Pastor Ralph Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? 1. We need the miracle power of the Holy Spirit, for it is one way that he convicts people of their sins and of Christ's power. 2. Through a prophetic word. 3. By taking a sermon, lesson, or an individual's testimony and convincing a person of the truth of it in their heart of hearts. 4. A fourth way that the Holy Spirit uses to convict people is through our righteous lives. 5. The Holy Spirit brings conviction is through patient instruction with prayer. No, our job is not to convict unbelievers or backslidden people of their sins. Our job is to bring God's word to them and pray that they will accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. By doing so, they will also accept the Holy Spirit in to their lives and it is the Holy Spirit whol will then convict these people of their sins and the need for repentance. If we take over the Holy Spirit's job, we could inadvertently alienate these people from God and lose their salvation forever. We do not have discernment of God's timing and purpose for these people and so we should leave the conviction to the Holy Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? The Holy spirit works through their conscience to convince them of their sinfulness and need of a Savior, and "about judgment"...the consequence of refusing to accept His free gift of eternal life with Him. He uses miracles...when a sinner sees a miracle, that in itself brings awareness of separation from God due to sin. A sinner may come into church where a prophetic word is given, and the Holy Spirit may use that means to convince one of the reality of God and His knowledge of them personally, drawing them to Himself. He uses our testimony of our experience with our Loving God. A Christian's righteous life may bring conviction, as the unbeliever looks at his / her own unrighteous life. Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? No!. If not, why not? That is the Holy Spirit's job. He is gentle and loving and kind. We would bring condemnation and despair in our efforts to point out their sins, since we are not the Holy Spirit. What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? We get in the Holy Spirit's way...and probably deepen the lies the individual has believed, such as that God is angry at them or "mean".... Our job is to bring the love of God to the unbeliever....to share what our experience is of His loving kindness and His love for them, not to tell them how sinful they are. (that exposes them to shame and will likely hinder them from coming to Him for forgiveness.) Our job is also to pray for them, that the Holy Spirit will soften their heart to hear the Gospel, and will draw them, and for opportunities to share with them as the Holy Spirit leads, or to send others to share with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? The Holy Spirit convicts through: 1) Miracles 2) Prophetic words 3) Preaching and Testimony 4) Our righteous lives 5) Instructions and prayer. No, it is not our job to convict unbelievers. It is the job of the Holy Spirit When we try to do the Holy Spirit's job, we get in the way. We are to let our light so shine so that men will see our good works. We do this by living righteous lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? Through miracles prophetic words preaching and testimony our righteous lives instruction and prayer No It is the Job of the Holy Spirit We turn them off of the gospel and church God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? The Holy Spirit may use any number of ways to convict unbelievers. As the notes point out he uses the preaching of the word (Isaiah 52:7). In addition the Holy Spirit uses miracles to convict (Luke 5:8). God does not necessarily use people to convict of sin, he may even use his creation (Romans 1:20). Other ways he uses to convict people of their sin is through believers prophecy and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. People may also observe believers lives and be convicted by the way that believers live their lives (1Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 3:1-2). Timothy (2 Timothy 2:25-26) wrote that it may be through "gentle instruction" that God will "grant repentance". Earnest prayer for unbelievers is also necessary to bring people to repentance (1 Timothy 2:1-6). Praying for unbelievers is a spiritual battle (1 Timothy 2:1-6). We as believers will get nowhere if we try to do the work of the Holy Spirit and may even turn people away from the gospel of Christ. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers through miracles, prophetic words, preaching and testimonies, our faithful lives, and instruction and prayer. It is not our job to convict unbelievers or backslidden people. We do not have the power to do this on our own – if we did try, we will only mess up. We need God’s wisdom as we cannot be trusted for our own wisdom in handling the situation. Satan has put various barriers, like pride, or rebellion, or self-righteousness, between unbelievers and God. All these obstacles serve to close the gospel to people, stopping the light of the gospel from shining in and making them spiritually blind. Since we are involved in this spiritual war with Satan, we need all the help we can get. Anything we do on our own has little power, it is only when we rely on the Holy Spirit to take our words and use them, that we have great power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilter Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 1.The means of the Holy Spirit is to convince the world of its sin and calling it to repentance. Showing God's righteousness to anyone who believes because he would no longer be physically present on earth 2. No it is not it is