Convinced Of Righteousness

Convinced of Righteousness

Read: John 16:5-11

“He will convict the world . . . in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer.”

John 16:8, 10

“God works immediately by His Spirit in and on the wills of His saints.”

—John Owen

IN WORD The Holy Spirit not only convinces us of sin; He convinces us of righteousness. Is there a difference? Doesn’t an awareness of our sin imply that there is an awareness of a righteous alternative? Yes, but it tells us nothing of what that righteousness will look like. We know it will preclude the sins we regularly commit; but other than avoiding the bad things, we don’t know the good things righteousness will lead us to do. That’s where the Spirit comes in. He shows us Jesus.

While Jesus was in front of His disciples, they knew what righteousness looked like. They went where He went, they watched what He did, they responded to His instructions. Now, He tells them, He is going away and the Spirit is coming. We have the Bible, of course, so we see Jesus through the eyes of its writers. We, too, know what righteousness looks like. But we have no idea what it demands of us today other than by example. And Jesus did not simply leave us with an example. He left us with Himself. The Spirit is His presence; He shows us what He is doing. He convinces us what righteous living is all about.

IN DEED A popular catchphrase asks us “What would Jesus do?” It isn’t a bad question, but there’s a better one: “What is Jesus doing?” The first question makes Jesus a dead example. The second recognizes His living presence.

Jesus isn’t dead, you know. He’s very much alive, and His Spirit is very much living with us and in us. He is here to show us how to live—not just in principle or by example, but today in our actual circumstances and relationships. His Spirit convicts us regarding righteousness because we need His righteousness to live in us and through us. We need Him to act in our lives. And our world needs to see Him desperately. Let them see Him through you.