Conviction
- The First Ministry of the Holy Spirit
Scripture
Reading: John 16:5-15
Today's
Treasure: "But I tell you the truth:
It is for your own good that I am going away. Unless
I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if
I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will
convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
and judgment" (John 16:7-9).
The
Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Living God. In every
way and at every turn we are utterly dependent on Him,
yet we remain so ignorant of Him. By knowing and understanding
His ministry to believers and unbelievers we can better
relate to and connect with our God. John 16 tells us
the first ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict or
reprove. Conviction is the ultimate good news/bad news.
Before we come to Christ, the Spirit provokes us to an
awareness of our sinful state—the bad news. Then
the Spirit points us to the Savior—good news indeed!
The Holy Spirit convicts His children for a different
reason—to restore fellowship and spiritual productivity.
It
is the Holy Spirit's responsibility to convict
a lost person of his sin of unbelief. It is also
the Holy Spirit's job to convict a saved person of
her sinful ways. Have you ever found yourself trying
to assume the Spirit's role in conviction? Praise
God, this is not our job. Such responsibility is
reserved for God.
It
doesn't matter how powerfully we present
our testimonies or arguments. If the Holy Spirit
has not drawn a person to Christ, our efforts are
futile. Certainly we may be used as vessels through
which the Spirit extends the invitation, but we
are powerless to bring results. We have only one
true source of results and that is intercessory
prayer. We can pray diligently for the Holy Spirit
to intervene in the life of an individual and for
that person to respond favorably.
As believers, we should thank God for convicting our hearts and leading us to
salvation. We should also be thankful each day
as we feel the Holy Spirit telling us when we are
not right with Him as a result of our sin. This
is one of the greatest gifts God gives His children. Beloved,
when you hear His voice today, do not harden your
heart.
Holy
Spirit, I thank You for Your ministry of conviction. Help
me respond quickly when I sense You convicting me of sin.
Let me be faithful to pray for Your intervention in the
lives of my lost friends and family members and for their
favorable responses to You. In the strong name of Jesus,
Amen.
Adapted
from Living Beyond Yourself, by Beth Moore, pages
32-33. Nashville: LifeWay Press, 1998. Used by permission.
