle Paul is speaking here to Timothy about the gospel that he preaches and about the life that God wants for those who follow him. That is what he is telling him at the beginning of this letter. And he gives reasons why he does what he does, why he acts the way he does and why the church should follow what he is teaching. The truth is, church, there are many people who don’t know how to explain their faith. They don't know why we do what we do and why we stop doing certain things. They don’t know what to say many times because of social pressure, even inside the church. “Why did he stop doing that?” It’s because that’s what Christians do. People might say, “Why does he do this?” It’s because that's what they do in the church. “Why does he dress like that?” That's how they dress in the church. “Why did he stop watching soap operas?” The church talks about soap operas and I feel ashamed. However, people don't really know why. There is no reason in their hearts. Many times it’s just to follow the trend or to go along with the crowd or custom. But we know those changes don’t last! When things are done that way they do not last because they are done out of obligation.

Many people grow up in Christian families and that's why they do what they do. But then many of those people abandon their faith. Those who grew up in the Christian faith abandon it. And people wonder, “What happened? They went to church their whole lives. They did this and that their whole lives. What happened? Why? What’s going on in their hearts? Why has their faith been abandoned?” Well, what Paul is saying in the scripture is that for this reason, I do what I do. He says, “That's why I don't mind suffering and I'm not ashamed, because I know in whom I've believed and I am certain.” And that's the key! In the New American Standard Bible it says, “I am convinced.” The English version also says, “I am convinced.” Today I want us to talk about this. Being convinced is synonymous with being certain and with having conviction. There are some slight nuances, but they are synonyms. To be certain is to be convinced of something. That is the reason why we do what we do and why we leave the world behind. Why does he do what he does? It’s because he is convinced and sure of what he is doing. It’s not just because someone told him, not just because he heard it, and not just because everyone else is doing it. That is precisely the reason why the world does what it does out there. They say, “Everyone else is doing it,so let's do it too.” And everyone gets lost because they are doing the same thing. Often that mistake is present in the church as well. People do things without understanding, without conviction in the heart, and without being sure.

"Christian life is not sustained by emotions, but by our convictions."

Conviction is what makes the difference. It’s one of the reasons, or key factors, why a person is able to leave their old life behind and start new. Why? Why else? Why leave what we are doing? Why say no to the world? Why say no to sin? Is it because we’re told to? Is it because now we want to belong to a church or to a group? That's not the reason! If it is, that's why many people fall away over time. That's why you see people abandoning their faith after many years. However a man is capable of giving up his life, losing everything, and even sacrificing his own life when he is truly convinced. You're sure when you have convictions. Today we live in a time where many doubt, right? Faith is easily shaken by social pressure and by difficulties. But life is not sustained by emotions. Christian life is not sustained by emotions, but by our convictions. If it were based on emotions, then everything would depend on whether I feel good today. If I feel good, then my faith is strong, but if tomorrow I feel bad then I abandon my faith. That's not true! That is a lie and not what the word of the Lord teaches.

Today, generally speaking, I think we have an insecure society. Not insecure because of crime, but insecure in the mindset. That is, we live in an insecure society, although I don't think this is new. It’s simply that technology has shown us how insecure we are. It has simply been revealed. In what sense we ask? Well, people buy things just to show off or pretend to be something they are not because of their insecurities. People upload things and post photos to social media to get likes. Right? They have something in their mind: a void that needs the approval of other people. Otherwise, why would they do it? They need the approval of others. Oh, how pretty she looked that time. How nice she looked. Right? That makeup! Oh, how beautiful this is. We are not able to live without the approval of other people in everything we do. That's insecurity. These are the things that each of us have to resolve personally. We go through life like this. When we do things, church, without being sure or when we make decisions without being certain of what we are doing, things usually go wrong for us. Generally things go badly when we aren’t convinced of what we’re doing. Right?

