The Lasting Effect of Conviction

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Matthew 11:2-5.

As I contemplate this scripture, It was not lost upon me that Jesus could have answered John the Baptist’s question with a resounding and quick, yes! and resolved the matter, instead, He put the responsibility back on John to make that decision himself. Jesus understood the lasting effect and conviction that ensues when we decide on our own about Him. 

  Jesus answer was direct but not what one would expect. He encouraged John the Baptist to get his own conviction, engage in his own self-analysis. His answer was not boastful but true, whose evidence was easily obtainable. Jesus in effect said to John here is the manifestation of who I am and the fruit that has come forth from me; now I leave this matter for you to decide.

It’s interesting how easy it is to question what is right before our eyes. As Matthew 13:3 accurately states, there are times we see without seeing and we hear without hearing neither do we comprehend nor understand. What a great way to awake us out of the unconscious by having us consider our own reasoning and our own state of mind.

Yeshua, Jesus has the ability to see into the heart of men did not take His gift for granted or use it to resolve matters quickly. What wisdom!  

We all must come to a place, especially regarding our faith, where we consider, analyze, dig deep, pour over, and decide, “Art thou the Christ, Or shall we wait for another?

When the answer comes from deep within the bowels of our being, our stance becomes sure, our conviction stronger and our walk decisive. There are some decisions that must come from our hearts only, not another’s. When we come to a certain knowledge and understanding on our own, no one can easily break us and build us back up to their liking. For our decision will be as the house built on the rock;