John 16: 8-11: "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." This word has two meanings: 1) the judicial act of conviction with a view toward sentencing (i.e., a courtroom term—conviction of sin) or 2) the act of convincing. Here the second idea is best, since the purpose of the Holy Spirit is not condemnation but conviction of the need for the Savior. The Son does the judgment, with the Father. In v. 14, it is said that He will reveal the glories of Christ to His people. He will also inspire the writing of the NT, guiding the apostles to write it, and He will reveal “things to come,” through the New Testament prophecies. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ, of the self-righteousness of the "unsaved religionists", and of the judgment on Satan and the world to follow. I am thankful that one day the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin, self-righteousness, and unbelief. When the Holy Spirit did so, I could only cry out, "Lord, save me!" And He did! One doesn't repeat a sinner's prayer by rote, but instead the sincere cry from a heart that knows he or she is lost and headed to hell, is sufficient for salvation. Thank God for the Holy Spirit and His work in the world today.
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