John 16:5-11
And when He comes, He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. – John 16:8
When a believer is near death, we often say, “It is to their advantage to go to God as there will be no more suffering, no more pain.” But Jesus says the opposite. His going back to the Father isn’t for his own advantage, but to the disciples’ advantage because if he goes, he will send the Helper to them.
The Holy Spirit will convict or convince the world about 3 things, and he does this so that mankind may be saved.
First, the human must be convicted of his sin and realise that he is a sinner. It’s not just about accepting that he’s made mistakes, nobody is perfect. The essence of sin is to disobey God, and the ultimate sin in the eyes of God is to reject that Jesus is God and refuse to believe in him. Without Jesus, man cannot live rightly and so most often is guilty of many more sins.
Second, the human must behold how awesome God’s perfect righteousness is and how wide the gap is between that and his sinfulness. Jesus perfectly displayed righteousness in his faithful obedience and complete fulfilment of the Father’s will. It wasn’t achieved through strict adherence to the Law, but a total oneness and abiding in the Father. But since Jesus has gone to the Father, the Spirit testifies of the righteousness of Christ. This further emphasises the human’s utterly falling short of it.
If the human stops here, he will be overcome with guilt, shame, and hopelessness because God’s holiness is too high, and he is too wretched. The chasm is too impossible to bridge. He cannot reach God by his own efforts.
That’s why there is a third conviction. At first glance, it seems that the sinful human is destined to be judged with the ruler of this world. And indeed there is an everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41). But through the Spirit’s witness, the human learns that Jesus took the judgment and punishment that was rightfully his. Christ died so that the human wouldn’t have to. Christ bridges that gap, and by (1) believing in him, (2) being clothed in his righteousness, (3) the human is saved from judgment and brought into relationship with God the Father. This is the work of salvation that the Holy Spirit does in each person who believes.
Reflection:
Whether we were born into a Christian home or became a Christian later on in life, we must acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit that convicted us to place our faith in Jesus. He is still within us, revealing our sinful ways, reminding us of God’s commands and that faith and obedience must go together, and teaching us the consequences that await those who continue in disobedience. Are we heeding the Spirit’s convicting today, or are we persisting in our stubbornness?
Prayer:
God the Spirit, who lives in us, thank you that you continue to work in us to reveal our sinful hearts and to guide us to the path of righteousness. Help us listen to your still, small voice and to live a life worthy of the gift of salvation secured for us by Jesus’ sacrifice. He didn’t die so that we may continue in sin. Strengthen us to follow Christ’s example of obedience, for we pray in his precious name. Amen.
When a believer is near death, we often say, “It is to their advantage to go to God as there will be no more suffering, no more pain.” But Jesus says the opposite. His going back to the Father isn’t for his own advantage, but to the disciples’ advantage because if he goes, he will send the Helper to them.
The Holy Spirit will convict or convince the world about 3 things, and he does this so that mankind may be saved.
First, the human must be convicted of his sin and realise that he is a sinner. It’s not just about accepting that he’s made mistakes, nobody is perfect. The essence of sin is to disobey God, and the ultimate sin in the eyes of God is to reject that Jesus is God and refuse to believe in him. Without Jesus, man cannot live rightly and so most often is guilty of many more sins.
Second, the human must behold how awesome God’s perfect righteousness is and how wide the gap is between that and his sinfulness. Jesus perfectly displayed righteousness in his faithful obedience and complete fulfilment of the Father’s will. It wasn’t achieved through strict adherence to the Law, but a total oneness and abiding in the Father. But since Jesus has gone to the Father, the Spirit testifies of the righteousness of Christ. This further emphasises the human’s utterly falling short of it.
If the human stops here, he will be overcome with guilt, shame, and hopelessness because God’s holiness is too high, and he is too wretched. The chasm is too impossible to bridge. He cannot reach God by his own efforts.
That’s why there is a third conviction. At first glance, it seems that the sinful human is destined to be judged with the ruler of this world. And indeed there is an everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41). But through the Spirit’s witness, the human learns that Jesus took the judgment and punishment that was rightfully his. Christ died so that the human wouldn’t have to. Christ bridges that gap, and by (1) believing in him, (2) being clothed in his righteousness, (3) the human is saved from judgment and brought into relationship with God the Father. This is the work of salvation that the Holy Spirit does in each person who believes.
Reflection:
Whether we were born into a Christian home or became a Christian later on in life, we must acknowledge the work of the Holy Spirit that convicted us to place our faith in Jesus. He is still within us, revealing our sinful ways, reminding us of God’s commands and that faith and obedience must go together, and teaching us the consequences that await those who continue in disobedience. Are we heeding the Spirit’s convicting today, or are we persisting in our stubbornness?
Prayer:
God the Spirit, who lives in us, thank you that you continue to work in us to reveal our sinful hearts and to guide us to the path of righteousness. Help us listen to your still, small voice and to live a life worthy of the gift of salvation secured for us by Jesus’ sacrifice. He didn’t die so that we may continue in sin. Strengthen us to follow Christ’s example of obedience, for we pray in his precious name. Amen.
