8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:8-10
Who Me?
Getting a drunk to admit he drinks is not difficult. Getting a drunk to admit he is a drunk can often be next to impossible. We look at the description of a drunkard in Proverbs twenty-three and laugh at his foolishness. Despite the blurred vision, confused thoughts and utter disorientation, the drunk doesn’t seek relief. Instead his only thought seems to be where he can find another drink (vs. 33-35). He is no match for the red wine sparkling in the cup (v.31). Despite its snake-like bite (v. 32), it goes down smoothly. And that is all the drunkard seems to care about.
The writer of Proverbs twenty-three tells us that the drunkard has woes, sorrows, strife, complaints, needless bruises and bloodshot eyes (v. 29), but it lacks one attribute. Company. And plenty of it. While you and I might not have a drinking problem, we do have a sin problem. And like the foolish drunkard described in Proverbs twenty-three, we are very good at deceiving ourselves.
Oh, it is easy for us to admit that we commit acts of sins. However, like the drunkard, it is impossible (humanly speaking) to get a sinner (that’s us) to admit he is a sinner. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). This deceitfulness is too often on full display in our distorted estimation of ourselves. With our vision blurred by sin, we will never understand our deceitful hearts. Why should we care about the viper’s poison when the red wine’s sparkle is enticing us (Proverbs 23:31-32)? When will I wake up so I can find another drink (Prov. 23:35b)?
Yah, You!
Do we comprehend the seriousness of our problem? After all, what harm is a simple “white” lie (as if painting them white makes them better)? Who really cares if I cheat just this once? How harmful can a little gossip be? How wrong can it be if everyone else is doing it? If you haven’t used the rationalizations you have certainly heard them by now. Unwilling and unable to stop the acts of sin, we resort to downplaying them or even justifying them. But God is not deceived.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23
As has been said so often, our sins don’t make us sinners. Rather we sin because we are sinners. It is our nature. Let’s be honest with ourselves; our actions expose our deceitful and desperately wicked hearts. Like the drunk, it is best to admit we have a problem we cannot control. Unlike the drunk, we may not have needless bruises and bloodshot eyes, but we share his woes, sorrows, strife, and complaints!
But what match are we for the drink that promises to go down so smoothly?
He Will Convict
Thank God, we are not left alone. Thank God we are not left to ourselves. Before His departure, Jesus promised another Helper. Amazingly, Jesus promised that it would be advantageous for His disciples when He departed and sent the Holy Spirit. How could this be advantageous? The Holy Spirit would bring conviction. Without His conviction, a sinner has no hope. The red wine will win every time. But the wine’s sparkle is no match for the Holy Spirit.
I am not sure how He does it, but the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit alone, can do a mighty work on our desperately wicked and deceitful hearts. Hearts that have been prayed for and preached at for years with no avail can be changed in an instant by the work of the Holy Spirit. Hearts that have remained stone cold and obstinate despite years of pleading can be easily melted by the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
While I don’t understand how He does it, I believe the first tool the Holy Spirit uses when He transforms our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh is conviction. When He causes us to see the perfect attributes of our Heavenly Father, specifically His Holiness, He opens our eyes to the ugliness of our sin. What right do we have to rationalize our sins when they are so abhorrent in the eyes of God?
Concerning Sin
No matter how we try to dismiss it, sin is sin. We can rename it, calling our disobedience “mistakes”. Or, we can justify it by playing the victim card, “My circumstances made me do it”. We can even try to sweep it under the rug. But like Adam and Eve, we cannot hide. We will be exposed for what we are. Sinners.
Like God appearing in the cool of the evening, the Holy Spirit shows up to convict us. And the most serious sin He is going to convict us of is the sin of unbelief (John 16:9). The most “damning” of sins that so many are proud of and flaunt with an air of superiority. Yet how quickly they are made to realize that what they deemed to be intelligence is actually ignorance once the Holy Spirit reveals to them the person and works of Christ.
Jesus didn’t just take on flesh and blood to leave us wise teachings and an exemplary lifestyle. Not at all. Jesus was God in the flesh living out a perfect life and fulfilling the Law. His death on the cross was substitutionary for us (i.e. our sins).
Our salvation is to be found only in the sacrificial death of Christ. When He was nailed to Cavalry’s cross our sins were nailed to it with Him (Colossians 2:14). We need to be convicted of our sins that sent Christ to the cross. Once the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin of unbelief and we turn to Christ in faith, He can convict us of our “lifestyle” sins in His timing.
Concerning Righteousness
While the world may preach relativism, God has an absolute standard of righteousness. And Christ is it. Only Jesus lived a perfect life in the flesh. He alone is the exact representation of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). Only Jesus has ascended to the Father to sit at His right hand.
While our Righteous Savior intercedes for us, the world denies Him. And they will go on denying His righteousness until they are convicted by the Holy Spirit. By the grace of God, there is hope that the deceived will have their spiritual eyes opened to the reality of the Righteousness of the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to recognize the righteousness that God, not man, has attributed to Christ.
Jesus, Righteousness personified, has gone back to the Father as He said He would, but He has left us a standard by which we may be judged. And a means by which we may be made Righteous. But conviction must precede imputation.
Concerning Judgment
Sin brings judgment. Because God is Holy, Righteous, and Just, sin must be judged. And although it was the body of Jesus that hung on the cross, as we see in today’s passage from John 16, it was Satan and not Jesus who was judged. Although Satan may have thought that Cavalry was a victory for him, the empty tomb served noticed that he was defeated.
31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. – John 12:31
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil – Hebrews 2:14
Satan is a defeated foe. Christ is a Righteous Savior. For those who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit and placed their faith in Him, Heaven awaits. For those who continue to reject Christ and live in unbelief, judgment awaits. Along with Satan, the “ruler of this world”, they will be condemned. Such were we, until the Holy Spirit convicted us!
7 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 go, I will send him to you. – John 16:7