The Holy Spirit Series #2 Part 5 Kathryn Kuhlman The Holy Spirit Convicts

And so again today, I shall continue in this series of messages on the third person of the Trinity. You know, theoretically, literally tens of thousands of men and women worship the Holy Spirit every Lord's Day morning when they stand in their places of worship and sing the doxology. giving praise unto the Father, unto the Son, and unto the Holy Spirit. And yet, there are very few of these same people who recognize the Holy Spirit as a person. Let me take just one split second and just review some definite facts with you. The first is the fact that the work of the Holy Spirit has existed from all eternity. For the Word of God tells us in the ninth chapter of Hebrews that Jesus offered himself to God the Father through the Holy Spirit. A way back there. From past eternity, when God the Father and Jesus were making plans for man's redemption, the Holy Spirit was also present. As much present as the Son and as the Father. As definitely a person as the Father and the Son. And before God the Father ever gave his only begotten Son for your redemption and my redemption, Jesus offered himself to be given. And he offered himself, the scripture says, through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit had a part when plans were made. in past eternity for man's redemption, man's salvation. We see in the Holy Scripture that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was present at the baptism of Jesus. Jesus performed all his mighty works, his wonderful miracles. while here on earth by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself plainly stated that he was anointed to preach by the Holy Spirit. He was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was and will be the glorious resurrection power. It was his power, he, the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead. Now, here is something that to me is very thrilling and very marvelous. The Holy Spirit took up his residence on earth after Jesus went back to the Father. Jesus promised that he would. He said before he went away, it is expedient for you that I go away. In other words, it is necessary that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter, referring to the Holy Spirit, will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send him, a definite personality, unto you. Jesus made that fact very clear before he went away, that after he was gone, this marvelous third person would come and take up his residence here on the earth. But this is what we want to know. Why was the Holy Spirit to come? Why did the Holy Spirit take up residence here on earth at the day of Pentecost? Why? There had to be a reason. I'll tell you why. To continue the work of redemption. To protect that which was the inheritance and... is the inheritance and shall be the inheritance of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. Oh, this is marvelous. All right. Now, for a few minutes, we are going to discuss the work of the Holy Spirit doing this dispensation here on earth. And remember, He is here as a person on this earth. earth now and shall continue his work on this earth until the time of the great catching up, which will be the close of this dispensation, the end of the day of Pentecost. Now, when we usually speak of the day of Pentecost, We think of it in the terms of 24 hours as we think of any day. But it isn't. The day of Pentecost, the beginning and the end of the day of Pentecost, was not just for those few hours when the Holy Spirit descended upon the believers in the upper room. That was only the beginning of the day of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost will continue until the Holy Spirit leaves this earth and goes back again to the Father. The day of Pentecost began when the Holy Spirit took up residence here on this earth and will continue until He leaves. And when He leaves, He will not go alone as Jesus went alone, but he will take you, he will take me. He will take those who are members of his church along with him. Oh, isn't that thrilling? Call that great going away, the catching up. Call it the rapture of the church. Call it whatever you will. But in reality, it will be the leaving of the Holy Spirit and the closing of the day of Pentecost. All right? Now, the Scripture clearly tells us the work of the Holy Spirit during the day of Pentecost. Read it, if you will, please. Turn to the 16th chapter of John. It's outlined. in these several verses. Begin with the eighth verse. And he, when he has come, will convict the world in respect of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they believe not on me, of righteousness because I go to the Father and ye behold me no more, of judgment because the prince of this world have been judged. Now we see from the Scripture that the Holy Spirit's work as to the world is threefold. First, to convict the world of sin. Second, to convict the world of righteousness. And third, to convict the world of judgment. Let's take the first, to convict the world of sin. We hear much about conviction. We hear much about conscience. A man says that he permits his conscience to be his guide. Do you want to know something? One can do almost anything with one's conscience. Never trust your conscience. It'll betray you as sure as can be. One's conscience can become very flexible, believe me. You can train your conscience to believe almost anything. No, huh? There is a difference between one's conscience and conviction. You know, some hold that conscience is all sufficient to convict men of sin. And they quote the 15th verse in the second chapter of Romans, where speaking of the Gentiles, Paul says, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts, the meanwhile, accusing. or else excusing one