the presence of the Holy Spirit that has to convict you. We can do the ground work for the Holy Spirit like praying for the Spirit to come upon them. We can testify what we did when we felt the Holy Spirit. The holy Spirit is the only way to becoming a believer in our Jesus Christ the Holy one. 3. We can do nothing on our own it takes our Savior to do it we can pray and ask the Father for the Holy Spirit to come to the unbelievers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 The Holy Spirit can convict unbelievers in many ways. It can be through reading, listening to the testimony of Christians, seeing their example, through miracles…. It is our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict others with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is very clear from Jesus’s teaching. We cannot claim to be his followers if we do not evangelise. However, we should not do this under our own strength or forcefulness. It should be done with love, gentleness, patience, prayer and example. In this way we are working with gifts of the Holy Spirit, not within our own strength. If we sit in judgement and show no love in our evangelisation, we are not working with the Holy Spirit and will cause animosity instead of convicting people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted May 10, 2015 Report Share Posted May 10, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? The means by which the Holy Spirit convicts non believers is; by and through miracles by which unbelievers can witness God's power and holiness; by prophecy that sinners can be convicted of their secret sins, which are laid bare; by preaching and testimony that through testimony unbelievers are convinced of the truth in their hard hears; by righteous living; through the believers living as Christ commanded them to live, unbelievers may come to the knowledge of the truth and through instruction and prayer. Prayer for those with hard hearts may receive from the Lord and the Holy Spirit the softening of their hearts to accept the truth and then be instructed in God's word. It is not only the job of the preacher or lay Christian to convict unbelievers, but all and everyone that is a Christian, for the Lord has commanded us all to go forth and spread the his word in the world. If we try to preach or instruct the believers and non believers alike under our own knowledge of the word, we have no convincing power to bring anyone to the Lord. Only when we let the Holy Spirit work through us do our words which he has planted in our mouth, does the words we speak have convicting power over sin. We should never try to convict anyone by our own power, we can not soften their hearts or make them receptive to the word of God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted May 29, 2015 Report Share Posted May 29, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? The Holy Spirit convicts believers in several ways: through nagging in one's conscience; through a Christlike way of living that draws others; through a Holy spirit power filled preaching/ prophesy; etc The Christian role is not to try to convict sinners of sin but be used by the Holy Spirit whose duty is to convict people of sin. When we try to do the Holy Spirit job of convicting people of sin, end up sending them further away from us and thus loosing the opportunity to be channels to be used by the Holy Spirit for the purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted June 7, 2015 Report Share Posted June 7, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? Three important tasks of the Holy Spirit are (1) convincing the world of its sin and calling it to repentance, (2) revealing the standard of God’s righteousness to anyone who believes, because Christ would no longer be physically present on earth, and (3) demonstrating Christ’s judgment over Satan. We will lead them astray instead of focusing on God thy will focus human power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Some good points are made in the lesson about the means through which the Spirit convicts unbelievers. He works through: Miracles, which display God’s power, holiness, and authority over creation. Prophetic words, which reveal God’s knowledge and foresight. Preaching and testimony, which the Spirit uses to enlighten and touch the heart. Our righteous lives, which give witness to God’s power at work to transform and empower us. Instruction and prayer, which uses individual investment of self in discussion and intercession. Conviction of sin in others is not our job because it is a spiritual issue that only the Spirit can address. There is no human power that can bring conviction and salvation. We cannot know what is truly in another person’s heart that needs convicting and we lack the wisdom to know how to rightly deal with it. When we attempt to do His work, we operate out of our human nature, our lack of understanding, our perceptions, our own sense of right…all of which is flawed and makes us an obstacle to the Spirit’s work. And we usually become legalistic and/or self-righteous and judgmental, condemning rather than convicting. This makes other people feel defeated, they become defensive and resistant, and they would almost certainly be pushed away from Christ rather than drawn them toward Him. Our job is to consistently speak the truth of God’s Word to them with a loving, non-contentious attitude and to diligently pray for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job?If we could walk on water, then we might convict those who could not. But Jesus just said, oh you of little faith... It was a growth experience for Peter, just as my wobbly walking weak legs are a test of faith for me, even this night. Can I afford to call myself an evangelist and spend all my