One of the biggest signs that a believer does not fully understand what happened at the cross of the Calvary, is that they are scared of the Holy Spirit and His work. They view him as a Convictor and Policeman even though Jesus called Him the Comforter and Counselor. Their perceptions are shaped by old covenant traditions rather than new covenant truths.
Here are 10 myths and 10 truths about the Person of Holy Spirit:
Myth 1: The Holy Spirit keeps a record of my sin.
Truth 1: The Holy Spirit remembers your sin no more (He 10:17).
The Holy Spirit is not forgetful, but love keeps no record of wrongs. At the cross, justice was done and all your sins were forgiven (Col 2:13). To forgive literally means to send away. Your sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). God has reconciled the world to Himself and is no longer counting men’s sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). If the old covenant was characterized by remembrance of sins (He 10:3), the new is characterized by forgetting them (He 8:12).
Myth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin.
Truth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts you of your righteousness (Jn 16:10).
How could He convict you of something that He chooses not to remember? Jesus has done away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26). Your sins are not the problem. The real question is whether you trust in the grace of God. As an expression of His love and mercy, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of unbelief in Jesus. But the only thing He “convicts” or rather, convinces, Christians of is their righteousness (Jn 16:8-10).
Myth 3: The Holy Spirit leads me to confess my sin.
Truth 3: The Holy Spirit leads you to confess Jesus is Lord (1 Co 12:3)!
The Holy Spirit will never seek to distract you from Jesus. His ministry will always make you Jesus-conscious rather than self-conscious (Jn 16:14). Specifically, the Holy Spirit will lead you to recognize Jesus as Lord which means everything you have – including your problems and sins – belongs to Him. You don’t have the right to your sins. They are not yours for He bought them with His blood. Still thinking about your sins? Then reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rm 6:11).
Myth 4: The Holy Spirit is watching to see if I slip up and fail to finish.
Truth 4: The Holy Spirit personally guarantees your salvation and inheritance (Eph 1:13-14).
When you were saved you were marked as one of God’s own (2 Cor 1:22) and sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit is not a fault-finder, but a hope-giver (Rm 15:13). His hope is a firm and secure anchor for the soul (He 6:19). What’s your part in this? Trust Him!
Myth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God’s judgment.
Truth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God’s love (Rm 5:5).
“God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit…” (Rms 5:5, GNB). “So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 Jn 4:18). If you fear God’s punishment, please allow me to introduce you to the Holy Spirit.
Myth 6: The Holy Spirit inspires us to fear a holy and distant God.
Truth 6: The Holy Spirit helps you to know and draw near to God your Father (Eph 1:17, Gal 4:6).
“For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Father! My Father!’” (Rm 8:15, GNB). Wow! How good is that?!
Myth 7: The Holy Spirit lives somewhere out there, probably behind Alpha Centauri.
Truth 7: The Holy Spirit lives in you (1 Co 6:19; 2 Ti 1:14, Rm 8:11).
Under the old covenant, God lived in the temple. In the new covenant, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:19). Where does He live? In you! As Ralph Harris says, you are “God’s sacred mobile home.”
Myth 8: The Holy Spirit comes and goes. We need to cry out for Him to come.
Truth 8: The Holy Spirit abides, dwells, stays with you and in you (Jn 14:17, 1 Jn 3:24, Rm 8:11).
In the old covenant the Holy Spirit rested on certain people for certain times. But in the new covenant He abides with us and “makes His home in us” (2 Ti 1:14 AMP). If you have received the Holy Spirit, be comforted, for He’s not going anywhere. He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (He 13:5).
Myth 9: The Holy Spirit plays hard to get.
Truth 9: The Holy Spirit is The Gift, sent by Jesus and freely given by the Father (Jn 16:7, Lk 11:13, Acts 10:45).
