This article is based on a sermon I preached in a recent Homiletics class. My assignment was John 15:25-16:15, which the Church often reads on Pentecost It concludes a message that began in a post last week..

“And when he comes (that is, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Helper), he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (John 16:8-11; all Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version).

John structured His Gospel around a series of witnesses: signs Jesus performed and conversations He had with people that “are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Throughout the Gospel, Jesus’ words and works proved that He is the Son of God. As Jesus’ crucifixion approached, He was preparing His disciples for the day when He would no longer be around to prove that He is the Messiah. Eventually, it would be up to them, and now, it is up to us. Now, He pours out His Holy Spirit upon us so that we become His witnesses. It is up to us to inform this generation of people that Jesus is the Son of God and the only way to receive salvation.

However, we live in a world that is permeated by sin. The New Testament speaks of Satan as the “prince of this world” and “the prince of the power of the air.” We are surrounded by people who have been deceived and whose spiritual eyes are blind. They cannot understand the message of salvation. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul writes, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” This is where the Holy Spirit comes in.

He convicts the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. We might share Scripture, our testimony, and so on, but we need the Holy Spirit working through us to impact people. 

He convicts the world regarding sin, because people do not believe in Jesus. The Jamieson-Faussett-Brown Commentary on the Whole Bible says, “As all sin has its root in unbelief, so the most aggravated form of unbelief is the rejection of Christ. The Spirit, however, in fastening this truth upon the conscience, does not extinguish, but, on the contrary, does consummate and intensify, the sense of all other sins.” If people do not realize they are sinners, they will not come to Christ.

Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will bring a person’s bad choices to their own attention through the preaching of the Gospel. I’ve had times when I would, say, mention a general sinful attitude like “greed” during a Bible study, and someone would respond, “Are you saying I should stop going to casinos?” Hey, I said nothing about casinos, but if you think I did, maybe the Holy Spirit is telling you something. If I were you, I would listen.

He convicts the world regarding righteousness, because Jesus has gone to the Father. The greatest evidence that Jesus is our Savior is that He not only died on a cross—numerous people did that throughout history—but that He rose from the dead and later ascended into heaven. For those of us who follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit assures us that Jesus died and rose for our sins, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, with all authority in heaven and earth given to Him.

Last of all, He convicts the world of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus conquered sin, hell, death, and Satan himself through His death and resurrection. We are free from the wages of sin. We no longer need to be enslaved through fear of death (Hebrews 2:15), because we know that we have everlasting life with Him. We can be transformed from servants of sin and Satan to sons and daughters of God Almighty.

During His earthly life, Jesus could preach in only one place at a time. However, now, through us, He can preach throughout the entire world. His Holy Spirit dwells within all believers. Through us, He continues His work to this day throughout the entire world.

We will face hardship. People might say we’re crazy for believing that a man could rise from the dead or for saying that we need a Savior. Some of us might run into trouble on our jobs or face legal trouble for breaking “hate crimes legislation,” because we insist that God’s Word is correct and peoples’ opinions are wrong. In America, it could cost some people their jobs. In some parts of the world, it can cost your life. The Holy Spirit is there to comfort, encourage, and strengthen us through those difficulties.

If you have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, remain close to Him and trust Him to do His work through you. He is working to build you up, make you more like Jesus, and encourage you when things get tough. He will strengthen you to face the challenges that the world throws at you. John 14-16 refers to Him as the “Helper”; the Greek word speaks of one who walks alongside you to help you. It can also mean “counselor,” “comforter,” or “advocate.” He is all these things and more as He guides you.

If you lead a church or ministry, or will do so one day, remember that it is the job of the Holy Spirit to build the congregation and its ministry and enable us to build one another up. All of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, like tongues and prophecy, should be viewed like this: “Who is being blessed and built up when I exercise my gift?” If you are blessing nobody except yourself, you are not using your gift properly.

Let us each renew our commitment to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be Jesus’ witnesses to a world that needs His saving truth. He is building us up and strengthening us to do the Father’s will and glorify Jesus. He is with us always to strengthen us when it seems like the entire world is against us. May God bless you as you walk with the Spirit. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Copyright © 2026 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.