“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you ask Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He comes, 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 16:5-11
We are living in a day and age that calling anything a sin is likely to get you labeled as bigoted, narrow-minded, or antiquated. We have been sold the idea that we can live however we choose as long as it is in moderation and that there is no need of repentance.
However, that is not the gospel. In fact John Ch. 16 tells us that convicting people of sin is a primary component of the Holy Spirit’s work.
Why? Because according to Isaiah 59:2 our sin has separated us from God:
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 3:23 that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. How did this happen?
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”-Romans 5:12
The introduction of sin into the human race is Adam’s legacy. It was through Adam’s disobedience that sin entered the world. Sin, then, became the door through which death entered and death spread to all men. God, recognizing that sin created a barrier between Himself and mankind, made forgiveness of sin possible. Sin would be atoned for through the shedding of blood:
“In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”-Hebrews 9:22
The sacrifices that Moses made were simply a foreshadow of God’s ultimate sacrifice-Jesus Christ!
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.-Ephesians 1:7
God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Because of His sacrifice, we now have an advocate with the Father in Heaven. We can cry out to God for forgiveness resting on the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. The Apostle Peter instructed the people to “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19)”
The work of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin so that we may repent of our sins and gain eternal life!
Pastor Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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