The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 309

Vars. S, 10.-Conviction of rigkteousness. In order to moral improvement there must be a ~ense of sin and it~ degradation and misery, and there must be some apprehension of ri~hteousness and holiness accompanied by both admiration and aspiration. It is an evidence of the divinely wise provision of the gospel of Christ, that there is secured for man, in the influences of the Spirit of God, not only a power which dissatisfies men with sin, but a power which impels men to righteousness. I. 'l'HERK 18 A CLOSE OOID."ECTI0N BETWEEN 00NVIOTI0N OF BIN AND C0NVIOTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. T.he knowledge of the Law gives the knowledge of sin. Obedience and disobedience are correlative. The good man by his goodness enforcM the excellence of the Law he obeys, and a.t the same time suggests the flagrant enormity of defying and despising that Law. There is nothing inconsistent in the performance by the samo Spirit of this twofold office. In a world where Bin abounds the functions cannot be separated. II. THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVINCES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE RECORD OF CHRIST'S JUST AND HOLY LIFE. The narratives of the evangelists are expressly attributed to the Spirit of Christ, who brought all that it concerned the Church and the world to know concerning Jesns to the minds of the inspired and sympathetic writers. What a record these memoirs constitute! Jesus fulfilled all righteonsness, magnified the Law, we.s holy, harmless, and undefiled, was actively and benevolently good. It is one thing for righteousness to be expressed in the Law; another thing for it to be embodied in a life. Wherever the record of our Saviour's ministry is read, there the Spirit testifies to the reader's heart of a righteousness faultless and peerless, fitted to command reverence and adoration. ill THE DEPABTURE A1'D ASOENSION OF CHRIST WERE THE OCCASION 01!' THIS OO!>"VINCING WITNEBB OF THE SPIRIT. His going to the Father and his consequent concealment from the bodily eyes of men were mentioned by himself as thus connected with the conviction of the world. How this was so we, as a matter of fact and history, can see. A completed life was crowned by a sacrificial death and by a triumphant ascension; the Representative and Saviour of man was accepted by the Father; his work was secured beyond &ll possibility of failure. The personal animosity which beset the Incarnate One came then to an end; the protest against sin, and the e:..bibition of righteousness, both of which were perfected in Christ-, were now presented to men with a completeness which was impossible during his ministry, Righteousness had been resented and rejected when it con.flicted with personal interests, when it visibly and audibly set itself against individn.al and national sins. It was necessary that this should be so for a season. But the time came when the protest of Christ was heard from heaven e.s the authoritative voice of God himself. The Holy Spirit works with this now historical and ideal exhibition of righteousness, in order to make it a mighty factor in the moral life of humanity. lV. TBE floLY SPIRIT BAS BEEN DURING THIS DISPENBATION CONVICTING THE WORLD OF lT8 8lll JN REJECTING THE SUPREMELY RIGHTEOUS. The Jews would not have this Man to reign over them; his justice, his truth, his purity, his spirituality, were an offence to them; they slew him whose presence was to them a perpetual rebuke. But to how many was the preaching of the gospel by the apostles 11, con- vincing of sin? When these fearless heralds, under the guidance of the Divine Spirit, charged upon the nation their sin and guilt, many were "pricked to the heart," feeling oe. xvi. 1-33.] 'l'HE GOSPEL ACOORDING 'l'O ST. ,JOHN. 310