The Holy Spirit and Salvation

“And when He 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)

The overall theme of the Holy Scriptures is the redemption of humanity by the sacrificial act of Jesus Christ. From the fall of humanity in Genesis 3 onward, God’s plan from the foundation of the world to save His creation from their sins was put into motion. When the first man and woman sinned in the Garden of Eden, God devised a plan to redeem them. Christ and the Holy Spirit know about it, and Christ was brought into the world through the miraculous conception and virgin birth to execute the plan at Calvary. The Holy Spirit had a part too. It was his part to reveal the plan. Christ promised He would do that in John 16:13. God made the plan; Christ accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit revealed it.  

There is a strong tendency in American religion to attribute more power and more glory to the Holy Spirit than to Christ or even to God. His ministry in the conversion or regeneration of the sinner is very often given preeminence over the atoning blood of Christ and almost always over the ministry of our Lord. The work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life is essential. However, humanity still needs a Savior, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). The work of the Holy Spirit in converting the sinner is convicting Him of his sin, of righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). 

How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of sin? The world did not believe in Jesus; this exposed their unbelief in God. Unbelief in Jesus brings condemnation, and the work of the Spirit is designed to help the world understand the hopeless condition of being without Jesus, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30, 31). “To convict one of sin is to bring to one’s consciousness and awareness of the enormity of it and the tragedy which it brings.”^[1] The power of the Holy Spirit has overshadowed the power of sin in our lives in convicting us of that sin and bringing the sinner to obedience in Christ.

How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of righteousness? This may either mean the lack of righteousness in the world or the righteousness of Jesus. It is probably the latter. The righteousness of Jesus shone a light on the wickedness of the people in the world in how they treated Jesus. The people tried to establish their righteousness, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3). “The righteousness which is shown by Christ’s going to the Father is surely the righteousness which is established by the Christ. It is precisely this righteousness which requires the work of the Holy Spirit for men to be convinced about it.”^[2] The righteousness we seek is only available through the power of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. 

How does the Holy Spirit convict the world of judgment? Although it would appear that Satan won at the death of Jesus, in actuality, his judgment of condemnation was sealed. If we make the wrong decision about Jesus, we will stand condemned just as the ruler of this world is condemned, “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out” (John 12:31). “The judgment of the devil entailed the judgment of the world, since the world submitted itself to “the ruler of this world” and became the instrument for bringing about Jesus’ death…The Holy Spirit would convict the world for having made the wrong judgment.”^[3] The conviction of sin and righteousness in the heart of the sinner leads to the conviction of the wrong judgment about Christ. 

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^[1] Woods, Guy N. A Commentary on The Gospel According to John, Gospel Advocate Company, 1989: 340

^[2] Morris, Leon. The Gospel According To John, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971: 698, 699

^[3] Lipe, 179

By: Justin Odom