“We must understand that believers, in particular, cannot progress in the Gospel till they have first been humbled, and this cannot happen until they are aware of their sins. Certainly it is the particular task of the law to summon consciences to God’s judgment-seat and to strike them with terror; but the Gospel cannot be preached properly without leading from ‘sin’ to ‘righteousness’ and from death to life…Now the Spirit proclaims by the Gospel that this is the only way in which we are accounted righteous. The next step after the conviction of ‘sin’ is for the Spirit to convict the world what true ‘righteousness’ is – namely, that Christ by his ascension into heaven has established the kingdom of life and now sits at the Father’s right hand to confirm true ‘righteousness.’”  John Calvin, Commentary on John 16:8

“And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness…” John 16:8

We are “convicted” of something, or “convinced” of it, when we become suddenly aware and realize that immediate action is required in order to redress or improve a situation presently upon us. The Spirit of God has come to dwell in us to continue the gracious work of salvation by making us willing and able to do what pleases God (Phil. 2:13). Working conviction in us is a primary aspect of His work, beginning with the conviction of sin. We’re not likely to move on to becoming the new creatures in Christ Jesus we have been redeemed to be unless we are first persuaded of the old baggage that we need to leave behind (Eph. 4:17-24). The Spirit works to convict us of sin, and then turns immediately to show us the path of true righteousness.

We are convicted of righteousness when we come to understand what God requires of us if our lives are to be pleasing to Him. Our heavenly Father delights in us at all times. And His joy and pleasure are not added to by our walking in the paths of righteousness, as if He needed our obedience to fill out His own joy (Acts 17:24, 25). Nevertheless, the Spirit Who is at work within us, to convict us of sin, righteousness, and judgment, is doing so in order that we might be willing and able to do what pleases our Father in heaven. As He works conviction in us we find our hearts, minds, consciences, and lives being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, so that we enter into the Lord’s pleasure in Jesus, by His Spirit, to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.

How, then, does this aspect of the Spirit’s work proceed in us? We shall follow the same outline as we did in considering the conviction of sin.

The evidence of conviction of righteousness

How can we know when we are being convicted of righteousness? Again, it might be instructive to look at three examples.

Consider, in the first place, Peter’s response to the great catch of fish, accomplished at the command of Jesus (Lk. 5:1-11). That he was convicted of sin is clear from his comment in verse 8. We should note that this was Jesus’ third encounter with Peter (cf. Jn. 1:41, 42; Matt. 4:18-20); true conviction was somewhat long in coming, but it took when finally it did.

But note two aspects of Peter’s being convicted of righteousness: First, he saw true righteousness in Jesus, and he knew that he, as a sinner, was not in a safe place before Him. But why did Peter not simply jump up and run away? Why did he implore the Savior to depart from him, rather than just flee the source of his fear? Is it because he hoped, deeply and earnestly and beyond-words hoped, that somehow he might be able to continue in the presence of this righteous One? This seems obvious to me, since, as we read in verse 11, at Jesus’ invitation, Peter left everything and followed Him.

Conviction of righteousness begins with a strong combination of recognition, fear, and intense desire to possess such righteousness, together with the sense that such is only possible in the presence of Jesus Himself.

Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is a textbook study in being convicted of sin and righteousness. We do not know what transpired between Zacchaeus and the Lord as they walked together to his house, or as they talked together upon arising there. Luke wants us to focus on the result of this encounter, not the content.

Zacchaeus was a wealthy man and was regarded by his neighbors as a “sinner” (v. 7). This does not mean that he lived a scandalous life. Rather, tax collectors under the Roman authority were looked upon as in league with the Gentiles in oppressing the people of God. They were often wealthy, either as a result of being very effective for their employers or very unscrupulous with respect to those from whom they collected the tax. Either way, they were despised by many of their neighbors.

We note that Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus has two aspects. First, he was determined to do what was right with his wealth on behalf of the poor. Caught up in the Spirit of Jesus, he resolved to go beyond the mere letter of the Law into the Spirit of it, so that he would give, not just a third-year tithe or the unused surplus of his possessions (Deut. 14:28, 29; Deut. 24:19-22), but half of all his wealth to the poor (v. 8). He suddenly saw the right thing to do, and he committed to a path that took him beyond the letter of the Law into the Spirit of the love of Jesus.

But this was only because he had been convicted of sin in his practices. The word, “if”, in verse 8 is not in the conditional (ean), suggesting the possibility of having sinned, but the indicative (ei), indicating the reality of it. A better translation of it might even be “since” rather than “if”: Since I have defrauded my neighbors, whomever I have defrauded I will repay fourfold. And since it was probably the case that his neighbors’ wealth was still in his possession, he was only required by the Law to pay them back double (Ex. 22:1-4). Zacchaeus, however, caught up in the love of Jesus, resolved to restore to them all fourfold of what he had taken.

So in Zacchaeus we see that conviction of righteousness leads to a desire to demonstrate neighbor-love which goes beyond the letter of the Law to show, if it were possible, the love of Jesus in tangible ways.

Finally, in Paul’s testimony in Romans 7 we see how the first two aspects of conviction come together. Paul was convicted of sin as the Spirit taught him the true nature of sin (Rom. 7:7). He then looked to the Law for guidance in how he ought to live (v. 12). Yet he despaired of being able to do what he knew he should on the strength of his own exertions (vv. 13-24). The law of sin was still powerfully at work within him (vv. 21-23), and if Paul was going to be done with his sinful coveting and walk the path of true righteousness, he would need the reality of the risen Christ, living in and through Him the righteousness only He can impart (v. 25, cf. Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 3:21-31). Pleading with God to bring forth the righteousness of Jesus in him did not release Paul from the duty of obeying the Law of God. Rather, it empowered him, in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, to go beyond what the Law requires into the Spirit of the Law, the Spirit of liberty and love, and to become more generous than what the Law requires, coveting no man’s silver or gold (cf. Acts 20:33-35).

