131. Reprove of righteousness
John 16:8b (He will reprove the world) of righteousness.
The second step (although it may chronologically come first) of the Holy Spirit’s conversion process is that He will convict the people of the world of righteousness. This is a promise that HS has fulfilled and is continuing to fulfill in the lives of human beings. The conviction of righteousness involves two parts: first, we must be convicted that we don’t have, but we desperately need, righteousness; second, we must be convicted that Jesus has earned for us and given us the righteousness of God by faith in Him and His Gospel.
The HS convinces us that the righteousness of God comes to us by faith in the Gospel. In the very proclamation of the Gospel HS creates the faith that receives the righteousness of God. For this to be personally applied to my life I must be convinced by the HS. I must first admit, by the HS’s using the Word of God, that I cannot establish my own righteousness. Once I believe this to be impossible I am ready to believe the granting of God’s righteousness to me by faith. The righteousness that comes from God is a righteousness based on faith. [Romans 10:1-6] This truth is impossible for a human to believe by Himself alone, in fact, he would never think of this possibility. Therefore, HS needs to convince one that the righteousness of God is a gift freely granted by grace, through faith, for the sake of Christ. Once I believe it I possess it and it is my own.
When I am reproved, or convicted, by HS nothing can shake me out of this truth. No matter what Satan or anyone else says about me, I can confidently say, “I am righteous,” and that righteousness cannot be diminished or doubted because it is God’s, not mine. Let God be true and every demon a liar. This is the power of the conviction by the Holy Spirit.