However, this isn’t a self-esteem speech today. I’m not here to preach that you should be a confident person, that you should trust yourself, or that everything will work out if you trust the decisions you are making. No, that’s not what this is about. It's not about being a self confident person. It’s not about being able to go out on the street dressed however you want saying, “I don't care.” No, it's not about those things, is it? It’s about something far more important, something that has caused millions of people around the world, of many races, cultures, languages, from different social backgrounds, to have changed their lives. Here in Honduras and in China, in India and Pakistan, in the 1500s, in the year 1000, and among both the poor and rich, there is something that has transformed the lives of many people. They have all gone in the same direction and towards the same goal. Through the word of God, their lives have changed and their hearts are convinced. Something entered and said, “That's not the way to live.” God shows us the right way, and people have said, “I'm convinced! I believe in this and this is how I'm going to live.” And it's not just you and your family. It's not just this church, and not just for churches. There are millions and millions of people who have died for the sake of Christ and for the sake of this gospel. What is it about this gospel? What is it about this word that people are willing to give their lives for it or are capable of dying for it? What is it about the word of God? What is it about this gospel that makes a man deny everything and leave it all behind, like the apostle Paul? He’s about to die here in this letter when he is writing it. But he said, “I am convinced.”

So today I have to ask myself, am I convinced? That's today's question and the theme this morning: Convinced. I am convinced! But I want to ask you the question…I want you to ask yourself, “Are you convinced? Are you convinced of what we’re doing here?” This is one of the key factors for those who make it to the end. Without conviction and without belief in your life, you may not make it. In fact, I’m going to rephrase that: you won't make it to the end. Hebrews 11:1, says in the International Version, “Now faith is assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” The King James version says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” And what is faith? It’s conviction. What is faith? It is conviction of what is not seen. The Contemporary English version says, “To trust in God means to be completely sure that you will receive what you hope for. It is to be convinced that something exists even when you can't see it.” Faith is being convinced, therefore faith is not what we often think it is. We've talked about this, right? It's not what we believe. Faith is not something we think or just a belief. Faith is something that moves you! Faith is something that prompts you to do something. The Pastor always says that faith has legs, right, because faith moves. Faith is not just a thing or idea in the mind. It is conviction, it’s a belief, and it’s being certain. And when a person is certain of something, they are willing to do whatever it takes! No one is going to deter them and that is faith.

Faith is being convinced of something. It is the certainty or conviction behind why a person does what they do. In chapter 11, if you can look at your Bible and those who have read it know that this chapter talks about many people in the Bible. It says, “By faith,” now listen carefully, “By faith this one did this. By faith this other person did that. By faith this other one did something else.” It doesn’t say that by faith they sat down and waited for Christ to come. That's not faith. Faith is something very profound. It says there, further on, that by faith and being convinced, Noah built the ark. And why? Because God told him it was going to rain. And at that time, it had never rained. Rain didn’t exist. The Bible says in Genesis that the earth was watered by a mist but the Lord told him it was going to rain. He said that water would fall from the sky and everything would be flooded. Can you imagine if Noah hadn’t been sure of that and had just sat around to wait, thinking, “Well God says it's going to rain, but I’m not sure.” What would have happened to him and his family and the approximately 100 years it took to build the ark? What if, in the 90th year, he thought, “What if it doesn’t rain? What if I don’t put a door on it?” What would have happened if he wasn’t sure what he was doing? But it says that because of Noah's faith, he built the ark! He was moved to do something. He did it because of his faith, and then he and his family were saved.

Faith saves. It’s not just something that’s in the mind. Everyone could see Noah's faith. Everyone saw Noah's faith in building that enormous structure. Is that faith? How can it rain if that doesn't exist? It's the same nowadays. How can you not do that if God doesn't exist? How are you going to do that? You're not going to do it. The pastor isn’t watching you here. Your dad isn’t watching you here. Nobody’s watching you. Why won’t you do it? Because I'm sure that my God is everywhere and that He’s watching over me. I am saving myself and consecrating myself to God. I am sure of it. I am sure that one day He will come for me, not because someone told me or because there is a church member on my block. Not because my dad told me or my mom told me because the times that my dad, my mom, and the pastor are not watching, we do whatever we want. That's not faith. And as I was saying before, that’s why people say, “What happened to this person? They grew up in a Christian home.” It comes from the heart. We can teach rituals to people. But conviction is something that each of us has; it is personal. Could we teach it? Faith is visible. Faith is evident. Later it says that by faith Abraham left his parents. By faith, God spoke to him, and he left his parents and left his land. By faith he did something. By faith he left something valuable. Sometimes we read these passages and think, “Oh he left his land.” But when the Lord tells someone to separate themselves from that person, that's not of Christ. That's not the love of God in the church.

