March 3 – John 16

 March 3 – John 16

Lesson: He Convicts of Sin

Dear Lord, bless our time with you today.  Meet us where we are at, guide our minds, and hold our hearts as we search for Your truth.

First, do your own quiet time with God and 4R journaling.  When you are complete, come back here for the lesson.

Request Gods’ help

Read John 16

Record a verse that stands out to you

Respond to God

Humans have an innate sense of good vs bad and right vs wrong.  We on the whole have a good moral compass that generally points us in the right and good direction. Generally. But being ‘good’ doesn’t save us, it doesn’t point out our sins and on our own we do not and cannot see those sins.

We need the Holy Spirit’s spotlight on that sin, and we need to be asking for that!  If that hasn’t been happening in your prayer time, then start today.  Before going to Him with anything, go to Him with your heart.  Inquire of Him the areas in your life that are actually sinful! And repent of that sin, ask for forgiveness… and then change!  When He is spotlighting that sin, thank Him for that discipline and take appropriate action. Often we can get stuck thinking, ‘gee, I was really good today.  I sinned not!’  But no…. No, that can’t be true.  We were born into sin, our very nature is sinful.  If you need help with this, look at Galatians 5:16-26.  I have only one sticky note in my Bible and it’s on that verse, with a note that says, ‘Daily Repentance.’  That chapter is all about walking in step with the Spirit, and that walk must start with conviction and repentance.

It’s that one sin, neglect of conviction, that dooms us.  We all have a choice, that one choice that is above all other choices one could ever make in life: to choose to believe in Truth or to not.  And not just believe… but to accept that truth, accept that conviction and ask for redemption. Conviction is more than a feeling, it’s a true awakening and awareness that we are sin full and in desperate need of a savior.  So, the more we seek His cleansing, the more the yuck of sin will be yucky to us.  And soon we will desire to pluck out all the unwanted weeds in our garden.  Acts 17:30 reminds us that conviction leads to repentance.  And isn’t that the truth!

If you are in a rut, or struggling with a sin, know you are not alone because the Spirit is there to show you the way.  He is there to remind you that God is a forgiving God, that no sin is too big for that forgiveness.  He wants you to have that peace giving forgiveness too, He gives it so freely and so tirelessly!!!!  There is no distance too far, no sin too great for His mightiness.

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You for sent your Spirit of conviction.  We thank You for Your forgiveness of our sins, for our redemption, for Your saving grace.  In You we have life and in You we have peace.

(Further reading: John 16:8-10, 16:4-15; Psalm 9; Acts 7:51)

What’s next?

As the Spirit leads, in the comment section below, share what He has laid on your heart.

Then join us again tomorrow to learn about the ministry of regeneration.