time asking God to heal me? No, it is reasonable to ask for healing, but to include the healing of ALL our weaknesses, those that cause us to wander and leave the God we love. So it is also critical that we pray for the lost! Pray for the Holy Spirit to convict them just as He did when He came upon me in September of 2007, to convict me of my sinful ways, and turn me to Christ Jesus. When we try to do the job of the Holy Spirit, we can cause them to sin by their rejecting God. If we feel we must at all costs defend our faith, we are making evangelism about ourselves. This is not what it is about, not about us, but about them. Why are they the way they are? Have compassion on them and learn why they don't like church; and them pray for them and for the Holy Spirit to come to them, perhaps through me, or through some one else. Praise God as we learn to remain in Him, or we can do nothing in His beloved Kingdom. Praise the name of the one who saved us from our own sins, beloved Jesus Christ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted October 13, 2015 Report Share Posted October 13, 2015 Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? In the early church miracles were the natural result of His dominion. Evangelism through prophecy and miracles was a clear sign of God's power and holiness to the unbeliever. Today the Holy Spirit convicts nonbelievers through the Holy Word of God and through the power of preaching His Word and our personal testimony (witness). I’m sure that when preparing a sermon, those who preach diligently strive to choose exactly the right words to convey their message but when it’s all said and done, they are in-fact their own words and their own thoughts. When preaching to believers and non-believers alike it’s extremely important to remember to always include accurate, true and authoritative biblical accounts of Jesus’ awesome power and love. Preaching’s counterpart is, of course, witnessing and as important as preaching is, it’s (at least as) important to relate our own knowledge and understanding of the Lord through our personal testimony. When witnessing to others, at the very least we should always 1) include events in our lives that caused us to believe in the first place and 2) clearly communicate the joy of knowing that our sins are forgiven and the peace and tranquility that comes by faith through the Holy Spirit. Personal testimony is in no way a substitute but when it’s used in tandem with preaching, it is a very effective complement. Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers? Jesus said (John 16:8) that “…when he (the Paraclete) comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…” It’s pretty clear that Jesus is telling us that it’s the work of the Holy Spirit is to “convict” the unsaved, not ours! That said, it’s of the utmost importance for us to understand exactly what the Holy Spirit expects to accomplish in the hearts of unbelievers and… it’s equally important that we understand our role in leading them to a godly life as well. Rather than attempting to reform the unsaved ourselves, it’s our job to seek out the unrepentant and to lead them to the Holy Spirit (evangelize). It’s the Spirit’s job to “convict” them! When we understand our role as well as his, then and only then, can we be of use to him in evangelizing unbelievers. Clearly, it’s imperative that the unrepentant sinner receive a strong, vibrant message about Christ’s love (and His power) but if you think that you aren’t standing in judgement before them as well, think again. Our words are just one piece of the puzzle, it’s equally important that that he/she have visual confirmation that what we’re saying is true or we’re simply wasting our time and effort. The visual confirmation that they seek is in found in the way we live and what we do with our lives. Knowing that, just like the apostles, our actions should always clearly communicate the love and compassion of Christ Jesus. When others can see Christ in our lives they can then see and understand that He really does live in us and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they’ll eventually want the same thing in theirs. In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians he said, “For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God…” (2 Cor. 1:12). Don’t hide your lamp under a bushel live your life openly “with godly sincerity” and let everyone know that you are who and what you are because Christ Jesus lives in you. I can say with a 100-percent degree of certainty that any service performed for Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit is pleasing to God and in all honesty, I’ve never experienced anything in my life that’s been more rewarding and spiritually invigorating than introducing someone to Christ. God isn’t predisposed to letting anyone perish, in fact, He wants everyone to come to repentance. More often than not His timetable isn’t always the same as mine and in all honesty, it quite often seems as though I’m just spinning my wheels. Through it all though, I know that if I hold fast to my faith, if I continue to study and learn and I continue to sincerely pray for the salvation and spiritual growth of those that He’s sent my way, in His eyes both they and I will benefit immensely. What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? Spiritual damage is hardly ever inflicted with a conscience intent to do harm, the harm is simply a by-product of ignorance. More often than not, spiritual damage is inflicted on others by good people with good intentions. Good people who honestly believe that they are being guided by the Holy Spirit when they attempt to share Christ with others but they are generally so self-absorbed that they’re totally unaware that anything they