The first thing God said to Abraham was, “Leave your father because he is an idolater. Are you going to follow him or are you going to follow me?” And what did Abraham say? “I am sure that the one who is speaking to me will keep his promise. I am sure that the one who told me that I would have descendents even in my old age will keep his promise.” Paul says in Romans that Abraham's faith was so great, that when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, the son of the promise, Abraham was certain that God would resurrect him. And that's why he did it. “If he gave him to me," Abraham said, “I'm sure that God is powerful enough to bring him back to life again. I am certain.” And that's why he did what he did. He was so sure when he had that sword ready to pierce him. Who would do that? What kind of person would do such a thing? Nobody would…only someone who is absolutely certain. When he was about to sacrifice him, the angel had to stop him. “Don't do it!” They saw that certainty in him. The Lord said to the angel, “Quick, he's going to do it. Go stop it, he's going to do it.” In his heart, he knew, “ If God gave him to me when I was 100 years old, if I kill him here, He will raise him up. That's why I obey the word of God.” Abraham was alone. No one was watching him. No one was supporting him. No one was telling him what to do. He was obeying the word of God, the voice of God, because he believed in the power of God. These are things that no one else would do, but when there is conviction, a person is capable of doing anything.

The people, the crowds followed Jesus, and Jesus never lied to them. He told them, “If you want to be my disciples, then take up your cross, deny yourselves and follow me. This path is very narrow, the gate is very narrow and not all of you will enter, because it is very narrow, very difficult.” Why, Jesus? “Because I have no place to sleep, because I have nothing, because you will be persecuted, you will be mistreated, and many of you will even have your lives taken. And to those whose lives are not taken, I say that if you believe that you love God, you must hate your father, your mother, your children, you must love God more than anything in the world.” That is the Gospel and those who heard it, the disciples said, “I believe you, I believe you. I want that.” They didn’t want to be persecuted and killed, but they believed in the promise that was being made to them. We believe and are certain that’s for everyone–because he said, “You must love God more than your mother, your father, your son, everything in this life, absolutely everything.” But He also said, “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” And that struck a chord in their hearts. Why? That is life. They believed him and that's why they were all willing. Not only willing, but they gave their lives for this cause. That is faith! Because they were convinced of what they were doing, they all persevered until the end because they believed in what the Lord had promised them.

"Conviction is such a powerful thing because it prevents a person from being swayed by other influences."

Conviction is such a powerful thing because it prevents a person from being swayed by other influences. Nowadays, everyone wants to be popular. I'm not just talking about the people who are on social media, but even in the churches. Even pastors want everyone to like them. They want to be politically correct. Today, everyone strives to be politically correct, but Jesus wasn't. At no time was Jesus politically correct. He came and denounced the sin of the church leaders. He came and told people, “You are liars and you are from the devil.” And that's not how you win people over because that wasn’t the purpose. It's not about being liked by people or about being on good terms with people. That is not the gospel. The gospel is preaching the good news of salvation. And for people to obtain salvation, they have to know that they must repent of their sins because that was what Christ was preaching. However, if people think they are fine and we don't preach the true gospel because we want to be liked by people, because we want to be liked by our neighbors, because we want to be liked by our family members, then we still have unresolved problems in our hearts. “I was abandoned when I was little. This is what they did to me.” So now that I'm grown up, my uncles have approached me, and my cousins are approaching me now and we’re not preaching the gospel as it should be preached. But I'll tell you something: the Lord will demand the blood of those people from us if we don't preach the true gospel.