According to Galatians 3:14, Jesus redeemed us so that we might receive the blessings promised to Abraham, namely, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Do you believe that Jesus has redeemed you? Then you are eligible to receive the promised Holy Spirit. Who is not eligible to accept Him? The (unsaved) world, “because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you” (Jn 14:17). Look at what Peter said to those who heard the gospel at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit does not limit Himself to a chosen few. Believe in Jesus and you will, you will, you will receive the promised Gift! Believe it!
Myth 10: To receive the Holy Spirit you must fast, pray, attend some classes, get straightened out, act holy…
Truth 10: The Holy Spirit is received by faith (Gal 3:14).
Did you fast and pray to receive Jesus? Didn’t think so. You just received by faith. It’s exactly the same with the Holy Spirit. How do we receive the promise of the Spirit? By faith (Gal 3:14)! “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk 11:13). Here Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit is freely given to all who ask. Don’t let anyone tell you that you must do stuff to earn what God freely gives. Jesus already did it all. “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (Jn 16:24)
In this post we looked at 10 myths surrounding the Person of the Holy Spirit. In the next post we’ll look at 10 myths surrounding the work of the Holy Spirit. Stay tuned!
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Related posts:
- What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
- Confession, conviction, confusion!
- Are you religious? (Take the test!)
Wow – I must have led a sheltered life. I never heard most of that, even before I Jesus baptized me! How sad. He’s the sweet heavenly dove!
Wow, I love this post! Thank you for sharing these thoughts…I have been one that has been sort of afraid of the Holy Spirit in the past, probably because I wasn’t taught much about him in the early years of my faith. But having received Him, I have found Him to be the most loving, caring, wonderful, ever-present Encourager and Friend! He has cemented so many grace truths into my experience and shown me more than ever that God is love.
Thank you again for sharing! I am so encouraged by all that is in this post..
In Christ,
Sparrow
this is just a great great note. i reposted on my blog….
your messages are such an inspiration!
Thank you, Paul, for another post full of grace and truth!! I found E2R when I was desparately searching for the correct interpretation of 1 John 1:9 several months ago. I have been in many “Christian” churches throughout my life and I have been taught wrong in every one of them. They all mix in law and condemnation with grace to one degree or another. Thanks to your faithfulness I am finally understandig the truth – I am 56 years old. Because of the wrong things I have been taught since childhood, I developed severe depression and OCD/scrupulosity. You may well have saved my life from a tragic end. Bad doctrine badly hurts sincere seekers, but the Truth really does set us free. Thank you, my brother!!
Hi David, thanks for taking the time to write. Bad doctrine does indeed hurt, but thank God for the Truth that liberates!
pretty good myth busting, but do check out RT Kendall on The Sensitivity OF the Holy Spirit – I reckon that will bless you and add perspective to your views.
Is this the book that says the Holy Spirit is like a dove who flies away when He’s grieved? I haven’t read it but right off the bat I’m having difficulty reconciling that theory with His promise that He’d never leave nor forsake us. See Myth 8 above.
I love this site. Paul you have a gift. God bless you! You probably already have seen this but I wanted to pass it on to you and your readers. Hebrews 9:14 shows us that dead works are rooted in the conscience (“how much more will the blood of Christ …cleanse your conscience from dead works”). Hebrews 10:22 sheds further light on the work of the punitive conscience when it says “our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience.” Vines defines this word “evil” as: not evil in nature, but evil in influence by influencing us towards labor, toil and striving!!! The evil conscience influences us towards labor toil and striving by making us self-conscience and in doing so, we behold self and perform dead works (works without faith)in an attempt to get rid of the guilt. I believe most of us as believers have more intimacy with our conscience [knowledge (science)/ with (con)=> knowledge shared with oneself)than we do with the Lord and as a result, we are more occupied with our works than we are with His. Anyway, I wanted to share that because it blesses me. God bless all you guys.
Thanks Lee, that’s a great observation. You are blessed!
