The
Spirit Convicts of Sin
In a telegraphic
description made by Christ just before His
death, He pointed out three aspects of the
Spirit’s work. “He will convince
the world of sin and of righteousness and of
judgment.” John 16:8, R.S.V. In
explaining the first of these, Jesus said,
“Of sin, because they believe not on
me.” Verse 9.
The Bible mentions
four general categories of sin. First is the
sin of “commission” “Sin is
the transgression of the law.” 1 John
3:4. Second, the sin of omission: “To
him that knoweth to do good, and do it not,
to him it is sin.” James 4:17. Third,
the sin of coming short of glorifying God in
our acts: “All have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.
Fourth, the sin of unbelief: “Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin.” Romans 14:23.
Of all sins, the sin
of unbelief looms the most treacherous
because it destroys the means whereby we
receive forgiveness. Unbelief is subtle,
deceiving, and often unperceived. Beginning
with the voicing of a doubt as an opinion, it
soon becomes an attitude of the mind. Like a
chancre within the heart, it slowly eats
away. Finally, it bewitches its victim, fouls
the character, and damns the soul. “He
that doubteth is damned.” Romans 14:23.
If you are inclined to doubt, you should
listen to Christ’s words spoken to
Thomas, the disciple who had this weakness:
“Be not faithless, but believing.”
John 20:27. Pray as did the father of the
demoniac lad: “Lord, I believe; help
thou mine unbelief.” Mark 8:24.
We must have faith to
please God. “Without faith it is
impossible to please him.” Hebrews 11:6.
Of all the doctrines set forth in the Bible,
faith receives by far the most attention.
The “spirit of
faith” works to stimulate faith and to
create within the soul a desire for greater
faith. (2 Corinthians 4:13.) The great goal,
of course, is that we may experience
righteousness by faith: “we through the
Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith.” Galatians 5:5.
The word convince in
John 16:8, R.S.V., can be used in a judicial
context: that is, to arrest, apprehend,
convict, and bring under surveillance. The
Holy Spirit acts as a sheriff apprehending a
law-breaker and saying, “You are under
arrest.” In effect, the Holy Spirit
brings the sinner to trial in the court of
his own conscience and says, “You know
you are guilty.” The sinner experiences
inner distress when he is made to acknowledge
the verdict of his own conscience and sees
himself a moral “convict,” a
fugitive from justice, an outlaw whose life
is forfeited unless he can find pardon. We
say he is under “conviction.” Here
is where many try to compromise with the Holy
Spirit. Though the sinner knows that he has
done wrong and feels restless, uneasy, and
frustrated, yet his human nature squirms and
twists trying to evade facing up to wrong. He
often hides his guilt behind a disarming
smile. Self, ever on the defensive, contests
the verdict, and for obvious reasons, for
self must die when sin is confessed and
forsaken. Self fights for this present life.
On the other hand, the Holy Spirit works to
save the sinner from yielding to the fierce
resistance or whimpering of self, for it self
is not slain, the soul must die.
The Holy Spirit does
not remind the sinner of his sins that He
might make him unhappy. He knows that sin is
man’s worst enemy; He has the
sinner’s present and eternal welfare in
mind. However, like a faithful doctor, He
diagnoses the case and then presents Christ
to the sinner as his only remedy.
When explaining the
charter under which the Holy Spirit would
operate, Jesus said that men would be
convicted “of sin” because they
believe not on me.” (John 16:9.) The
moment Adam and Eve sinned, he became a lost
man. “By one man sin entered into the
world.” Romans 5:12. Every human being
by heredity partakes of the weakened nature
transmitted by Adam, but each is lost because
of his own sins. Though all are lost,
however, all may be redeemed upon one
condition: belief in Christ’s sacrifice
on Calvary. Those who refuse to look in faith
to Christ have “an evil heart of
unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:12.) Love
has no greater argument to present to the
sinner than the cross.
Those who believe in
Christ are those who have realized their own
sinfulness. The Holy Spirit has worked upon
their hearts, convicting them of sin-but the
work of the Spirit does not end there.
Memory Verse:
Hebrews 3:12.
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in
departing from the living God.
