Elegchó or “convict” means “to expose, convict, reprove” and is used in the original scriptural Greek to mean, “I reprove, rebuke, discipline, [or] I expose, show to be guilty. A conviction in the secular court system is “the act or process of finding a person guilty of a crime, especially in a court of law.”
conviction
"Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Acts 2:37-38
Conviction is basically righteous accountability. It consists of a believer feeling the disdain for what they just did against God and wanting to fix it. In this scripture above, believers and the apostles in the upper room had been gifted with tongues of fire, and people in the crowd were questioning them, their sanity, and their sobriety. Peter knowing this, began to preach the truth to them, and then they felt convicted after knowing they'd been ridiculing them. Peter then gave them instructions after they wanted to right their wrongs. It's the same process today, when we sin against the Lord and feel the conviction, the Holy Spirit uses the wisdom of God to remind us to turn back to Him by repenting and turning from the sin we'd committed. Whether it's telling a little white lie or stealing someone's wife (David), God wants us all to quickly turn from our sins and turn back to Him, because He is the only one who can truly restore and refresh our spirits.
why don't i feel bad when i sin?
in Romans 1, 18-30, Paul talks about how those who knew God didn't honor Him and exchanged wisdom for futility, turning over to sin instead of walking in righteousness with God. So God allowed them to. "And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done." Romans 1:28. is there something you're doing willingly that God is against? lying, scamming, manipulating, being a bully, fornicating, masturbating, etc. don't be mistaken into thinking that just because it feels good that it is okay, because feelings are not facts. many murderers feel good doing what they do, but would you consider that justification for what they're doing?
how do i know it's conviction im feeling?
if you're like me and you struggle heavily with anxiety and stress, sometimes you feel something strongly and wonder if you've sinned or made a mistake, and whether you're being convicted by God or you're just triggered/traumatized. you know that it's conviction if what you're doing directly rebels against God's commandments. it can be tricky to discern what's what, because the human experience is very layered and complicated--so although God and Jesus are simple, it's hard to filter life through a believer's eye. i would advise that you look up scriptures to see if there's anything that speaks against what you may have done, talk to someone you trust that is submitted to Christ (if that's an option), and also pray and God will make it known to you.
why do i still struggle after i repent?
"So, the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So, I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." Roman 7:14-16. Repentance is the state of turning from your sin in the way that you will always choose Christ over your flesh. You will be tempted, because your flesh and the Holy Spirit are battling. You will want to or feel the need to do what you used to always do. But because you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you have power on your side to strengthen you, it's not for you to battle on your own. The bible says that God will always provide a way out of temptation.