The Ministry of Intercession - Day 12
This is NOT the biblical reason for hate speech! God did not hate the world but actually loved the world so that he gave his only Son that whomever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16.
But for the world, for each individual person to want to be saved by Jesus he/she need to know there will be a problem without His salvation. That problem is called sin. Sin in the world. Sin in our life. But until we have a conviction of our sin and see it is a problem we don't feel like dealing with it.
I know from my own life how I don't feel like dealing with something until I realize that it is a sin and I have transgressed against God and my neighbor - which could be my wife, a family member or a friend.
The very best to convict about sin, the one who's task it is - is NOT the church, believe it or not! - but the Holy Spirit. John 16:8.
Sometimes the church has acted as if it was its main purpose. Sometimes I have done that. I ask for forgiveness on my behalf and the church's behalf. I may very well have the opposite effect of drawing people closer to Jesus.
The church is to tell the gospel to the world. And a part of that is also to tell the world about sin, their lost-ness without Jesus. But the actual convicton the Holy Spirit brings. This is a difficult balance to strike. We have to talk about the consequences about sin presently and eternally. And we have to talk about the very good news: that there is forgiveness from sin in Jesus' blood on the cross.
But we have to leave it up to the Holy Spirit to convict. But we can pray about it. And that is the how to: As we long for and pray for the Holy Spirit to come near and convict of sin we are showing God that we expect the Holy Spirit to do what it is sent to do.
Come Holy Spirit, convict me, convict the church of our sins that we may deal with it accordingly. Help us to share our conviction and not impose it on others but let You handle their conviction. And in the new freedom that follows forgiveness give us power to share the good news of freedom from the power of sin.
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