The Lord Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." We don't have to be liked by everyone, and I'm not saying you should go around with a sour face either. That's not the point. It's about the fear that comes from telling a loved one the truth: "Friend, that's not right." And then they ask, "Who are you to tell me that?" "I know you." That's what people are afraid of, that someone will say, "Yes, I know you, and God knows me too, and God is working in me, and because the love of God is in me, I'm preaching the love of God to you. Leave that behind, repent, and turn to the Lord." We are sure of it! That's why we preach it because we are certain. But when you're not convinced that this is the gospel? Christ promised that He would return, amen? That's why we're here, isn't it? Christ promised that He would return, and what does He come with? He comes with a reward but for whom? Is that reward for everyone? No, right? And for those who don't, what will they receive? They will receive condemnation. Aren't we afraid? Aren't we afraid of not preaching the truth, even if people don't like us very much? That's what happens when you're sure of what you're living, of what I am living. That's the assurance it gives us.

If we go back to 2 Timothy 1:2 where we read about how the assurance found in the gospel is so powerful that it causes a man to do the complete opposite of what the world does. But why? Does it happen by magic? No! Paul says, “I am not ashamed, because I know in whom I have believed.” He's talking about a person. He's not talking about a thing. He's not talking about religion or a church. He's talking about a person. He is talking about Jesus Christ, because he knows him. “Because I know Christ, I am sure. I know in whom I have believed.” And this phrase is very important, because many people believe in religion, they believe in the church, they believe in a person, they believe in the pastor or in a brother. But when that religion fails them or someone in the church fails them, they abandon their faith. Why? Because it’s not about what or whom their trust is placed or whom they have believed in. They think, “I believe that these people singing these hymns are Christians, and those others are not. That's why I like them.” It doesn't matter. There are other denominations and everything. But every man who has encountered Christ Jesus has had his life changed, and that’s what happened to Paul.

Paul was already religious, Paul already knew the Bible and was persecuting Christians, even killing them,until he met Christ. He encountered Christ and his life totally changed, to such an extent that he lost his family, his job, his social status, his money, and his inheritance, because all his relatives were of high social standing. They were powerful religious people and they disowned him. He lost everything and he said, “It doesn't matter, because I am certain.” In the end he says, "I am confident that He has the power to keep me until that day what I am entrusted to His care.” The King James version says, “What He has given me. I am confident that no matter what I've lost here, what I will receive in the afterlife is far greater.” How interesting! This really catches my attention. I'm so sure that what God's word says is true and that I will receive something greater, which is why I don't mind leaving everything behind. That's what it means to be truly converted! Nothing else matters because you believe the word of God. If we don't believe in the word, we are still wandering in religiosity. Perhaps this is the reason why many Christians don’t die to their old life. That is perhaps why many people who are in the church continue to do the same thing they did before. They are not convinced. “Why should I stop doing this? Why should I stop enjoying this? Why should I give it up? Why?” Because there is no faith.

"And the knowledge of God brings the fear of God."

As we talked about a couple of weeks ago, we have faith. In what? Do you remember? What do we have faith in? That you dreamed of a cat today or that’s the winning number and you’re going to win? I have faith. Or is that faith in earthly things? Many of us read in many parts of the New Testament where Paul says, “Put to death the desires of the flesh.” And people say, “But that's so difficult. It's very difficult, I can't.” I'm not going to tell you that it's not difficult. But Paul says, “After all, the reward is so great. I'm sure it's so great that it's worth leaving all this behind.” It’s not because someone tells me, “If I believe, I'm going to receive it.” And another person is saying, “I know who I have believed in.” No, none of this can happen without God's knowledge. And the knowledge of God brings the fear of God. People believe they know God, but if they really did, they wouldn't do what they do. Why? Because when you know someone, you know what you can expect from that person. Right? We know don’t we? People say, “I trust this person. I know that if something happens to me, I can count on this person. This person will help me.” Isn't that right? You and I know. I've been stranded in remote places and I know who to call. ‘Look, it’s Dad. He’ll come running with a little rope to pull me out.” I already know who. You know the type of person.

