8
January 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
evidence that conveys the proof of sin. Philosophers, poets, moralists, reformers may reprove, but to no avail. Parents reprove their children, but usually without last ing effect. Sin may be temporarily silenced .by man, but no man can eradicate sin. The Spirit really convicts. He will convict men and women of all races, peoples, tongues, and tribes. He will convict the immoral, the moral, and even the religious sinner of the fact that “there is none righteous, no, not one.” The Spirit does not convict sinners of the love of God. No one is interested in the love of God until he sees himself as God sees him, “desperately wicked” and lost. Some say that we should preach the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. The sonship of the be liever is attested by the Spirit of God. in the heart of the Christian after he has been introduced into the family of God. Why should children of the devil be told about divine sonship? The Holy Spirit will not convict the world of the mercy of God. There must be conviction of the need for mercy before there can be a desire for it. He does not convict the world concerning heaven or hell as real places.. Realization of heart condition precedes concern for an eternal habitation for the soul. S in The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the fact of sin. Sin has been connected with the human race since the fall of Adam. To deny sin is to deny history. Men, in stitutions, and nations in their rise and fall manifest the presence of sin. I f there be no sin, then the work of Christ is in vain. He was without sin. “The wages of sin is death” ; therefore why should He die if He did not die for the sins of the world ? Sacrifices upon a thousand altars, tortuous pilgrimages and penances the world over attest the fact that man is conscious that he has sinned against God. Paul proves the fact of sin by the fact of death. If none sinned, none would die. All die because all have sinned. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the guilt of sin. All the world is guilty before God. Man is respon sible for the sins that spring from his sinful nature. He has broken the law of conscience, the law of nature, as well as the law of God—and that presumptuously. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of the source of sin. An evil tree brings forth evil fruit. Our Adamic nature brings forth the works of the flesh. The natural man erroneously blames matter as the source of sin. The Spirit convinces us that sins spring out of our carnal na ture. The Holy Spirit convicts us of the works of sin. “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, de ceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idola try, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, rev- ellings, and such like” (Gal.,5 :19-21). The Holy Spirit convicts us of the folly of sin. “The way of the transgressor is hard.” “There is a way that seemeth Fight unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” “Be sure your sin will find you out.” U nbelief - However, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of a par ticular sin. Society considers vice, crime, and immorality
the most heinous sins. Philosophy considers abuse of privilege and misdirection as the greatest of faults. The Jew looked upon those who did not observe the law, cer emonial and moral, and the traditions of the fathers as being guilty of the foulest sin. The Holy Spirit, however, convicts the world of the sin of unbelief: “Because they believe not on me.” Unbelief is the root of all sin. It is not necessary for the Holy Spirit to convict a drunkard of his sin. The children who see him reeling down the street do that. It is not necessary for the Holy Spirit to convict the murderer of sin. The law of the land does that. It is not necessary for the Holy Spirit to con vict the lawless of sin. Society does that. It is not neces sary to convict the adulterer of sin. Conscience does that. The Holy Spirit alone could convict a moral and religious man like Paul of committing the sin of sins, the rejection of Jesus Christ. Unbelief is the sin of sins because it makes God a liar. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son” (1 John 5:10). Read also john 3:18; Mk. 16:16; John 3 :36. Those who reject Christ insult the Spirit of Christ. They tread the precious blood of Jesus Christ under foot. They spit into the face of God. They reject the love of the Godhead. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” It is because unbelief is the greatest of all sins that we send missionaries to home and foreign fields. Otherwise, we would leave the heathen alone. But unless they be lieve, they shall be lost. The ,promise is that, if the “good news” be preached, some shall be saved. For the sake of the few, our missionaries ieave home and loved ones and live among people alienated from the promises of God and under wrath. R ighteousness The Holy Spirit convicts the world of righteousness. First, He convicts the world of the righteousness of Christ. His enemies called Christ “a gluttonous man,” “a wine-bibber,” “a friend of harlots and sinners.” When our Lord declared His deity, the high priest said that He blasphemed. The Saviour was crucified as a malefactor. The righteous Father received Him at His own right hand. To do so meant that He, the righteous Father, considered the Son righteous. Had the Father not already said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” ? The com ing of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was proof that the risen Christ had been exalted. Second, the Spirit con victs the world that Christ’s righteousness is offered to all and is sufficient for all. He convinces man that he (Continued on page 11) TRIAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Y ou w ill b e d o in g y o u r frien d s a k in d n e ss by sen d in g th em The King’s Business fo r th re e m on th s. W h e n th ey h a v e b e com e a cq u a in te d w ith th e m agazine, th e y w ill p ro b a b ly w ish to receive it regu larly . T ria l su b sc rip tion s (th re e m o n th s) w ill b e re c e iv ed a t th e ra te o f 25 c en ts each, in th e U n ite d S tates, o r 35 c en ts in C a n a d a a n d fo reign countries.
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