Interesting post Paul. Seems a bit lopsided unless I do not see what you are seeing in scripture. You say it is a myth that the Holy Ghost convicts people of sin and then you masterly avoid the very scripture that states exactly that! Would you therefore please interpret John 16:8 for us.
Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Do I understand you correctly? You say that verse 10 is truth but verse 9 and 11 is myth??? Sjoe Paul, this post has so moved me! I am shocked that someone can handle holy scripture like this! I really hope that you are not a preacher!. God help you if you are and those who listen to you. But then, it is better to listen to the Holy Ghost. If I have Him, He will convict me when I sin, if not, I will blindly fall into eternal damnation…
Thanx Deon
Deon, thank you for your comment. A quick question for you from Hebrews: “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this… ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more’” (Heb 10:15,17). How can the Holy Spirit convict you of something He chooses not to remember? According to your theology either Jesus is lying in John 16 or the Holy Spirit is lying in Hebrews 10. The truth is that neither are lying but you may be confused about what Jesus said. Take another look at Jn 16. He said the Holy Spirit would convict the world (not the disciples) in regard to sin because they do not believe in me. Do you believe in Jesus? Then the Holy Spirit has already done that work Jesus mentioned (1 Cor 12:3).
Hi Paul. My idea is not to get into any argument with you about the scriptures. There are already enough fighting and division amongst Christians that the name of Jesus is ridiculed by those on the outside. We are on the same side and serve the same Master. Entry into eternal life is NOT possible except through genuine godly repentance. Scripture is plain that faith alone *CANNOT* save. Repentance is not possible without a conviction of sin which is the task of the Holy Spirit and of preachers filled with the *HOLY* Spirit. Spirit filled preachers’ sermons should therefore reveal, convict and cut to the heart as that of Peter at Pentecost. This is foreign to current day preaching. Conviction of sin implies:
1. A passing of a sentence, a guilty verdict from the Holy Spirit. The Word do state that Jesus is the judge and will condemn sinners to eternal fire. So why do preachers not say that and let the sinner believe that?
2. A feeling of despair and condemnation for the accused. Again the Word do say that the sinner is condemned and should tremble before a Holy God so why do the preacher not make the sinner believe that? Are we not supposed to believe the scriptures?
You asked:
How can the Holy Spirit convict you of something He chooses not to remember?
Answer:
Why do the Christian need to confess his sin if there is no personal guilt before God? Don’t asking for forgiveness imply God’s anger and personal guilt? Don’t fathers get angry at children? When a Christian sin, is the Holy Spirit not concerned? Will He not convict him? Will He let you alone in your sin?
Questions?
1. Why will the sinner cry out for a Saviour before he is convinced (by the holy ghost preacher) that he stands personally condemned before a Holy God?
2. You know that Christians still sin. How is their continued repentance possible without a continued conviction of sin? Maybe this is why Christians cannot let go of their sin for there is no real godly sorrow! They have never heard real Holy Ghost preaching.
3. How do you know that everyone that names the name of Jesus in your church has been born of God? Jesus was certain, many will try but few will make it. Does this concerned you? An atheist sin and your Christian friend sin. Are you concerned about your Christian friend? If not, then you have no right to be a preacher. How do you anyway know for certain that the Spirit of God live in you?
4. We know there are wheat and tares in church. Why do most preaching fail to make sin utterly sinful and condemn the deeds of the so called Christians? Just look at that Christian fundamentalist, Anders Behring Breivik. You want to tell me that his faith will save him! What makes the prayer-less, lukewarm, sports loving, worldly, proud, entertainment and pleasure loving Christian adulterer different from him?
The Christians have forsaken the prayer meeting? We can sing, dance and play but we cannot pray! We have no burden, agony, unction and desperation for a lost world in our prayers. When last did you see travail for the lost? Proof: Less than 5% of Christians reach out to a lost and condemned world! The reason for this is plain!
*** The Church of Jesus has no conviction of the terribleness of sin nor the coming wrath of God nor of the defilement in the pulpit and in the pew! This is because we preachers have not been convicted of SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUDGMENT. ***
God help us!
