In 2002, American prisons topped 2 million convicted criminals for the first time in history. Today, there are an estimated 2.3 million prisoners in our prisons, for a wide variety of crimes. In many ways, our society does not punish crimes as rigidly as it did in the early days of this nation’s history. Additionally, our legal system has made it more difficult to convict a defendant in seemingly open-and-shut cases. The O.J. Simpson murder trial would be a perfect example. Yet even when conviction occurs, our prisons are filled with innocent people, at least according to the majority of those incarcerated, who never will admit their guilt.
As Christians, the verb “convict” is quite different. The Greek word elencho designates a revelation of the fault of the convicted, with a strong suggestion of putting the person to shame. Unlike our legal system, the biblical system of conviction involves an admission of guilt. The biggest differences occur in those doing the judging as well as those being judged. In our legal system, those doing the judging are errant men, who if the tables were turned, often could be on trial for laws they have broken. Yet in the judgment of mankind, our sinless God is the judge and jury, and never will be fooled by lies or subterfuge, as only He can see the motives of each heart. Along the same lines, in our legal system, the criminal would prefer to be playing Monopoly, finagling to get a “Get out of jail free” card. An admission of guilt could undermine those plans greatly. Yet in the lives of Christians, an admission of guilt is the first step to forgiveness, demonstrating the humbleness necessary for God to do a work in us. That conviction is not a life sentence in the believer. Instead, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to plant seeds in our hearts that will draw us closer to God!
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 depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:6-11
Just as attorneys present evidence to convict a criminal, the Holy Spirit presents evidence in the lives of believers that we have missed the mark. That evidence often can be the ability to see the pain we have caused in the lives of those we have wronged. Many times, the Holy Spirit will remind us of a past sin when we are reading the Bible, as certain passages can bring to remembrance sinful actions in our lives. Yet if we have soft and pliable hearts, the Holy Spirit does His convicting in a soft and encouraging way. Often, we lose sight of the depth of depravity in our own lives, seeing the sin of others as being much worse than our own.
Yet Paul best understood the heart of a believer, judging himself to be the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). What is the greatest sin? All of us seem to put our own spin on that question. To King David, it might be committing adultery with the wife of your friend before arranging his death to cover your crime (2 Samuel 11). To Moses, it might be murdering an Egyptian who was beating a Jew (Exodus 2). To any of us, that greatest of sins is the one that caused the most damage in our lives. Yet the greatest sin is unbelief! Without trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are destined for hell, regardless of the quantity or quality of sins in our lives.
The Holy Spirit also convicts us of righteousness, through the death and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus died, He was punished for our sins, taking the judgment we earned and deserved. When Jesus rose from the dead, He imparted righteousness to the lives of believers. Instead of standing in front of God as pardoned criminals, because of the resurrection of Jesus, God sees righteousness in us! Think of Barabbas, the murderer set free on Passover when the innocent Jesus was crucified (Mark 15:6). Did anyone look at Barabbas and see a good man? Certainly, all continued to avoid him after his release from prison! Though Barabbas had been pardoned, everyone knew his guilt and did not expect the leopard to change its spots! Because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit, God sees us as unblemished, not pardoned! We gain God’s righteousness!
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Philippians 3:8-9
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit convicts us of judgment. Though Judgment Day is a future event, judgment already has occurred. When sin entered the world, all of creation changed according to Paul. We live on a judged world, and he who has dominion over this world, Satan, already has been judged as destined for hell. Nothing will change that. In the same manner, God already knows each of us who will be seated in the heavens as His judgment already has designated that we are all sinners. Without Christ Jesus in our lives, we are destined for hell. This world has been declared lost, and individually, all we can do to change that is to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, admit our guilt, and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus!
Instead of walking in the pride of spiritual superiority, each of us needs to walk in humbleness, knowing that without God’s forgiveness, we are lost. There is nothing we ever could do to earn His forgiveness, yet to receive that gift, we need to open our hearts. Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sins? If not, you are in no better place than a jailhouse lawyer. Guilty, as charged, and humbled by God’s Gift!
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:36-39
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