11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything,… Mark 11:11
Perhaps the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is conviction of sin. Before Jesus cursed the fig tree, and before he cleansed the temple, he came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple, observing and taking everything into account.
What Jesus did for Jerusalem and the Temple, the Holy Spirit does for the Christian. He observes, and after taking everything into account, exposes our own idolatry, sometimes harshly.
Conviction. Not always pleasant, but nonetheless it is the gracious work of the Holy Spirit. It is also grace that He not only graciously exposes our sin, but also is the gracious means to put it to death.
…if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. Romans 8:13
Amen! It was the grace of God working through the Holy Spirit convicting me of my sin that I am alive today. No way I could have made the hard choices I needed to make without the Holy Spirit convicting me and guiding me to salvation.
Powerful words, Danny. Thankyou for sharing.