Does all this concern you, Paul? It should! It concerns me and I am sure it concerns the Holy Ghost…
Deon, you raise a number of issues that go beyond the current post. (And please keep your comments <250 words.) Regarding confession, my thoughts can be found here. My thoughts on lukewarm Christians can be found here. Regarding Anders Breivik – I can assure you he is not a follower of Jesus.
I’ll stick with my earlier question because you did not answer it with reference to scripture but man-made traditions. The old covenant was characterized by remembrance and confession of sins; the new covenant is characterized by complete and total forgiveness. In their own words both God the Father (Heb 8:12) and God the Holy Spirit have said they will remember your sins no more (Heb 10:17). We are not justified on the basis of our acts of confession or prayer meeting attendance. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Add any qualifier to that truth – confession, etc. – and you kill it; you set aside grace. It is a revelation of God’s goodness – not out sinfulness – that leads to repentance (Rms 2:4). God help us? He already did!
hi paul.
If a christian sin’s who remindes him of his sin’s.
His wife.
Sorry for the long reply. I will try and keep it short.
Revelation 3 shows how God judged and convicted 7 churches for their deeds and threatened some that their names could even be removed from the book of Life if they repent not. Why did He do that? I am sure that He already died for their sins. He did not even need to mention their sins since He forgot all about it. He could just have given them grace and let them continue disregarding or arguing away the fact of their sins yet He makes a very strong case against each of them and judged them. Do you think that the Holy Spirit in the apostle John wanted those churches to feel convicted, confess their sins and repent? This seems to me to be the case. Better to be judged now than that day when all men will stand before Him to be judged for their deeds (not faith).
You said previously that sin is to not believe in Jesus. Do you not regard adultery, lies etc as sins that applies to Christians too? When we truly believe in Jesus, we do not continually and habitually sin(transgress His holy law). We may fall but we cannot live in it. Unbelief leads to sin. Believing in Jesus and continuing to look and lust, does God not regard that as sin in the Christian? Should He convict me and warn me about it ? Did God expect Jimmy Swaggart to confess and repent of his adultery as a Christian.
The apostle Paul warned God’s church. He stated: ‘Be not deceived. *No adulterer*, fornicator etc.. will enter the kingdom of God’. The Holy Ghost seems to want to convict the church through apostle Paul that adultery is sin and that NO adulterer will enter into heaven…
Kind Regards…
Deon – I’m losing sight of your point/question. I think we’re still talking about conviction of sin. You raise a number of interesting ideas suggesting why the Holy Spirit should convict us. My response is unchanged: the Bible explicitly says He doesn’t and Holy Spirit Himself says He remembers our sins no more. You can come up with all sorts of reasons for disagreeing with those scriptures if you like, but I see no wriggle room. I appreciate your views are traditionally taught by sincere preachers – I used to teach them myself. But they are categorically wrong. They do great damage to people and keep the church weak and unproductive.
Those who are in Christ are new – they have new desires and longings. They don’t want to sin. When they do sin Jesus defends them (not their behavior) – see I Jn 2:1. Am I justifying sin? Of course not. I’m saying those whom God justifies (Rm 4:5) are justified. How can we say otherwise? “Better to be judged now?” Nope – better to be judged at the cross. My sins were judged. I was forgiven and now live forgiven. I’m not returning to the cross over and over asking Jesus to come and die again for my new sins; I’m pressing on living free under His gift of no condemnation (Jn 3:18). I have no fear of punishment because I’ve seen the cross and had a revelation of His love (1 Jn 4:18).
Creation waits for the mature sons of God to be revealed but the carnal, infant-like children of God are hiding in church weeping over their sins while trying to manage the sins of their fellow home-group members. It’s a huge win for the devil! He’s got the church completely out of the fight. He’s made the good news look like not-so-good-news. He’s got Christians clinging to the lifeboats in fear of nothing. We’re supposed to be showing and telling the good news of the kingdom. (Don’t get me started.)
