Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment

Jesus Christ departed this world. He returned to His Father’s house in heaven (Jn 14–16). He was received and enthroned (Ps 110:1). He rules and reigns overall as Lord of all (Acts 10:36). He is coming again for the final judgment of this world (Mt 25:31; Acts 17:31).

In the first advent of the eternal Son of God, Jesus introduced Himself as the Son sent from God. He also introduced the arrival of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven (Mt 3:2 4:17; 10:7). The King of kings had come into the world (1 Tim 6:15); and the world had no interest in this man ruling over it (Gen 37:8; Acts 7:27). They sent a belligerent message back to heaven, to the One who sent Jesus. By killing Him, the sinless Son of God (Heb 4:15), who had become the Son of man (Jn 1:14), the world claimed victory over the Holy One of God.

Jesus had repeatedly prophesied His own death at the hands of ungodly sinners (Mt 21:38; Mk 8:31; 9:31; Lk 9:22). He also prophesied to His disciples that He would send the paraclete from God the Father (Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). The bad news made Jesus’ disciples sorrowful (Jn 16:6). Therefore, Jesus argued that it was to “your advantage” for Him to depart back to the Father (Jn 16:7).

Our Lord checked His disciples for not showing greater interest in the place He was going…going to prepare a place for them (Jn 14:2–3). When bad things happen to people, they tend to turn inward in self-interest and self-pity. They take their focus away from God in Christ.

Jesus was the God-man on a mission (Mt 1:21; Jn 3:16). He convicted the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8). In sending the Holy Spirit, God’s work of conviction of the world would continue on a much larger scale.

First, Jesus needed to take upon Himself the sins of His people (1 Pet 2:9). He must demonstrate the deplorable version of righteousness displayed by the world. This would be clearly in view when the world tried Jesus in multiple kangaroo courts.

Jesus passed the conviction work to the Holy Spirit, who then filled the disciples with His permanent presence (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11). The mission to convict the world of sin, decrepit righteousness, and corrupt judgment was now the work of the Spirit through multitudes of disciples. Truly, Jesus is the prototype for this work of conviction now evident in His disciples in every place and generation.

In observing the “because” (Gk. oti) clauses, we consider three doctrines of great importance. We contrast the holiness of God and the sinfulness of sin. We also distinguish between the world’s version of righteousness and the righteousness of Christ. The same could be said of God’s judgment compared with man’s judgment.

When the world is convicted of sin, there is only one conclusion…the total depravity of man (Gen 6:5; Ps 51:5; Is 64:6; Jer 17:3; Rom 1:18–32; 3:10–12, 23; 5:12; 8:7; Eph 2:12). People hate this doctrine because they are exposed and shamed by it. It is customary for the natural man to think more highly of himself than he ought to think (Rom 12:3). God’s assessment of the human condition is far worse than man’s self-assessment. Still, convincing sinners is impossible with man. It must be the Spirit.

Sinners are called to the Savior by the Gospel call (Mt 11:28; 24:14; Mk 16:15). No one would respond to the call of Christ, to repent and believe in Him were it not for the grace of God brought by the Holy Spirit (Rom 11:29; 2 Pet 1:10). The world cannot receive the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:17); therefore, they do not believe in Jesus (Jn 10:26).

Righteousness, like sin, has a relationship with the Law of God (Ps 119:142; Rom 3:21; 2 Cor 6:14). Sin is lawlessness (1 Jn 3:4). Sin ruins man’s right standing before God (Rom 3:23). Right standing, or righteousness, requires sinlessness and the fulfillment of God’s holy Law (Mt 5:17). Only Jesus Christ avoided the inherited sin of Adam (Mt 1:18). Only Jesus lived without ever sinning against God (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15). Only Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law of God. It is by His meritorious achievements regarding the Law that Jesus secured right standing (righteousness) with God (Rom 10:4–5).

The world’s version of righteousness has little consideration for the Law of God (2 Cor 6:14). In fact, the world’s hostility toward God is demonstrated in its defiance toward the Law of God (Judges 21:25). If the Law of God declares one thing to be right; the world tends to do the opposite. The juxtaposition of right and wrong is the ongoing game the world plays with God (Is 5:20).

The world thought it was serving God by killing His Son. That is how twisted the world is in reality. Who was right? Jesus Christ, the righteous (1 Jn 2:1), or the wicked world so offended by the holy One of God? Of course, the world is blinded by Satan (2 Cor 4:4), the ruler of this world (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), whose dominion is darkness (Col 1:13; Acts 26:18). Still, each person must give an account to the righteous Judge (Rom 14:10, 12; 1 Pet 4:5).

God raised Jesus from the dead and enthroned Him on the throne of God (Ps 110:1; 1 Cor 15). This tells us who God thinks is right (Acts 17:31). To have the imputed righteousness of Christ is indeed a treasure (2 Cor 5:21). Without it the unrighteous are sentenced to eternal punishment in the fiery hell of the lake of fire (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).

When Jesus Christ died, was buried, rose from the dead, ascended and was enthroned, the ruler of this world was judged to be guilty of treason against heaven. The world judged Jesus with despicable justice. God judged the devil with perfect justice.

Those who follow Satan are sons of disobedience, making them children of wrath (Eph 2:2–3). The wrath of God is revealed against them as children of the devil (Rom 1:18; 1 Jn 3:10). They are sinners, who love darkness because their deeds are evil (Jn 3:19). Their version of righteousness is wicked. Their version of judgment is wretched.

Christian, you are filled with the Spirit of conviction. Your very presence is light in their darkness (Mt 5:16). They hate you because Jesus chose you to come out of their darkness (Jn 15:16, 19). You now stand as a reminder of their judgment to come when the righteous Judge of the whole earth will execute perfect justice on that day of reckoning.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

August 18, 2024

John 16:5–11