The word conviction comes up often in Christianity. If you were raised with a legalistic mindset, as I was, then the word conviction can carry a negative connotation. Works-centered religious preachers often promote the need for a greater conviction of sins even for those who have been cleansed by the sacrifice of Christ, and reborn into His righteousness.

It seems that for many, there is a confusion between pre-Christ conviction, and post-Christ conviction, which causes a spiritual and mental tension which isn’t healthy (or scriptural!).

So, today, we are going to explore the meaning of conviction in the scriptures, and specifically, what new covenant conviction is, in the light of Jesus Christ.

Conviction is Good… Sometimes…

The first thing for us to see and understand is what biblical conviction is. It almost seems too simple— most simply assume that conviction in the Bible simply means to be woefully sorry for sin, or to beat your chest, weep bitter tears, and do all of the things pastors typically preach.

Conviction can indeed be a good thing— sometimes. But the first step is understanding that biblical conviction is not primarily about emotion but about being convinced of the truth! When this definition is understood, conviction is good, and right, and necessary. However, when conviction is thought of to be entirely self-focused and wrapped-up in sin consciousness, it is a bad thing.

A lot of people have been taught that the job of the Holy Spirit is to minister consistent guilt and shame for all of the wrong they have done, and to be a permanent nag. However, I’m convinced that this common belief is a misinterpretation  and a misapplication of a section of scriptures from John 16:7-14:

“ ⁷Nevertheless 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 to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you.

⁸And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

⁹Of sin, because they believe not on me;

¹⁰Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more;

¹¹Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

¹²I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

¹³However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.

¹⁴He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you.”

John 16:7-14:

The Conviction of the Holy Spirit

Jesus says a lot of interesting things in these verses, not the least of which being that it is expedient (or beneficial) that He goes away. There are those today who greatly wish that Jesus would’ve never left, but Jesus said here that it is for our benefit that He left, so that the Holy Spirit would come. I think that we sometimes fail to recognize the tremendous gift and value of the Holy Spirit in our lives (and in us), perhaps because we’ve relegated the Spirit to merely a function of our conscience.

To Jesus, the Holy Spirit is extremely valuable, as seen in these scriptures.

A crucial detail to notice here is that Jesus lists three kinds of conviction, for three distinct groups. This detail often gets overlooked and completely ignored by those who claim that the holy spirit still convicts believers of their sins which Jesus’ sacrifice has already cleaned them of.

You don’t need to take my word for this, let’s explore the verses together.

In verse 8, Jesus says the following about the conviction of the Holy Spirit:

And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…

Unfortunately, verse 8 is where most people stop, and then simply conclude that the Holy Spirit convicts everyone of all three things simultaneously. 

However, Jesus isn’t finished speaking in verse 8, so let’s continue, as He expounds on the meaning of verse 8. In verses 9, 10, and 11, we see the following:

• Of sin, because they do not believe on me
• Of righteousness, because I am going to my Father and you will not see me anymore
• Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged

As we read the complete statement of Jesus without taking any of it out of context, we can clearly see that He is talking about three distinct roles of the Holy Spirit, for three distinct people groups. So the question then becomes, which group are you in?

Where Has Jesus Placed You?

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of self-reliance (and self condemnation), as many will easily start tallying up their perceived failures, and then conclude that they are still in sin. However, those who are paying attention might have noticed this chapter’s heading, which doesn’t ask which category you place yourself in, but where has Jesus placed you?

As with everything else, this question forces us to return to the foundation of the Gospel. The good news of Christ, and what He has accomplished for you.

Analyzing the categories from our scripture above, we see the first group, which the Holy Spirit convinces of sin, is because they don’t believe on Jesus! If you believe on Jesus, if you are trusting in His promises and provision for you, then , good news, you are not in this first group!

The third category are those whom the Holy Spirit will convict “of judgment,”  but not just any kind of judgment, a very specific bit of information about judgment… that the prince of this world is judged. It’s not judgment regarding your sins or your failings, it’s judgment regarding Satan and his doomed reign. The fact that the devil is defeated and has been spoiled by Jesus! I’ve said it before, that this is the ultimate victory chant of every true believer in Christ, and the warning cry to everyone who still hasn’t seen the proverbial writing on the wall. 

Are you a child of the world? Are you trusting in the world or the devil? If not, then you are not in this category either.

Righteousness, in Christ

This leaves only one remaining group in verse 10. The second group, which I saved for last purposefully, is the one that the Holy Spirit reminds “of righteousness.” This is the group that every believer is in, right now. Every person who believes on Jesus, has His righteousness accounted to them for all time, and the Holy Spirit convinces us of this fact. 

Jesus tells us why the Spirit does this: Because I am going to my Father, and you will not see me any more. We will no longer have His physical presence on the earth to remind us of what He accomplished,  but His Spirit will always be with us, to comfort us and remind us that we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6), completely sanctified and holy (Hebrews 10:10), and entirely complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).

Final Encouragement

There’s much more that I could share with you regarding this truth, and what it means for us today having a conscience cleansed in Christ. Let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in that, or any other thought’s you have regarding what we’ve seen today or what you’d like to see next.

For now, I encourage you to meditate on what God has shown us today in the scriptures regarding the immense value of the Holy Spirit in our lives and what it personally means for you to know that you are righteous in Christ Jesus.

Be blessed.