Nowhere in Revelations does Jesus threaten to blot out names. This is another classic example of distorting scripture to kill grace and put those whom God justifies under the condemning, death-dealing ministry of religion. I’m not attacking you – you’re no doubt just repeating what you’ve heard. With respect, I encourage you to examine the scriptures through the lens of Jesus and His finished work. (I have pasted here some links to related articles that develop some of my points.)
Don’t get me wrong Paul, I understand the Grace of God and do not want to minimize it. I also understand Christian maturity. My problem with the current day Gospel that the people on this site “praise” is that you state that the Holy Spirit do not convict the Christian of sin and judgment. OK, I agree, if you are a mature, perfect Christian like the apostle Paul, then the Spirit of God probably have very little to convict you of but who in these days of lawlessness can admit Christian perfection?
You remarked: “Nowhere in Revelations does Jesus threaten to blot out names. This is another classic example of distorting scripture to kill grace and put those whom God justifies under the condemning, death-dealing ministry of religion.”
My interpretation of Rev 3:4-5 is: Jesus noted that only *few* of the Christians in the Church of Sardis was worthy to have their names in the book of life for they did did not defile their garments. He therefore encouraged the rest of Chruch to overcome a lifestyle of defilement so that they can be clothed in white raiment and He will therefore not need to remove their names out of the book of life. This indicates that God does NOT just give people Grace indiscriminately but that He expects the grace of God to teach men to deny ungodliness.
Question for you Paul. What happened to the Christians in Sardis who died without overcoming the mentioned problem? Another Question: If there is no threat of peoples names being blotted out of the book of life then why did Jesus even mention that such a possibility exist?
1. I didn’t say the Holy Spirit does not convict the Christian of sin and judgment – Jesus said it. Hopefully you will find nothing original here. Stop crafting a theology to accommodate your carnal experience – it’s there in red and white in John 16. Believe or don’t believe it but don’t pretend He didn’t say it.
2. Answers to your two Sardis questions can be found in my post on Sardis. But briefly, what happens to Christians who die with problems? A: The same thing that happens to Christians who die without problems. Why did Jesus reassure the saints that He would not blot out their names? Probably because religious people have, for thousands of years, been saying the exact opposite. Contrary to what you’re telling me, God doesn’t use correction fluid.
Bro, I think your intention is good in this message, but there is a problem. The Holy Spirit does convict us of sin. I believe you are trying to help people understand that there is no condemnation in Christ, which there’s not, and that the Holy Spirit does not bring condemnation, which He doesn’t. However, He does bring conviction. When you look in the Old Testament, every time Israel repented and turned back to God there was first conviction followed by repentance. Jesus says that we can not understand the Word of God except by the Holy Spirit, therefore the Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to life and shows us where we need to improve. He does not condemn us, but He does convict us. For how can we repent of something we didn’t know was wrong? And how can we know if something is wrong unless convicted by God’s Word and His Spirit. Again, I am not attacking your message here, it is very good. I just wanted to point out that you second myth buster is semi-correct, it is just a seeming confusion between conviction and condemnation. Thanks
James, you are eliding a number of ideas and I won’t attempt to disentangle them. I’ll just stick to the post. I’ve given you a few scriptures showing the Holy Spirit cannot convict us of sin in the new covenant. You’re welcome to disagree but I’m going to stick with the words of Jesus and the author of Hebrews. Since this is an omnibus post, I have written more about conviction and confession here.
