“And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.” (John 16:8–9 NLT)

 

Over the next few days, we’re going to look at the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, one of God’s greatest gifts to us. The Holy Spirit performs vital duties in this world. Yet many of them go unnoticed because we simply take them for granted. But it’s important for God’s people to understand and celebrate His work. So, let’s start with this one: The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin.

Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me” (John 16:8–9 nlt). The Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners. He communicates the amazing truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection. He shows us that we need to turn to God. Without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, none of us ever would have come to Jesus.

That’s why, when I pray for a nonbeliever, I say, “Lord, convict them by Your Holy Spirit.” If I tell someone that Jesus has made my life fuller and better, and that I have joy and peace, they will think, “Well, that’s fine for you.” But what they need to realize is that they’re a sinner in need of a Savior. And that’s the work of the Spirit.

The Spirit convicts us of our sin—not to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter delivered a sermon. Some of the people in the audience were culpable in Jesus’ crucifixion. Acts 2:37 says, “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’” (NLT). The Holy Spirit was doing the piercing.

The idea of piercing someone’s heart may be a little unsettling—if you imagine the act as an attack with a knife. But what if the blade is a scalpel? And the one wielding it is a highly trained surgeon? And the piercing is a necessary procedure to remove a cancerous tumor? Suddenly the scenario is reframed as a life-giving act of mercy.

So it is with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He reveals the ugly truth—that we are sinners, powerless to save ourselves. He reveals the dire consequences—that we face God’s eternal judgment. And then He reveals the life-giving truth—that God made salvation possible through the sacrifice of His Son.

The Holy Spirit pierces our hearts—not to weaken us or destroy us, but to save us. He shows us just how much we need Jesus.

 

Reflection question: What did the convicting work of the Holy Spirit look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God&rsquo;s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world&rsquo;s sin is that it refuses to believe in me.&rdquo; (John 16:8&ndash;9 NLT)
&nbsp;
Over the next few days, we&rsquo;re going to look at the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, one of God&rsquo;s greatest gifts to us. The Holy Spirit performs vital duties in this world. Yet many of them go unnoticed because we simply take them for granted. But it&rsquo;s important for God&rsquo;s people to understand and celebrate His work. So, let&rsquo;s start with this one: The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin.
Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, &ldquo;And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God&rsquo;s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.&nbsp;The world&rsquo;s sin is that it refuses to believe in me&rdquo; (John 16:8&ndash;9 nlt). The Holy Spirit shows us that we are sinners. He communicates the amazing truth of Jesus&rsquo; death and resurrection. He shows us that we need to turn to God. Without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, none of us ever would have come to Jesus.
That&rsquo;s why, when I pray for a nonbeliever, I say, &ldquo;Lord, convict them by Your Holy Spirit.&rdquo; If I tell someone that Jesus has made my life fuller and better, and that I have joy and peace, they will think, &ldquo;Well, that&rsquo;s fine for you.&rdquo; But what they need to realize is that they&rsquo;re a sinner in need of a Savior. And that&rsquo;s the work of the Spirit.
The Spirit convicts us of our sin&mdash;not to drive us to despair, but to send us into the open arms of Jesus. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter delivered a sermon. Some of the people in the audience were culpable in Jesus&rsquo; crucifixion. Acts 2:37 says, &ldquo;Peter&rsquo;s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, &lsquo;Brothers, what should we do?&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). The Holy Spirit was doing the piercing.
The idea of piercing someone&rsquo;s heart may be a little unsettling&mdash;if you imagine the act as an attack with a knife. But what if the blade is a scalpel? And the one wielding it is a highly trained surgeon? And the piercing is a necessary procedure to remove a cancerous tumor? Suddenly the scenario is reframed as a life-giving act of mercy.
So it is with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. He reveals the ugly truth&mdash;that we are sinners, powerless to save ourselves. He reveals the dire consequences&mdash;that we face God&rsquo;s eternal judgment. And then He reveals the life-giving truth&mdash;that God made salvation possible through the sacrifice of His Son.
The Holy Spirit pierces our hearts&mdash;not to weaken us or destroy us, but to save us. He shows us just how much we need Jesus.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: What did the convicting work of the Holy Spirit look like in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

The Holy Spirit makes us aware that we need Christ.

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