Holy Spirit Conviction

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick


Conviction is a legal term. When someone breaks the law, they are charged with a crime, evidence and witnesses are brought forth, and the jury declares that the person is guilty - at that point they are "convicted" because it has been proven that they have broken the law.

The Bible word for this is "elegcho" (el-eng'-kho) which is translated a variety of ways: confute, admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.

The best and most well-known Scripture using this word is found in Jesus' teaching, John 16:7-11:

    "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

    When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."

Of this text, Adam Clarke writes:

    "He will reprove, He will demonstrate these matters so clearly as to leave no doubt on the minds of those who are simple of heart; and so fully as to confound and shut the mouths of those who are gainsayers."

And Albert Barnes adds,

    "The word translated 'reprove' means commonly to demonstrate by argument, to prove, to persuade anyone to do a thing by presenting reasons. It hence means also to convince of anything, and particularly to convince of crime. This is its meaning here. He will convince or convict the world of sin. That is, he will so apply the truths of God to men's own minds as to convince them by fair and sufficient arguments that they are sinners, and cause them to feel this. This is the nature of conviction always."

The question is, for the Christian, who is it that does this? Who is it that convicts? Is it our own conscience? Is it other Christians, or the Pastor?

A. T. Robertson, who is famous for his "Word Pictures of the New Testament," explains,

    "This is pre-eminently the work of the Holy Spirit and the most needed task today for our complacent age."

Certainly Jesus shows agreement with this when He says, "Judge not that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1) - convicting is what God the Holy Spirit does.

Moses indicated the same truth when he gave his farewell message to Israel as they were about to cross the Jordan:

    "The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him." (Deuteronomy 28:20)

When the Psalmist said, "You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands." who did he mean when he said "you"? (Psalms 119:21) Obviously, he was referring to God.

Of course there are some people who believe convicting is the Pastor's job. When they think someone else is doing something that is sinful or wrong, they expect the Pastor to confront the person, and correct them. And in fact, with only a quick glance, it may seem that they have some Scriptural grounds in II Timothy 4:2:

    "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." The NIV translates it this way: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction."

It certainly seems that Paul is instructing Pastor Timothy to do the correcting and rebuking. However, please notice that Paul is referring to the public preaching, not private confrontation. When the Word is preached, the Holy Spirit is present to do this work of convicting.

Also notice the balance in Paul's statement - yes there are to be "reproofs" and "rebukes," but there's also to be "encouragement," and all is to be done with "patience" and "sound teaching."

In fact, in this passage, Paul isn't referring to the exposure of personal sins at all - look at the following verse which obviously has to do with correcting false doctrine. The inference is that when sound doctrine is taught, the spirit, working through the word will being about conviction.

There are also those who seem anxious to call for public confession in order to make a public example - they also have a proof text in I Timothy 5:20:

    "Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning." (KJV) "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear." (NIV)

Again, we need to look at this carefully. In the context, Paul starts the chapter with "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father."

In the immediate context where there seems to be a call for public censure, Paul gives the caution that there must be two or three witnesses suggesting that there should be some form of due process leading up to public censure.

We are aware of the tremendous danger when leaders take upon themselves the role of prosecutor, judge and jury. Just talk with someone who has innocently become entangled in cult like organizations and extremely legalistic churches. In these groups there are frequent, if not weekly required public shaming of members when their alleged sins are announced and they must come before the whole church with weeping confessions to receive their due punishment.

Why do we think it be a problem if Pastors took on the Holy Spirit's role of conviction? Well, obviously Pastors are people too, and are no less subject to sin and error than everyone else. History has shown that leaders of this sort are often prone to be hard on their own sins which they see in others, perhaps as a way to deflect attention or make it unlikely that anyone would suspect them of the sins they so vigorously condemn.

    The question about personal offenses must be raised here. As Christians, if we are wronged by a brother or sister, there is a clear directive given by Jesus as to how we should respond. (Matthew 18:15-17) We are to immediately seek reconciliation by first going directly to the person who we feel caused us the injury, if that fails, go a second time in the company of witnesses, preferably mature Christians (Galatians 6:1), and if all else fails, take it to the church. However, in cases such as this, the offended person is not usurping the convicting role of the Spirit - they are simply letting their brother or sister know they have been hurt, but don't want that hurt to destroy their fellowship as Christian brother and sister. Notice, this has to do when we are personally offended, not when we take up someone else's offense.

