John 16 | Conviction

December 16th, John 16

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment… -John 16:8

Conviction.

It is to the spiritual life what pain is to the physical. It is meant to alert you, to jar you awake to the reality that something is wrong. Something needs to change. Something needs to heal.

We don’t talk about the Holy Spirit a whole lot, if I’m honest, it’s because I don’t really know a whole lot about the Holy Spirit. I know, that’s not very wise from a seminary student. But outside of one lecture in a systematic theology class, we never spent a lot of time on this third person of the Trinity. I need to learn more about the Spirit.

That’s one of the reasons John 16 is really fascinating for me, partly because Jesus talks so much about the Spirit. He is a helper, a comforter, someone who convicts. I began to contemplate that role of conviction in my own life. How do I respond to that conviction of the Spirit? It is a fact, you will sin in this life. But almost all “big” sins start with “small” ones. What would it look like if we responded to those convictions at the “smaller” sin level? What if we repented upstream of those bigger sins.

We are always training our sensitivity to the Spirit. The more you obey, the more sensitive you get. The more you disobey, the more hardened you become. Isn’t this what Hebrews 3:15 means when it says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”

You are either becoming more sensitive to the Spirits conviction, or more hardened to it.

Instead of letting a sinful weekly habit turn into a sinful, life damaging, marriage breaking, job killing, legacy destroying sinful life. Consider repenting “upstream” of those bigger sins. When the Spirit convicts you of a lustful thought, or a sharp temper, or a prideful heart. Repent then and build into your Christian life a sensitive conscience to the Spirit that will protect you from far worse things.

It will save your life.

Reflection Question:

Where is the Spirit convicting you that you’ve been ignoring?

Becoming more tender to the Spirit’s conviction with you,

Josh.