We can know that we have been convicted of righteousness, therefore, when we earnestly desire to do what we now see to be right, when we seek guidance from God’s Word concerning what righteousness requires, and when we plead for the presence and power of Jesus to bring righteousness, beyond the letter of the Law into its Spirit, to fruition in our lives.

The tools of conviction

The Spirit of God uses three tools to bring us to conviction of righteousness.

First, the Word of God, beginning with the Law of God, is not only the means of our being convicted of sin, but of our coming to understand the requirements of righteousness (Ezek. 36:26, 27; 1 Cor. 2:12, 13). The better acquainted we are with Scripture the more resources for righteousness the Spirit will have to point us along the upright path.

Second, the example of Jesus, both during the time of His incarnation and now, as He is enthroned at the right hand of God, provides the ultimate standard of righteousness to which we aspire. In Him is the upward prize of the high calling we have from God (Phil. 3:14). In His presence are fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore (Ps. 16:11). Through Him and in Him and by Him comes the righteousness of love which we need, a righteousness which is guided by the Law but which goes beyond the letter of the Law into the Spirit of liberty and love which Jesus embodied, and which He continues to embody as He intercedes for us at the Father’s right hand.

I cannot stress enough here the importance of studying and meditating on the example of Jesus as the most important and integrating component of our spiritual lives. All Scripture realizes its fulfillment in Jesus. He is the Life of God for us, and in Him is the righteousness to which the Spirit would lead us. We must be daily in the Gospels, reflecting on the work of Jesus during His incarnation. We must read all of Scripture with a view to discovering what it teaches us about Jesus, or how it helps us to know Him better (Jn. 5:39). And we must meditate deeply on the many passages of Scripture which depict Jesus in His exalted state, for there is transforming glory to be known in contemplating the face of Jesus, as He is depicted for us in the psalms, prophets, Revelation, and elsewhere (2 Cor. 4:6).

Finally, the worship of God’s people leads us to righteousness, for we require the regular presence of the Lord and the reinforcement of His community to sharpen and shape us for a life of following Jesus Christ. Only as the people of God gather for worship can they help one another to gain a clearer vision of the living God and stimulate and encourage one another to lives of love and good work (Heb. 10:24, 25). When our services of worship are designed, not merely to satisfy our felt needs or personal concerns, but to lead us toward the kind of righteousness God is seeking in Psalm 50, then worship, in Spirit and in truth, can make its vital contribution to our becoming a holy and righteous and good people in the Lord.

The focus of conviction

Conviction of righteousness is, first, and inward experience, as our understanding, desires, and priorities are illuminated, affected, and transformed by the Spirit, working with the Word of God.

Inward conviction then leads to changed lives, as we have seen in the cases of Peter, Zacchaeus, and Paul. When we understand righteousness and desire it earnestly, and when becoming righteous in Jesus Christ and His Kingdom is the dominant motif of our lives (Mat. 6:33), everything in our lives will change as the way of righteousness is illuminated before us. And we will not be content merely to fulfill the letter of the Law but will, like Jesus, go “the extra mile” of love for God and neighbor by as many paths and means as we can.

Righteousness thus experienced by individual believers can leaven the whole Body of Christ locally, so that churches become sources of joy and beauty in their communities by the presence of God in righteousness within them (Ps. 48:1-3). And such righteousness will declare the hope of glory which we have in Jesus Christ, attracting many to seek and know the Lord, and turning our world upside-down for the Lord (1 Pet. 3:15; Mic. 4:1-5; Acts 17:1-9).

The pastor’s work of preaching, teaching, counseling, making disciples, and caring for the flock must seek to line up with the Spirit’s work of convicting God’s people of righteousness. Let pastors embody that work, and let them teach its workings and effects, calling on the members of their churches to put aside every hindering weight and to bring holiness to completion in the fear of God (Heb. 12:1, 2; 2 Cor. 7:1).

The Spirit’s wind is blowing strongly in the direction of righteousness, but the captains of God’s vessels must strain to capture that wind if they would see their ships drawn along that course. God’s Spirit is working to convict the world of righteousness, beginning in the household of faith. Let us make sure that, in all our endeavors, we are working with Him.

Next steps: At your next leadership meeting, share a summary of this article with your church leaders. Ask them to help you to understand the specific ways your church’s ministries are working to catch the Spirit’s wind in bringing the congregation to higher states of righteousness in Jesus. Spend some time praying about what might be the evidence of increasing righteousness – and increasing work of God’s Spirit – in and through the ministries of your church.

There’s still time for you to join a growing contingent of those who are praying daily for the work of the Spirit in their lives and ministries. At present, we’re a small group, but we represent three continents, and we’d love to have you join. So let me again urge you to join in prayer for our journey through this series. If you’ll pray daily for God to guide you in seeking the steady Wind of His Spirit, send me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I’m developing a list and will keep us informed and praying for one another. As the Lord leads, we’ll join by conference call from time to time to seek the Lord and His steady Wind together. Forward this installment to a friend and invite him to join us each week at worldviewchurch.org as we hoist our sails into the Wind of God.

For more insight to this important topic, get the book, Keep in Step with the Spirit, by J. I. Packer, from our online store. And read the article, “A Work of God’s Spirit,” by T. M. Moore.