To persuade is one matter, and to convince is another. We as human beings, flesh bodies, or men are at times easily persuaded, but our spiritual bodies, souls, or life-forces are far more defiant of being convinced. Both sides of this argument can be successfully litigated. For example, through reasoning or argument one can persuade another to do something. It can be said that; if he or she doesn’t want to do something, there is no form of advising, course of action, or urging that will persuade them. We wonder sometimes how we were convinced to do something that we have strong beliefs against. On the other hand, we might wonder how someone managed to convince us of another’s guilt, only to realize later that we were convinced of a lie disguised as truth. Having prevailed upon us, something against our known truth, reality, or understanding.
Which brings us to the topic of God. Although, as flesh bodies, man can persuade us out of our virginity, or purity, while being strongly defiant to being convinced of spiritual truth. This can fosters dispute when one person’s truth differs from another. If my interpretation of what is God, contrasts with your understanding, whatever view is true, fails to convince the other of a different truth reality. Meaning only to point out how easily we can be persuaded out of our bodies, but are inflexible when it comes to being convinced of someone else’s truth.
Because there are so many smaller battles, which occur prior to a choice ever being considered that addresses truth. If we each strongly represent our version of divinity and never get beyond that battle, the matter most important cannot be taken into review and therefore we are never convinced.
We must rise above the age old earthly politics of religion in order to reach those who may have their own cultural understanding of what is God. Those connected to the creator of all, can transcend the heaviness of an earthly atmosphere, and rise into a more weightless consciousness of understanding. In a hypothetical sense, consider yourself floating above the cloudy environment of earth, looking down from a different perspective, or point-of-view. It is from this position of reasoning that we can at least understand why everyone cannot possibly have this understanding if his or her reasoning is not reflected from the same angle.
Therefore, ask God for wisdom to rise above the atmosphere of cloudiness, which makes it difficult to see from another’s point-of-view, and He’ll raise us up above it all for a clearer perspective. The knowledge received will make it easier to persuade others towards God while convincing them firmly of His truth.
22 “And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.”
2 Chronicles 32:11
11 “Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give over yourselves to die by famine and by thirst, saying, The Lord our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria?”
Acts 13:43 King James Version (KJV)
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
John 8:46
46 “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?”
James 2:9
9 “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
Jude 15
15 “To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Titus 1:9
9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”