Convicting and Convincing

In yesterday's devotional, we talked about the fifth "C" of soul winning—the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is such an important part in witnessing I want to take you to another passage today to help you understand His role more clearly.

The passage is John 16:7-9.  Here Jesus is talking to the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter,

"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:  of sin, because they do not believe in Me."

Jesus is not telling us that we need to pray, "Holy Spirit, go convict this person."  Rather, the foundation from which He is speaking is found in John 14.  In that passage He says, "When the Holy Spirit comes, He will no longer just be with you, but He will be in you."

In the following verses, He then talks about all the things the Holy Spirit does within us.  And here, when He talks about the Holy Spirit convicting people of sin (and, as the Amplified Bible says, convicting and convincing the world of sin), He does that work when we engage them with the gospel.

When we talk to people about Christ, the Holy Spirit then goes to work.

I think about that little boy who told me about Jesus—a Spirit-filled 12-year-old.  I had never heard the gospel in my life, yet there was something so captivating, so arresting about him, I could not get him out of my mind.

It was the power of the Holy Spirit working through him.  And He wants to work through you as well.

~Bayless Conley~