Sin, Righteousness, And Judgment

John 16: 7-11

But 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 go, I will send Him to you.
And when He comes He will convict the World concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
Sin, because they do not believe in Me;
Righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;
And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this World has been judged. 

Jesus is telling His disciples to expect what will happen soon. Jesus will die, be buried, and then be Resurrected, and ascend into Heaven to stay until He returns. 

While He is gone from being with them physically, He is sending His Holy Spirit to be with each of them and us so that we won't feel abandoned. 

So when His Spirit comes, He will make evident to the whole World that: 

Sin: we are all born in sin, and those who refuse to believe in Jesus still remain in their sin (also see John 3:18). Those who refuse to bathe are still dirty;

Righteousness: Jesus has fulfilled all the Law and the Prophets, to fulfill and finish all that is right, and is returning to the Father to complete the circle; 

and Judgment: the ruler of this World is Satan, the devil, our enemy. When God made Adam He put him on the Earth to rule it (Genesis 1:26). But when Adam deliberately disobeyed the only rule given him, he gave up his rulership to the tempter, to rule, instead, and Mankind has built his World on this Earth under the rulership of our enemy. And Satan was judged at the Cross. And each person will also be judged by the Cross, whether they accept or reject what was accomplished there. 

So God's Holy Spirit in us is to let the World see God's ways in us. As His people, we are His witnesses, we are His spokesmen. Our lives, in having His power over the problems and sorrows and troubles we encounter, show the World God's character He is building in us. The rightness and transparency of our lives show up the deficiencies of the World, as we are complete in Christ. 

That is why the World persecutes Christians. That is why we are to expect this reaction, this push-back from the evil spirtual forces in heavenly places working through their minions in the World (Ephesians 6:12). 

Righteousness is the opposite of Sin, and Judgment evens the odds. In the end, all odds will be evened, all debts paid, all chaos put in order. We need never worry, it will all come out in the wash, the Blood of Christ that has more than enough currency to make everything brand-spanking new! (Revelation 21:5.) 

This World and the Earth it was built on and the Universe it sits in will all be re-made. It will have served the purposes for which it was made, and will be renewed as a New Heaven and a New Earth. 

Until that time, we have the responsibility, as God's people, to yield to His Spirit in us to learn, to be strengthened, to be strong, to be wise in our handling of this World's things and in our dealings with those we encounter; to be Christ in all things to everyone at all times. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!