Saturday, August 2, 2008

The worst sin


And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 NLT

What would you consider the worst sin you could commit? Adultery? Stealing? Murder? You might be surprised by the answer the Bible gives.

The worst sin—and the one with the most far-reaching consequences—is this: to refuse to believe in Jesus Christ.

Jesus taught that the Holy Spirit convicts guilty men and women of sin "because they do not believe in Me." (John 16:9) On that final day, it will not so much be the sin question as it will be the Son question. All sins can be dealt with and forgiven if we believe in Jesus.

We must not forget that knowledge brings responsibility. It is a grave thing to shake off the conviction of the Spirit.

Jesus said the Spirit came to convict us "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged" (John 16:11). The ruler or prince of this world, Satan, was judged at Calvary. When Jesus went to the cross and died in our place, Satan lost his death grip on humanity.

The spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, but He wants most of all to give us assurance of forgiven sin. Why not let Him do what He really desires to do? Why not come to Jesus? Or if you have already done that, help someone else to follow your example.

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie

1 comment:

Alf Cengia said...

Excellent message, Alesia. This is what this world needs to hear and accept.