What does the Holy Spirit Convict a Believer of?

Tuesday, 14th August 2007

[Warning: this post contains “extremely disturbing” content. Please read with caution and care.]
Growing up as a Christian, I have encountered others in the faith who tell me that the Holy Spirit convicted him of this particular sin in his life, or that particular wrongdoing in her life.

I now know for a fact that the Holy Spirit only convicts a person of one SIN – the sin of unbelief.

Once a person accepts Jesus Christ into his life and becomes born again, the Holy Spirit’s job now is not to convict him of his sin, but of his righteousness in Christ.

Woah, how can you say that! That’s heretic teaching, I hear some of you shouting already (and that’s why I thought I had better include a warning at the top of today’s post) 

Let’s turn to the Scriptures and read what Jesus had to say to His disciples about the Holy Spirit:

John 16
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement;

If you read Jn 16:8 in isolation, it does appear that the Holy Spirit is the One convicting us of our sins.

But let’s proceed to read verses 9 to 11 as well...

9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
11 and concerning judgement, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

Although Jesus was speaking to His disciples, He distinguishes the three roles of the Holy Spirit when dealing with 3 sets of individuals or groups of individuals

In verse 9, Jesus says the Holy Spirit convicts those who do not believe in Jesus concerning sin. All of us were there once. For myself, it was at the Billy Graham Crusade that the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin of unbelief. I responded by stepping forward and joining thousands of others at the National Stadium to receive Jesus Christ.

In verse 10, Jesus says that because He would return to heaven to sit at His Father’s right hand, He would send the Holy Spirit to dwell in those of us who are believers that we are the righteousness of God in Him.

Finally in verse 11, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit convicts the world regarding the judgement that the devil would face.

So beloved, as a believer, continue to allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of your righteousness in Christ. As Pastor B says, right believing produces right living. Amen?

[This revelation of God’s truth was uncovered on pages 134-144 in Chapter 11 of Pastor Joseph Prince’s latest book, Destined to Reign].