“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37)

“Altar calls are unbiblical.”

Every time I make that statement, whether in a sermon or a seminar, there are raised eyebrows and glaring gazes that shoot nonverbal missiles right back at me.

One of the passages that supports this contentious statement is the one quoted above from Acts 2. It is in the context of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Peter has just finished preaching a pointed sermon proving that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah. Before he can call for a response to this message though, the people pipe up: “What shall we do?”

Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, makes it very clear that it was not Peter’s sermon that convinced them to ask that question. It was because they were “cut to the heart.” The Greek word so translated literally means “to prick or to pierce thoroughly.”

Peter’s words, though direct, were not by themselves able to produce such a result. It was the double-edged surgical scalpel of the Word and Spirit that caused the listeners to respond the way they did.

Dear DWOD friend, as you advance toward your destiny, you need to be acutely aware of the distinction between convincing and conviction.

Convincing is something you and I do by logical progression and skillful persuasion. It is more of a sales job than anything else.

Conviction, on the other hand, is what the Holy Spirit does. It is His specialty. As Jesus taught the disciples, it is part of His job description. “And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin…” (John 16:8).

Clearly the first application of this distinction is to the enterprise of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others—whether it is done from the platform of a pulpit or other public forum where you are addressing a group—or in a one-on-one setting over a cup of coffee in your dining room.

I must admit that it is possible for you to convince someone with your superior persuasive skills to give their life to Christ. However, if it is not undergirded by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, chances are very good that this conversion experience will not produce lasting results.

Your job is to simply share from your heart with conviction. But it is not your responsibility to bring about conviction in their hearts. Leave it to Holy Spirit.

Another area where you will be called upon to do something similar is when you face conflict. Of course, you would want to meet face-to-face with the person who disagrees with you. Whether the other party is a member of your family, a colleague, a client, a business partner—if you approach the meeting with the aim of getting a conviction, you may not be successful.

What if, you were to simply state your case, as Peter did that day, and leave the rest to your Paraclete, as Jesus called the Holy Spirit? It is interesting that this Greek word is actually a legal term, describing someone who comes alongside you to support, counsel and help you. Let your advocate do what He does best.

And they too will ask, as did those who were cut to the heart on the Day of Pentecost: “What must we do?”