It's the same here in Honduras. You know that in Honduras there is no law. The police exist in every country. But as we know the police here, you can run a red light, drive without a seatbelt, and can do whatever you want and nothing happens to you. But if you go to another country and do the same thing, you'll go to jail for the infraction. Imagine trying to do the same thing you do with a police officer in another country. Why? Because of ignorance, right? We understand that because we don't know God, we do what we do. People act this way because they don’t know that God is love. And He is also a consuming fire because we know that we are here escaping the wrath of God. People don't understand that it's the gospel, because Christ is coming for His church. One day the wrath of God will be poured out on this earth. It says that the whole earth will disappear and the elements will be consumed. That's what is coming for this world, but knowing God instills fear. The Lord Jesus himself said, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Fear of God… knowing God instills fear in us and gives us assurance of why we do things and why we don’t do other things. The Spirit begins to speak.

But there are two things that are kind of like this. Between us, when we talk about conviction and certainty, one of them is obvious. If you're not certain, you're uncertain, right? And being uncertain is really a lack of faith, because it's not being convinced of something. Insecurity produces something that isn't real, because things are done half-heartedly. When you're not sure about something, things are done half-heartedly and you obey half-heartedly, right? Because you're not convinced that God sees all things, you pray half-heartedly, because you're not sure you're going to get an answer. How can you believe that you're going to pray half-heartedly if you knew that God was going to answer you as the word says? How would you pray then? Couldn't we, as the word says, go and ask? If someone is sick, go and pray for them, lay hands on them, and anoint them. If someone is sad, go and pray for them. It's about belief and about believing that God will do it with anyone. So lay hands on another person and pray for them, because that’s what the Bible commands. For whom? For those who are converted and those who believe that God is in them. Do we see in the Bible anyone where God performed a miracle and they said, "I don't know if I'll be able to do it. I don't know.” That doesn't exist because that is a lack of faith. The other thing we get wrong is that when we do believe, we believe and have faith in earthly things. I believe that my family will get ahead because of this little job, or I'm going to do this because of this, and I believe that my life is going to get better because of this.

But all of that is like building a house on sand; today it's there and tomorrow it's not. All the things we put our trust in—people, work, money, everything you can think of—today it's there, tomorrow it's not. And then the storm comes, and as we talked about last week, that's why God often allows it so the water can wash it away. The water washes the house away so that you can see what it was standing on. Where did we build? But being completely convinced in the Gospel, in the person of Christ, in the promises, in the word of God, is the complete opposite of the religion we know. Everything you and I know about religion and churches has nothing to do with knowing Christ, having a relationship with Christ and obeying His word. How do we get to that point, church? Can we do it on our own? Are we the only ones who can reach that complete trust and assurance that this will come to pass? The truth is, no. And the Lord Jesus knew this, and that's why He told the disciples, "It is necessary that I go away to send you someone who will help you. You need someone to help you." In John chapter 16, in verse 8, the Lord is explaining to the disciples the work of the Holy Spirit. What is the work of the Holy Spirit? Jesus says, "And when He comes, He will convict the world of its error regarding sin."

So, what is the work of the Holy Spirit? It is to bring conviction! Do you believe that? What is the work of the Holy Spirit? To convict man of what? Regarding their sin, the gospel that Christ preached is one of repentance. No one can repent if they don't understand that they have failed. That's why in churches there are people who think they are fine. They do not understand that they have failed to keep God's law. They are not convicted of sin. To be convicted of sin is to agree with God's opinion. What is God's opinion about you and me? That we have broken His law. That is His opinion. And your opinion and mine is that I don't know if I'm a cherub or a seraph, that I don't know if I have prophetic or apostolic anointing. That's your and my opinion about ourselves. But the word of God says that the Holy Spirit comes to convict you and me of sin. That's why it's impossible for a person to remain the same if the Holy Spirit has come upon them because the Holy Spirit is not about emotions. The Holy Spirit is not about things that you feel in your body. The Holy Spirit comes to speak to your heart and tell you who you are. The Holy Spirit doesn't come to tell you how handsome you are, or how beautiful you are, or all the things you're going to have.

