“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
As we continue to consider the Words of Jesus at the Last Supper that will put joy in you and make your joy complete, keep you from stumbling, and will give you peace beyond understanding, today we look at a revelation about the work of the Holy Spirit towards the world, not just the church, but the world. When Jesus shared this with His disciples they had no grasp of what He was telling them because they had not yet been through His death, resurrection, and His glorification on His return to glory. After saying these things, Jesus told them He wanted to explain it further but they could not bear it at that time, but later, when the Spirit dwelt within them as a new creation in Him, the Holy Spirit would guide them to all truth and disclose things to them. But today I can share them with you because you know.
Here are the Words which Jesus told you about the Holy Spirit that we are considering today:
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” John 16:8-11.
The Holy Spirit will convict the world. You notice it is “convict” and not “condemn.” In the Greek in which the New Testament was written, the word used here is “elegchó ( ἐλέγχω),” which means to reprove, to expose, to refute, to correct, to convict, in other words, to expose to you that you are under a wrong belief or acting improperly and to refute and correct your wrong belief or action so you do not continue it to your detriment. It is My Spirit at work in the world bringing wrong into the open so that it can be acknowledged and forsaken. The purpose of the Spirit in this role is to restore people to My design rather than merely shaming them or condemning them in judgment, offering no hope of repentance. It is truth intended to move the conscience, even of the worldly, toward repentance and true faith. I send forth My Spirit and they are recreated and I renew the face of the earth.
Now let us look at what My Spirit is convicting the world of and why. And I would add this conviction was particularly aimed at the Jewish leaders who had condemned Jesus and rejected Him as Messiah, Savior and Lord, but it is geared to all people in the world who have done likewise.
First, the Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin because they do not believe in Jesus. What has sin got to do with that? Everything, because it determines whether you will have eternal life or eternal death.
And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” John 8:23-24.
Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed (justified) from all things, from which you could not be freed (justified) through the Law of Moses. Acts 13:38-39.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
Jesus is your substitutionary sacrifice for sin. When He died, to me you died to sin with Him. And when I raised Him from the dead, I raised you and all believers with Him, fully justified from all sin. In Christ, I made it as if you had never sinned. Jesus paid the judgment upon all humanity from Adam on down his line in full, took your sentence of eternal death and satisfied it on your behalf, and freed you from the law of sin and death forever. But you can only appropriate this as your own by receiving My gift to you of Jesus by faith. Then you have received My gift to you and the gift in you is complete. In Jesus you are made complete (whole, perfect, and blameless before Me).
And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard. Colossians 1:21-23.
Also, as addressed to the Jewish leaders remember how they mocked Jesus when He forgave the sins of those who came for healing?
But not finding any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. 20 Seeing their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Luke 5:20-25.
Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more? Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:36-50.
Second, the Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning righteousness, because Jesus went to the Father and you no longer see Him.
Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Romans 4:23-25 – Romans 5:1-2.
People are still trying to gain righteousness on their own. But I am the LORD your righteousness and that is fulfilled in Jesus.
For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:2-4.
This is not a new concept, I foretold it numerous times. Even the sacrifices I taught Moses did not base forgiveness of sins and cleansing of the sin in the sinner’s performance but in the quality of the lamb he brought as his sacrificial offering. And now the ultimate and perfect sacrifice for your sins that is the substance of the shadows has come.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; and He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:4-6.
On your own you never can obtain righteousness because there is always something that stops your progress and puts you back in unrighteousness. So I made Jesus sin for you and, in exchange, I gave you My righteousness. Established in righteousness you are far from oppression.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21.
“In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you.” Isaiah 54:14-15.
Your righteousness comes from Me.
“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17.
And the third thing the Holy Spirit convicts the world for is “concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” John 16:8-11.
I have already judged, condemned and sentenced the devil. The only reason he is not thrown and sealed in the lake of burning sulfur is because Adam surrendered his leasehold interest in the world to Satan, and, flowing from that, people are cooperating with him and allowing him to remain on earth. Individually you have the authority if you are a believer in My Son as your Lord to cast him out of your territory and not permit his tactics in your life. If you submit to My Word and resist the devil, he will flee from YOU.
People are not aware of the tactics of the devil and yet I tell you I do not want you to be unaware of them. You must tread his lies under your feet by answering them with the truth of My Word and casting him out in the Name of Jesus.
These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17-18.
You must not entertain every thought that comes in your head. Discern where it is from by applying the sword of My Spirit, if it does not line up with My Word then cast it down, if it lines up perfectly with My Word then build yourself up with it.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.
Since I have already judged, condemned and sentenced the devil you should not give into him or accept his thoughts or speak his words. Just enforce the judgment and collect for all the years he stole.
Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. Proverbs 6:31.
I love you. And that is what life in the Spirit is all about.