Conversion

TO READ: John 16:1-15

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.

John 16:8

How can we possibly live the Christian life without Christ? We can’t! It is the Holy Spirit who makes the life of Christ ours!

The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. When someone first told me I was a sinner, I was most indignant. But after I thought about it, I began to feel uneasy, then guilty. This change of attitude was the Holy Spirit’s work in my life.

The Holy Spirit convinces us that Jesus is the only answer to our sins (John 14:16-17). The same person who had the courage to talk to me about my sin problem also explained that Jesus had come to earth to take my punishment for me. She told me I needed to turn away from living for myself and to walk in God’s way. It wasn’t just her persuasive arguments that converted me to Christ —there was a power in her words. The Holy Spirit was using my friend to convince me of the truth of these things.

The Holy Spirit commands and empowers us to witness (Acts 1:8), commissions us to care (Acts 2:44-45), and consecrates us to serve (Acts 6:1-5). One of the miracles of conversion is a new focus and redirection of our activities. There is a pervading sense that time must now be used to help others know the Lord. We become other-oriented, instead of self-centered and self-absorbed. A great sense of God’s purpose for our life will begin when we receive Christ by his Spirit. He will never leave us.