The conviction of the Holy Spirit.
If God is not angry with us, then what does the Holy Spirit convict us of? Isn’t His job to tell us that God is not pleased with us? We talk about the Holy Spirit convicting us of our sins, but what does the Bible say? And what sins will the Holy Spirit convict of?
Before Jesus went to the cross, He prophesied about the coming of the Holy Spirit when He said,
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:8-11) 1
The Holy Spirit convicts of three things: sin, righteousness, and judgment. It’s vital that we understand WHOM He is convicting of WHAT. The word in Greek for “convict” 2 means to convince. It denotes the idea of convincing a verdict in a court of law.
What does He convict the BELIEVER of?
“Of righteousness, because I go to My Father and YOU see Me no more.” He was speaking to His disciples: BELIEVERS. For the believer, He convicts (convinces as in a court of law) YOU of righteousness because “you (not THEY) see Me no more.” Jesus was prophesying of the coming New Covenant reality of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit for believers. The Holy Spirit is in the believer’s life to convict us of righteousness. What is Jesus doing at the Father’s right hand? He ever lives to make intercession for us with His work for us. His nail-pierced hands and His blood mediate for us, declaring that we are righteous, acquitted, and deserving of our inheritance and every blessing in Christ. Jesus is the anchor for our souls, and the Holy Spirit is here to remind us of that truth. The Holy Spirit is helping us to overcome our unbelief. He is our Advocate who reminds us that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. He is helping us to see that the accuser, the devil, has been condemned and triumphed over at the cross. He is the Comforter, and He guides us into all truth. You might ask how are we going to change our behavior if the Holy Spirit isn’t pointing out our sins. Our new nature in Christ will know when we’re not walking in consistency with the nature of God, and the Spirit of God operating in our new nature will lead us into godliness. Grace leads to righteous living.
We need to have a full assurance that it is not the Spirit’s desire to condemn us of sins. An unworthy conscience will tell us that we cannot enjoy His presence. We need to take those thoughts captive because they come against the knowledge of God! 3 It’s not OUR obedience that puts us in a position to approach God. It’s the obedience of Jesus Christ, even to the point of death. 4 Never fear that God is angry with you or that He would ever leave you. 5 He will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 He will abide with you forever. 7
(from pages 62-66 of Unveiling Jesus)
Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!
Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.
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1 Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
2 Vine, W.E. “convict” (elencho), Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Minneapolis, MN, 1984. Print.
3 2 Corinthians 10:5
4 Philippians 2:8
5 Isaiah 54:9
6 Hebrews 13:5
7 John 14:6