in john 16:8-9 Jesus says the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin – because men do not believe in Him. EVERY Christian has been convicted of this sin (it doesn’t say “sins’) – the sin of not believing in Christ – or else we would never have been born again! However, last time i checked, once you become a believer, you are no longer are a part of “the world”… Jesus is pretty clear about that in john 17:14-16 & john 15:19
When we do something that is wrong, the Holy Spirit convicts believers of this righteousness (john 16:8 & 10) and He gently reminds us that we have been made the “righteousness of God in Christ” (2 cor 5:21, rom 3:22). We usually realize that what we did does not line up with who we really are (1 john 4:17). We can respond to His reminder in different ways… by condemning ourselves, walking in the flesh, or by walking in the Spirit
How about an analogy?… You come up with the wrong answer to a math problem. Your Teacher doesn’t mark it wrong – but instead, gives you the right answer. You can beat yourself up about getting the wrong answer, try to come up with the right answer on your own, OR you can ask Him to show you the steps. The Teacher never told you that you had the wrong answer – He only showed you the right one…
;)
See 1 John 5:4-5 as to how to be an overcomer. Hint: It has nothing to do with you lifestyle and everything to do with your faith.
Deon,
Paul was perfect as far as righteousness is concerned and IT worked effectively in Paul (It produced maturity, 2 Pet 3:18 & 1 Tim 2:1). In terms of behavior, Paul and Peter weren’t always perfect (Acts 23 2:2-5, Gal 2:11-20).
Praise God he didn’t choose Arch Bishops, but he chose fishermen lol.
I forgot one Acts 16:18, its awesome to know that I’m not the only one who gets annoyed.
Paul, I am sure that I am not the only one who appreciated your patience and grace in continuing to respond to Deon’s comments as they were most helpful in establishing the truth for me. Thank you.
I think conviction may have a different meaning to different people.
I ask the Holy Spirit to lead & guide me and to show me area’s where I need to Change my mind/ways. (Is that asking to be convicted of my sin?)
On occasion, the Holy Spirit shows/or tells me area’s where I need to change my thinking or actions that are in error but the Holy Spirit in doing so NEVER leaves me feeling condemned or judged. Somehow I’m just left Thankful or even humored.
Exp: I was taking a class at a new church which began at 12pm. The minister (teacher) was late, gave no apology, and just made a joke of it. I was steamed,
I thought it was disrespectful, after all, I pride myself on leaving early in case of problems w/ traffic etc. so if anything, I’m a little early but certainly never late and certainly being the leader she should do the same. I have to say I was angry & puffed up in myself. The next week, I got ready for class early so that if anything, I would be a little early , certainly not late. (I was still angry about the teacher being late and wondered if she’d pull that again). I walked into the class at 12:20pm wondering why class had already started and then I realized that I had been confused about the time class started. It started at 12pm & I was late even though I thought I was early. It was so difficult to contain myself from laughing outloud. I said to myself/ Holy Spirit chuckling to myself, “I get it” Thank You! At that point the tension and anger that I was carrying was gone. I LOVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. I’m always left blessed. Convicted of my sins? I don’t know or care because I’m always blessed.
this is really a neat sit.. I was raised a believer but with peoples different theologies, and judgments, I rededicated my life over to God almost 6 years ago and I am learning a lot of new things, and now know to NEVER take a preachers word until I read it myself.. I’m getting more and more sceptic of most teachers and preachers.. I also was raise believing that I would be convicted of my sin and I should be quick to ask for forgiviness. do you mind please giving me those sqiptures on that again . thank-you p.s. Love this site God Bless HUGS
Hi Ophelia,
Question everything! The Holy Spirit is the only Guide who is guaranteed to lead us into all truth. The rest of us make mistakes. You can find many posts on forgiveness indexed in the archives, but the one I would start with is this one: 12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess to be forgiven.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to me.. I know your busy and I appreciate it much:)
I have just one more question what are we supposed to do when we to slip I know He is always with me to take my right hand.. we all fall short does that fall into Romans 8:1?
I usually do a face-palm. Seriously though, I’m not sure how your question ties in Rom 8:1. Are you wondering if we can wander into condemnation if we slip?
