When we look at this passage, we see several things that we may receive conviction of by the Holy Spirit. The first one is sin. There are two basic ways the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. The first way comes before we are saved. The Holy Spirit convicts us that we are sinners in need of a Savior. The second way occurs after we are saved. The Holy Spirit convicts us because of our need for fellowship with our Savior. Sin first interferes with our relationship. Then once the relationship is established, sin interferes with our oneness or fellowship with the Savior. Another way that we are convicted by the Holy Spirit concerns righteousness. The Holy Spirit will encourage us to live a life of righteousness before the Lord. Why? Because He desires us to look and act like Jesus, and Jesus is righteousness. The Holy Spirit also convicts of judgment because, at some point, our enemy, Satan, will be judged and so will those who mimic him and reject Jesus. This conviction is to encourage us to share our faith in the hopes that fewer and fewer people die without Christ as Savior, facing that judgment. The Holy Spirit will also convict us of the truth of Jesus and our need for time with Him, as well as the truth of God’s Word and our need for time in it. Another way He convicts us concerns glory. Who’s getting glory in and from our lives—Jesus or self? The world will try to convince us that we are worthy of getting glory and accolades from our peers, but that is not the truth. We are only worthy of judgment apart from God’s grace. On the other hand, Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed Himself willingly on our behalf. He, and He alone, deserves our praise and all glory! You may have thought conviction was a bad thing, but hopefully, now you see it as a precious gift from our Lord.