Now let us return to the subject at hand - the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Actually, the Christian doesn't sit around saying, "I'll just wait until I feel convicted, then I'll know that I should repent and change my behavior and attitudes."

It's an old song, and in the rush to embrace the new, it has been nearly forgotten. The title of the song is "Cleanse Me," and the opening words, taken from Psalms 139:23 express it well, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts."

We readily understand this idea of search.

    We search for information, although the language has changed; today we simply "Google it."

    During storms or coal mine disasters, we hear of search and rescue operations.

    All of us, at one time or another have expended great amounts of energy searching for something that we lost.

    And more pertinent to our topic, during a crime investigation, the police request a search warrant to find evidence in order to convict a suspect.

As Christians, because we know our own propensity to sin, we don't wait around for conviction, we ask for it by praying for God to shine the search light of His Spirit on our souls.

We ourselves voluntarily supply a search warrant to the Holy Spirit. We don't run and try to hide like Adam and Eve. We have learned from Solomon, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper." (Proverbs 28:13) And Moses taught long before that, "You may be sure that your sin will find you out." (Numbers 32:23)

We purposefully expose ourselves to the searching of the Holy Spirit. Notice that this idea is well established in Scripture:

    The Psalmist asks, "Shall not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the heart." (Psalms 44:21)

    Jeremiah speaks for God and says, "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." (Jeremiah 17:10)

    Ezekiel foreshadows the story of the Good Shepherd as told by Jesus when he writes, "For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out." (Ezekiel 34:11)

    And in Zephaniah 1:12 God says, "And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, 'The LORD will not do good neither will he do evil.'"

By they way, did you notice the words in the song, "Cleanse Me"? "O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee; send a revival, start the work in me."

For decades, ever since the first and second Great Awakenings, devout Christians throughout America have been pining for revival. We believe that this is God's desire as well, but perhaps too many people have an idea about revival which at best is incomplete, if not very different from what God wants.

    We want to be blessed; He wants us to be a blessing.

    We want what gratifies the flesh; He wants what crucifies the flesh.

    We want celebration; He wants contrition.

    We want to get high; He wants us to bow low.

    We want to be charged up; He wants us to be changed over.

    We want to be excited; He wants us to be established.

    We want to jump high; He wants us to walk straight.

    We want to pass out in the Spirit; He wants us to pass out the Gospel to those who have not yet heard.

    We want a festival; He wants us to fast a while.

    We want to walk on water; He wants us to give a cup of cold water in His Name.

    We want our enemies to burn; He wants them to turn.

    We want a taste of heaven; He wants us to act like hurdles to hell, doing everything in our power to keep people from going there.

    We want a revival that allows us to escape from our problems; He wants a revival that asks the Holy Spirit to search out the personal causes of our problems.

Will you join me and pray for His kind of revival? However, let's just remember this, when we pray for true revival, what we're asking for is the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion Questions
Holy Spirit Conviction

1. As what stage in our legal process is a person said to be "convicted"?

2. Among Christians, who are the "ex-cons"?

3. According to Jesus' teaching recorded in John 16, who is it that convicts us of sin?

4. Why do you think A.T. Robertson, who is famous for his "Word Pictures," says that the Holy Spirit's work is "the most needed task today for our complacent age"? Do you think his assessment still applies?

5. What does this statement by Jesus, "Judge not that you be not judged" have to do with conviction?

6. According to Moses in Deuteronomy 28, who is it that will send upon Israel "curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to"?

7. What is the Scriptural basis used by people who believe that convicting is the Pastor's job?

8. Why should we be cautious about Pastors taking on this role? What kind of problems may result?

9. If the Pastor's preaching should include "reproofs" and "rebukes," with what positive activities should these be balanced?

10. Should there ever be a situation which calls for publicly shaming a church member, and if so, under what conditions?

11. What is the three step process outlined by Jesus when seeking to resolve offenses between Christians?

12. Why is it dangerous to take on other people's offenses?

13. Instead of merely sitting around waiting for the Holy Spirit's conviction, what does the sincere Christian do?

14. Why would it be futile to try to hide our sins from God?

15. If genuine revival occurs, how will we know it?

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