Comfort #7—Perceptive Comfort

When the Comforter comes, he will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. John 16:8–11

When we encounter challenges to our faith and need our souls restored, the Holy Spirit works as the judge in our souls, pronouncing our Christian understanding of reality right and the world’s wrong. The Comforter not only indwells each of Jesus’ followers, he is also more aware of what’s going on around us than we are. As we observe the world around us, he enables us to perceive the world’s error and restores our confidence in the truth that gives us hope. Jesus gives us three examples that are particularly important. The World’s view of sin is not related to Jesus. But not trusting Jesus to mediate God’s grace to us is the essence of sin. The World doesn’t think righteousness has anything to do with being invited to stand in God’s presence. But Jesus’ being seated at the right hand of the Father proves he was correct about how to be right in God’s eyes. The World thinks judgment will never come. But it has already begun. When people in the World make claims that disquiet our hearts, the Comforter not only exposes their error, but also keeps guiding us into all the truth, restoring our confidence in Jesus and our joy in his glory.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for providing Someone who will keep me, and all my brothers and sisters, from stumbling along the way. Open my heart to listen for his comforting guidance.