«And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment» (John 16:8).
IN THE GOSPEL of John, the Lord Jesus referred to the work of the Holy Spirit in these terms: «The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit» (John 3:8). Without us even noticing, the Spirit is doing its work. Billy Graham tells of an incident that perfectly illustrates what we are trying to say.
In his autobiography, Graham recounts how one time two men sat in the back of the auditorium where he was preaching. «They apparently did not know each other, but within minutes had loudly agreed on two things: they did not like Americans, and they especially did not like American evangelists.» So why had they gone to the evangelistic meetings? To make fun of Graham.
But something happened that neither of them expected: The Holy Spirit touched them, and when Graham made an invitation, «one of them turned to the other and said, ‘I’m going forward.’ The other one said, ‘l am too. And here’s your wallet back—I’m a pickpocket.’ The two men who had gone to steal and make fun of the message (and the messenger), were converted, because like the wind, the Spirit’s soft touch transformed their lives.
Sometimes we judge people; we view them with distrust, and doubt that something good can come from them. Why do we do that? The wise Solomon provides the answer: «As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things» (Ecclesiastes 11:5, NIV). No, we do not understand the work of God; we are unable to understand the depth of the Father’s love toward the lost.
Christ made this wonderful promise: «Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment» (John 16:7, 8).
Let’s allow that promise to be fulfilled, let’s allow the Spirit to convict us of sin, and let’s ask God for forgiveness. Today we will stop being «mockers and pickpockets.»
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Angelica Cuate
