In my last blog I pointed out that Bible believers should not be surprised when the world’s unbelievers do what the Bible says they will do. Christians also need to understand that the work of convincing unbelievers of their error is not the Christian’s job, task, or duty.
Jesus said a Christian’s duty is to spread the gospel:
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… Matthew 28:19*
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
…that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Luke 24:47-48
Paul reminded the Romans that the world needs the church to preach:
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” Romans 10:13-15
As much as Christians can work to lovingly express God’s love to the world, Jesus said the unbeliever cannot come to Him unless the Father draws him.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; John 6:44
How does the Father draw sinners? By his goodness:
…the goodness of God leads you to repentance… Romans 2:4
God the Father wants all people to repent:
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
Before someone can repent, they must be made aware of their need. Gospel preachers are the instrument by which sinners hear the gospel, but the unbeliever is only convicted by the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained this to His disciples in John 16:
And when He (the Helper, v.7) has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 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 of this world is judged. John 16:8-11 (my parentheses)
When I read this passage about the Holy Spirit’s work, I wondered why these three topics were the focus of His conviction. Jesus explained it in verses 9-11. This blog is the first of a series that will discuss how he works in men’s hearts in these areas.
Conviction #1: of sin, because they do not believe in Me
The world has been condemned under sin since the fall of Adam.(Romans 5:12) The only way out of our condemnation is through Jesus Christ. If we do not believe in Him, we are still lost.
Salvation from sin is based solely on someone’s belief in Jesus as the Son of God, crucified, buried and raised from the dead. Jesus told Nicodemus,
…he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:18
And He told the Jews who did not believe in Him,
Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:24
The Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever of sin because they don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God. When an unbeliever is convicted of his sins, he isn’t just convicted of the commandments he has broken, but the fact that his sins are still held against him because he hasn’t believed in Jesus’ authority to remove those sins.
The Holy Spirit reminds unbelievers that whatever they do, it is sinful because they do it without faith.
“for whatever is not from faith is sin.” Romans 14:23
My next blog will discuss how the Holy Spirits convicts the world of righteousness.
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*All Scripture quotations for this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
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