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By Mike Caton

John 16:8 and 11, “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

Why would the Holy Spirit need to prove the world wrong in regards to judgment? Too many seem to think there will be no judgment at all or they have a skewed view of the judgment. You see, we are living in a time when anything can be OK. It simply depends on what you think and feel at the moment. The world thinks there are no absolutes anymore.

But if there is no standard, all of the lines on everything are blurry. If right or wrong depend, there is no standard, then who’s to say anything is wrong anymore? What about murder, rape, beating your wife, alcohol, drugs, speeding, premarital sex, cheating on a test, stealing pens from work, lying, and on and on. Who decides what is wrong and even when it is wrong? God does! He has set the standards for us clearly in his word. And we need to hear and heed those words. We need to study to constantly be learning what God’s standards are. And we need to be applying those standards to our own lives. We are masters at justifying what we want. We can come up with all kinds of excuses, we can speak about our circumstances and why we are the exception. And yet none of that changes what God has said.

The Holy Spirit will work in the world to prove God’s point to the world. And yet, sadly, there are so many who will not see it. They will choose to ignore the Spirit, to carry on in their own plans, to resist and make excuses. And as Paul will later warn, they can eventually put out the Spirit’s fire, I Thessalonians 5:19. The Holy Spirit is only promised to believers, but he is surely at working on the unbelievers as well. It is up to each of us to allow him to lead us.

Father, help me heed your judgment. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works part time with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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