The Holy Spirit doesn't come to prophesy that you're going to be a millionaire or that God is going to raise you up and you're going to be a successful businessman. The Holy Spirit comes to confirm to your heart that if you don't repent, you will be lost. That's the first thing the Holy Spirit of God does because He is holy. He is the Holy Spirit of God. Every man who is touched by the Holy Spirit cannot remain the same, not because he doesn't want to. It's because the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart, to its deepest depths. And He doesn't just speak; He convinces. He convinces you. Do you know what it means to convince? It means to make someone change, to refute, to expose, to rebuke, to correct, to hold accountable, to show someone their fault, to demand an explanation, and to convince. When you're having an argument with someone and you present your position with arguments, and the other person says, "Okay," and accepts the position because of the arguments. Many times, that's where justification comes in because we want to convince the Holy Spirit that we're not as bad as the word says, that we're fine, and that it's not necessary to do this or that.

But the Holy Spirit comes with arguments to convince. What are we convinced of? What things are we sure of in this life? Or do we have doubts? Do you have any doubts about the Gospel? About the Word? About sin? About who you and I are before God? About why we do what we do and why we have to stop doing things? Do you have doubts about that? Why are we talking about this? Last week we talked about why God sends us into the desert. Why does God allow that? Do you remember what it was for? It is something that will remain in my heart and is the word for this year. The Lord does it to reveal the heart, so that you and I may know what is in our hearts. Don't forget that- it is to reveal. And the other day I was telling some of you, we are praying that all of us can see. Not only that the person next to you can see what is in your heart, but so that you can see it and also see what is around you. The Lord takes you to the desert to reveal the heart. And the word says, "I will lead you into the desert to make you fall in love." So that you may fall in love, because He knows what the problem is. Who would want to marry someone who has doubts? Would you? Who would marry someone that isn't sure if they want to marry you or isn't sure if they love you or someone else? Well, that's the church that isn't sure. That's why God comes to say at the end of the Bible, the Lord revealed to the apostle John, "You are neither one extreme nor the other, neither hot nor cold, but your church is in the middle, you are not sure. You love God and you love idols, you love God and you love money, you love God and you love your old life, you love God and you love your children more, and you love your job more, and you love everything else more." Nobody would marry someone who says they love me but also loves four other people out there. And He is coming for His bride. That's why it's so necessary that we decide and that there is conviction and certainty, and only the Holy Spirit can do that first. That's why it's necessary that we invite Him into our lives so that He can begin that work of conviction.

In Romans chapter 8, verse 38, it talks about at some point, someone might have doubts. You can look in the Bible, in the New Testament, the times that the apostle, only the apostle Paul, says this phrase. Am I? Why would someone, an eminent person with money, with everything in life, leave it all to die imprisoned in poverty, sick, and abandoned? Why would someone do that? Why is it? Was he convinced? But look at what he is convinced of. Further back, in the previous verses, he was saying, "Who will be able to separate us from the love of God? What tribulation, persecution, anguish, need, hunger, or nakedness. What if people talk about me or abandon me? What if I lose my job? What will separate me from the love of God?" He asks himself and he asks those in the church. What will separate you from the love of God? Is there anything that can separate you from your faith? Church, is there anything? Could something so horrible happen that it could separate you from the love of God? I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And for me, this is the culmination of life, the highest a man can aspire to be and say. I am convinced that there is nothing and I tell you this, church, because I've already been through that.

"I am convinced that He will return and that is why I prepare myself, and keep myself pure. I am convinced that He is coming for His bride."

They already tried to kill me, because I've had arguments with people in the church, because I've escaped from death. I have been hungry for many days because I have become impoverished, because my family has abandoned me, because my brothers have abandoned me, because those who were preaching with me betrayed me. That is why I tell you that there is nothing that can separate us from God. I am convinced because I want to go with Him and meet Him again. The disciples were convinced and that is why they gave their lives. No one would do it if they weren't convinced. In fact, I'm going to tell you that no one will do it. None of us will give our lives if we are not convinced, and Christ said, "Whoever wants to save their life will lose it. “ To me it seems like a fair trade-my life for His. I am convinced that He will return and that is why I prepare myself, and keep myself pure. I am convinced that He is coming for His bride. Are you convinced of that, brother? We are convinced of that. He is coming for His church and He expects to find a confident bride, convinced of what she is doing, of her faith and of her love. Because difficult days are coming, but a person in love doesn't care. May the Lord come for your soul if you close your eyes today and don't open them again. May the Lord find you and find a convinced heart within you this day. Amen.