do or say might be doing harm. They are usually so self-absorbed in what they believe to be true and that that they never see the spiritual damage that they’re inflicting and unfortunately, that damage may never be undone. As I said earlier, before we can minister to the spiritual needs of others, we need to possess a very clear understanding of what our role really is. First and foremost, we need to understand that it’s not our task to reform the unrepentant sinner; if we do we’re circumventing God’s will. Our task is to seek out the unrepentant and to lead them to the Holy Spirit (evangelize). Spiritual damage is almost always inflicted out of ignorance simply because we don’t truly understand our role and we overstep. I’ve known an awful lot of people who truly believe that everything that pops into their heads comes directly from the Spirit and that too is simply “good intentioned” ignorance. Unfortunately, when we do or say things out of ignorance, no matter how good our intentions may be, our words are perceived as being self-righteous and our actions as being selfish and egotistical and we’re actually doing more harm than good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers by the way that we act and talk. They will see the way that we are and want to have what we have. It isn’t our job to convict unbelievers or backslidden people but to talk them gentle and pray that God will intervene. When we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job then people are turned off from wanting to know God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted June 14, 2019 Report Share Posted June 14, 2019 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit’s job? It is through our actions and words that they are convicted of their actions. No it is our job to bring the word to them. It is not what God wants. It would turn them off of Christ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisema Ralitsoele Posted September 11, 2020 Report Share Posted September 11, 2020 Q5. (John 16:8) 1. Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers by demonstrating God’s immense miracle power. The Holy Spirit also convicts by taking our preaching/sermons and convincing people of the truthfulness of the words. Another way is by prophesying and laying bare a person’s deep secrets. We also have to live righteously so that we truly become the light in a dark world. Through patient instruction and prayer God might intervene by granting unbelievers repentance so they come to the path of truth. 2. Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? No, it is not our job. 3. If not, why not? This is a spiritual battle best handled by the Holy Spirit. Ours is to pray and present God’s Word. 4. What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? We might end up displaying self-righteouness and lose the unbelievers forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted January 2, 2022 Report Share Posted January 2, 2022 All throughout Acts of the Apostles, the kergyma, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached confirmed by signs and wonders. Unlike the mystery religions of the ancient world, the early Church didn't resort to chicanery nor magic to gain converts. No hype nor worldly methods, the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST was preached. Christ was very explicit that it is the Holy Spirit's mission to convince (elegcho) convict, expose the deeds of wickedness. The Holy Spirit's mission is to reprove all men (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2). Our mission here on earth as Gospel preachers is to be faithfull in preaching the whole counsel of God. We do this with gentleness and a forthright spirit. No amount of arguing or heated debates will make genuine converts. We must use prudence and tact. We truly must ask the Holy Spirit for guidance when we are dealing with backslidders or people hostile to the Gospel. I have asked God to forgive me for not being a living epistle of mercy and kindness. The way I conduct myself is crucial in a cynical environment. Yet I do announce the Gospel message in public...from the Old Testament to the New Testament---God's plan of salvation is proclaimed. The man or woman of God is called to be salt in our world. As Bible believers we must exhibit the character of Christ. The book of Proverbs and Pauline Epistles are replete with admonitions about dealing with cynical and angry people including on disciplining those who persist in heresies. Common denominators are the words "gentleness", "meekness" and "long-suffering". St Augustine is a prime example! His mother never gave up and St Ambrose of Milan catechised Augustine for Baptism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted September 26, 2022 Report Share Posted September 26, 2022 Q5. (John 16:8) Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? If not, why not? No What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? The Holy Spirit uses various ways to convict unbelievers or backslidden people. It could be through miracles (signs and wonders); through prophetic words; through preaching or testimonies; through righteous living (not giving in to temptation and blasphemous talking etc); through instruction and prayer. It is not our job to try and convict anyone. In fact we cannot do so in our own strength, only when empowered by the Holy Spirit and allowing Him free reign with words and actions can we in any way be a conduit He can use. If we try it in our own strength we just make a big mistake and can actually be used to chase persons away instead of drawing them closer to repentance and back into fellowship with our LORD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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