Bro, you are screwing with the Bible! You are living in sin and making yourself feel good while leading others astray! Christians don’t need to confess sin! Question everything! This philosophy is not in the Bible! This is the same as saying, “I think therefore I am.” What you have just stated is proof you are twisting scripture and not founded in God’s Word. I am sorry that you have had bad experiences in church, but that is no reason to blame God and twist His scripture. This website is what Jesus would call, “A wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Act 17:11) I’d rather be a wolf of noble character that a sheep with no mind of its own.
AWESOME……!!!!
when i had the revelation of this truth – that the Holy Spirit does not convict believers of sin – it was a rather eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience! and now, when i share this truth w/ others, they usually look back @ me w/ a “huh?/what?” look on their faces… b/c you have to ask yourself, “ok then – just who’s voice have i been listening to…?”
my favorite response for people who want to argue that the Holy Spirit does convict believers of sin: “the Holy Spirit doesn’t nag you about all your sins and everything you do wrong…who wants to live their whole life w/ a nag?!” lol (btw, that’s a JP quote)
This is totally what Joseph Prince teaches ;)
I suspect we’re getting our material from the same Source. :)
I am grateful that the Holy Spirit lovingly convicts me of my sin. I want to be more like Jesus every day. That is why I am willing to confess as well because it is a relationship. Can you imagine any relationship where you wouldn’t agree you have messed up sometimes, ie with your spouse. Sometimes pride gets in the way and the Holy Spirit convicts me, I confess ( agree that I was wrong). Afterwords you think how foolish I was. The Greek word for conviction is used at least 17 times. Sometimes directed at non believers and other times directed at believers. Anyone can check this out very simply. However, in the English translation other words are used for convict. Peace to all
Marvin, 17 times you say. That’s a big number. Can you show me ONE time from scripture where it says the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin? I am sure we can all imagine many things about our relationships with others, but since God is not like us this is a path to path to error. Dress it up anyway you like, it is projecting human experiences onto God. How can the Holy Spirit convict us when he declares he remembers our sins no more (Hebrews 10:17). The next time your spouse sins against you, I challenge you to try forgetting and convicting at the same time. You will find it is not possible. God is better than us.
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would seek to convince of our righteousness, not our sin. Your own conscience will do a fine job of convicting you in that regard (John 8:9).
I see the confusion because I have definitly have had Holy Sprit nudges after I have sinned but it isn’t so much about the exact sin as a lack of love shown towards the other person or the fact that I was walking in the flesh. It seems more of a encouraging nudge to do the right thing or a reminder of who I am than a focus on what I had done wrong. Don’t know if that much sense?
Colleen, that makes perfect sense. Under the old covenant, sin is defined as law-breaking; doing the wrong thing. It’s fruit off the wrong tree. But in relationship sin is better defined as a violation of trust. It’s neglecting to love. This is why the only real sin is unbelief. It’s saying, “I don’t know God’s love and I don’t trust him.”
These Holy Spirit nudges should not be seen has hand-spankings when we do wrong; they are nudges towards love. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth. He is the One who teaches us how to love like Jesus. He is not convicting us for wrong-doing; he is seeking to reveal Jesus in us and through us.
So, what you are saying Paul, is God almighty, Lord of glory, doesn’t need a wit of help from a bunch of bankrupt people.
hi paul,its very true the holy spirit does not condemn us,but brings us to the knowldege that we are righteousness of GOD IN CHRIST,i have a prayer leadre group who cn enter your house and declare that his spirit is sensing another bad spirit in the house you need to confess and rebute,what about that.
Hello Paul, I am just now accepting God as my Lord and savior and I know he has been with me for a long time since I was little I always felt it and he has lead me around alot of places but always kept me safe from harm. Reading this has made me only want to be by his side more. I thank you for what you have shared with the world.
That’s wonderful Tymme! Your heavenly Father loves you more than you can know or imagine!
Thanks for the good work. The gospel of grace is liberating. The gospel of works teaches those myths – which keep those who don’t know in bondage. Thank God for His grace.