Back to posting daily...? Not sure. But last night, a discussion went down at bible study that can't go without being mentioned...or in this case, deciphered in depth.
The question: "Are non-believers convicted? And if so, by who?"
Two sides were brought to attention, those of which are important, but for point's sake I'll just reveal what I found after looking further into it.
The Holy Spirit convicts both the non-Christian and the Christian. Let me talk about the non-Christian first.
I want to take you today to John 16 because in John 16, the Lord Jesus was about to be dragged from the garden. He was about to be taken to the Judgment Hall and sent to Calvary to die on the cross.
But just before this happened, He spoke to His disciples, and this is what he said—John 16:1, "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
"And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.
"And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, 'Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart" (NKJV).
Now, listen to this. This is verse 7 [and 8]. "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 depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (NKJV).
Well, now, there Jesus talks about the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Helper. The Spirit will come and he will reprove or convict the world. The word here in Greek is the word meaning "to expose," or "to bring to light" with the result of being shamed about one's wrongdoing.
And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit will do to every unbeliever. He's doing that in the world today.
While the world is not as bad as it could be, because of the restraining power of the Holy Spirit of God, some individuals within this evil world are still being convicted of their sin. And shame is the result. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
Now these verses that I just read, John 16:7‑8, they do not record all that the Lord Jesus had to say about the Holy Spirit when He comes and what He'll do. Listen to the next verses.
They give the details of the Spirit's convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. In verses 9 through 11, Jesus says that the Spirit convicts "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler [prince] of this world is judged" (NKJV).
Now, that's where we need to put our focus today. When the Spirit of God convicts the unsaved world, when the Spirit of God convicts those who have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as Savior—it's of sin and righteousness and judgment. But what does that mean?
Well, these three categories here, convicting of sin and righteousness and judgment--these are the three things that the Spirit of God is active today, doing in the hearts of people who do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior.
First of all, of sin.
See, it's not the task of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of murder, or of manslaughter, grand-theft auto, things like that—that's what the law does. The law of the land convicts a person of those kinds of offenses.
When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, it's not of particular sins, plural, but of sin in general. And we're very, very wrong if we think the word "convict" simply means to make a person feel guilty. If that were the case, most people would never be convicted because it's evident that not many people feel guilty anymore about anything.
Now, when the Spirit convicts, it means that the unsaved person is found guilty as charged. Whether he or she feels guilty is not the issue. He or she is guilty, and the Spirit convicts that person of sin.
It's this knowledge that leads a person to acknowledge his or her need of the Savior. Before the Holy Spirit convicts someone, there's little sensitivity to God and the message of the Gospel.
That's why Paul says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost, in whom the God of this world," that's Satan, "has blinded the minds of those which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:3).
But, you see, that's what the Holy Spirit does. He reproves the unbeliever, He convicts him of his sin, and reveals the Gospel to him, showing him his need—a need which before he may never have perceived that he had.
And that's exactly what the Holy Spirit will do to every unbeliever. He's doing that in the world today.
While the world is not as bad as it could be, because of the restraining power of the Holy Spirit of God, some individuals within this evil world are still being convicted of their sin. And shame is the result. And this is the work of the Holy Spirit of God.
Now these verses that I just read, John 16:7‑8, they do not record all that the Lord Jesus had to say about the Holy Spirit when He comes and what He'll do. Listen to the next verses.
They give the details of the Spirit's convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. In verses 9 through 11, Jesus says that the Spirit convicts "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler [prince] of this world is judged" (NKJV).
Now, that's where we need to put our focus today. When the Spirit of God convicts the unsaved world, when the Spirit of God convicts those who have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as Savior—it's of sin and righteousness and judgment. But what does that mean?
Well, these three categories here, convicting of sin and righteousness and judgment--these are the three things that the Spirit of God is active today, doing in the hearts of people who do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior.
First of all, of sin.
See, it's not the task of the Holy Spirit to convict the world of murder, or of manslaughter, grand-theft auto, things like that—that's what the law does. The law of the land convicts a person of those kinds of offenses.
When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, it's not of particular sins, plural, but of sin in general. And we're very, very wrong if we think the word "convict" simply means to make a person feel guilty. If that were the case, most people would never be convicted because it's evident that not many people feel guilty anymore about anything.
Now, when the Spirit convicts, it means that the unsaved person is found guilty as charged. Whether he or she feels guilty is not the issue. He or she is guilty, and the Spirit convicts that person of sin.
It's this knowledge that leads a person to acknowledge his or her need of the Savior. Before the Holy Spirit convicts someone, there's little sensitivity to God and the message of the Gospel.
That's why Paul says, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to those who are lost, in whom the God of this world," that's Satan, "has blinded the minds of those which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:3).
But, you see, that's what the Holy Spirit does. He reproves the unbeliever, He convicts him of his sin, and reveals the Gospel to him, showing him his need—a need which before he may never have perceived that he had.
I think the biggest thing here that we have to realize is the difference of "feeling guilty" and conviction.
According to wikipedia:
Guilt is a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard.
Conviction is to make aware of one's sinfulness.
Difference? Yes. Guilt is feeling bad for what one does according to moral standards. Conviction is becoming fully aware of your offense against the Lord.
So therein lies the determinant. Non-believers are guilty. Believers are convicted.
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