Weekly Devotional – John 16:7-8
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
– John 16:7-8 (KJV)
In the depths of every believer’s heart, there dwells the Holy Ghost, that divine Comforter promised by our Lord Jesus Christ. Among His most vital ministries to us is that of conviction – or as the King James Version beautifully puts it, “reproof.”
The Nature of Divine Reproof
The Scripture declares in Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” This holy conviction is not the condemning voice of the adversary, but the loving correction of our Heavenly Father, administered through the Holy Ghost.
Three Aspects of the Spirit’s Conviction
The Lord Jesus outlined three specific areas where the Holy Ghost brings conviction:
- Of Sin – “Because they believe not on me” (John 16:9)
- Of Righteousness – “Because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more” (John 16:10)
- Of Judgment – “Because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:11)
The Working of the Spirit
Consider the words of Scripture: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Ghost uses the Word of God to bring this sharp, precise conviction to our hearts.
The Proper Response to Conviction
When the Spirit of God brings conviction, we ought to:
- Humble ourselves: “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6)
- Confess our sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9)
- Turn from our ways: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts” (Isaiah 55:7)
- Walk in the Spirit: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)
The Blessed Purpose
The Scripture declares, “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11). The Holy Ghost’s conviction, though sometimes uncomfortable, works in us that peaceable fruit of righteousness.
Points for Prayerful Meditation:
- Have you felt the Spirit’s conviction in any area of your life?
- How do you respond when the Holy Ghost reproves you through the Word?
- Are there areas where you have resisted His gentle correction?
A Prayer of Submission
Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, who guides and corrects us in the way of righteousness. Grant us hearts that are tender to His conviction and willing to yield to His guidance. Help us to walk in the light as He is in the light, that we might have fellowship one with another, and that the blood of Jesus Christ Thy Son might cleanse us from all sin. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.” – Psalm 51:10-11