" He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness..." John 17:8
What in the world does this mean. When one is born again the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that person's life. This is how we are born of the Spirit as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3. Then the Holy Spirit begins to teach and lead that person in "right" living, the way of righteousness. Let me give you an illustration. I know of a man who was born again. After receiving Christ in his life, without any prompting from anyone except the Holy Spirit, he pour down the drain a massive amount of liquor he used to consume daily. No one told him to do that . It was the Holy Spirit working in his life to lead him in the path of right living. When has the Holy Spirit prompted you to live right? To avoid the dangerous pitfall of unrighteous living?
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Jesus said in John 16:8 that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. We can clearly see the work of the Holy Spirit when He does this kind of work in the lives of people. He convicts them of sin. They come to the conclusion that they are sinners, they have offended and rebelled against a Holy God and that they cannot save themselves. This is when they repent and turn to Christ for their salvation. This is a beautiful thing to see. A person born again of the Spirit of God and become a new creation. This is the first work of the Holy Spirit. Has He convicted you of your sin? You see He continues to do this even in a believer. He convicts us and we repent and confess and God cleanses us.
May 10, 2019 Journal Entry:
I read today in James 2. James points out the sin of partiality. Unfortunately, I look on the outward appearance more than I look at the heart. God told Samuel when he went to the house of Jesse to anoint a king not to look on the outward appearance. Had Samuel done so , He would have never chosen David as king. The James moves to the subject of faith and works. Faith without works is dead. We see a lot of dead works around us. And we wonder why people are not getting on in their spiritual life. Well, there is no life. No faith! No works! No growth! No joy! Get up and get going with the Lord. Isaiah 7:9 says,"If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all."
Are we trusting God? Do we have faith in God. An old hymn goes like this," Have faith in God, He's on His throne. Have faith in God , He watches o'er His own. He cannot fail, He must prevail; Have faith in God, have faith in God." That is in whom our faith should be centered, focused on. But do we really have faith in God? Certainly, our faith wavers at times but we must always come back to Him. Our faith is just as strong as the One we put our faith in. Is it based on the Almighty God? I know so many married couples who are having troubles now, difficult times. Where is your faith? Is in God or something or someone else? Where is you faith? I had to start in a new notebook my journaling. So I will try to share some insights from God's Word as He has shared them with me. You see, this is the way God speaks to me on a regular basis. Some times He does impressed on my spirit and communicate with me. Some times in a devotional or in a sermon He will speak to me. This is the Spirit speaking to my spirit and revealing to me what God wants me to know or to do. It is truly exciting to communicate with God in this way. I pray, I read, I meditate, I listen and God responds. But wait, some may say, God never talks to me. Well, this may be the problem as King David stated it," If I regard iniquity(sin) in my heart, the Lord would not have listened."
Sin separates us from God. Sin stops the communication between us and God. Miss Bertha Smith used to say," Are 'fessed up?" Have you confessed your sin(s) to God? |
What we Learned on Sunday? Insights, ideas and InspirationWritten by Pastor Chris Hudson Archives
May 2024
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