another. But pause a minute. There's a vast difference between legal conviction and spiritual conviction. Conscience only begets legal conviction, while the Holy Spirit begets spiritual. Conscience may produce fear and remorse, and it often does, but it will not keep men from doing wrong. I mean that. Conscience may produce fear. Conscience always will produce remorse. Regret. But it will not keep men and women from doing wrong. For conscience imparts no power. None whatsoever. But the Holy Spirit imparts power. And it begets hope. All that conscience can do is to abuse. Or I would rather use the word. Excuse. For that's what conscience will do. Invariably. While the Holy Spirit condemns. Oh, you know what I'm talking about. Those of you who have experienced old -fashioned conviction, sure. The Holy Spirit condemns, conlicks. Conscience conlicks men of sin against the law. For the law says thou shalt not steal. A man's conscience knows that. There isn't a man living, but what knows it's wrong to steal. That's legal. Therefore, he says, I will permit my conscience to be my guide. I will not steal. His conscience tells him that it's wrong to steal. But remember something. Conscience convicts men of sin against the law. And the law says, thou shalt not steal. And if you steal, you're going to be punished. There's going to be legal punishment if you steal. And then if the man goes against his conscience and steals, his conscience suffers remorse. Remorse why? Because he's been caught. That's why. Oh, don't trust that conscience of yours to be your guide. It'll lead you into trouble just as sure as your barn. The law says thou shalt not steal. nor covet, nor commit adultery, nor kill. So when men steal, or covet, or commit adultery, or kill, conscience convicts them of those sins. But watch something. The sin that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of is none of these whatsoever, but of the special sin of unbelief. It's what the Master was talking about when he told us of the work of the Holy Spirit, when he would come to this earth and take up his residence. This is what he says of him. He will convince the world of sin. Why? Because they believe not on me. The entrance of Jesus into the world rendered possible a sin hitherto unknown. The sin of rejecting him as the world's savior. What was the sin that Peter charged his audience with on the day of Pentecost? Listen, I give it to you straight from the scripture. Ye men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth. A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. Now here it comes. Ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. It's in the second chapter of Acts. The 22nd, 23rd verses. What was their sin? This is it. Their sin then was the rejection and the crucifixion of Jesus because of their unbelief. Continue reading in the 37th verse of the same chapter. That they were pricked. What does that word prick mean? They were convicted. Conscience had nothing to do with it. It was Holy Ghost conviction. They were convicted in their hearts and cried out, men and women, what shall we do? Now, what produced that conviction for sin? the presence of the Holy Spirit who, using Peter as a mouthpiece, charged his hearers of the awful sin of unbelief in rejecting the claims of Jesus. Therefore, the sin, then, that is the work of the Holy Spirit, is to convict men in this dispensation of rejecting Jesus Christ. Conscience may convict men of legal sins, such as murder, theft, covetousness, adultery. Read your Ten Commandments. Sure. In the conscience of every human being, there is inborn the knowledge that these things are wrong. Every human being who lives and breathes knows instinctively that these Things are wrong. These legal sins are wrong. And your conscience will convict you of these legal sins. But remember something. Only the Holy Spirit can convict of the sin of unbelief. the most awful and damning sin of the world today. So you see, it's no longer the sins question, but the son question. What shall we do with Jesus? And I want to go one step further. After the Holy Spirit has convicted you of... The sin of unbelief. And you accept. The son of living God. As your personal savior. And he comes in. And you're born again. You automatically. Will not commit. These legal sins. That's why Jesus said. I come not. To destroy the law? No. I have not come to you to destroy the keeping of the law. But I come to you as a person with a living power within you that enables you automatically To keep the law. Oh, to me, that's very marvelous. Pause just now in the silence of this moment. Only one can convict you of the sin of unbelief. There's only one in this whole world who can show you your unbelief. who will reveal to you your need of Jesus Christ as a personal Savior. That's the Holy Spirit. All spiritual conviction comes from the Holy Ghost, the third person of the Trinity. This very minute, I pray that this wonderful third person shall speak to your heart. Oh, you would not steal. You would not commit adultery. You would not break one of the Ten Commandments. Your conscience, perhaps, would not permit you to do so. But, beloved, it takes more than that. It takes the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to reveal to your heart your unbelief and to give to you the knowledge that you need him as your personal savior. Father, just now, enderly, speak to that heart that one may not recognize that which they feel on the inside of them, as the Holy Spirit speaking. But your person is very real. Conviction is very real. And I pray that in this moment as conviction is felt in that heart, that that one shall look up and say, Dear Jesus, help thou my unbelief. Come into my heart. Forgive my every transgression. I accept you as my Savior now. Amen.