Sin Righteousness Judgment
Jesus told His disciples that He was going to suffer, die and rise from the grave (Mark 8:31). Our Lord told them that He is the Messiah, that He is the Savior. He also told them that He would send the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide them.
In John 15:26-27 Jesus says, But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
The Comforter
He also told His disciples: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).
Jesus further told His disciples: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8). Now why would Jesus say that the Holy Ghost would reprove the world of sin, righteousness and judgment?
He answers this question in the next few verses. Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (John 16:9-11).
We Have All Broken The 10 Commandments
The Holy Ghost reproves the world of sin. We are all sinners. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Psalm 14:1-3).
We have all broken the 10 Commandments; each and every one of us. We’ve all lied, most of us have stolen, we’ve all made false idols at one time or another (anything you love more than God is an idol), we’ve all blasphemed God, we’ve all coveted, most of us have lusted, which caused us to commit adultery of the heart. We’ve all been angry or hated someone, thereby committing murder in our heart. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
But some people won’t admit that they are sinners. Some people don’t see a need to repent, because they don’t see their sinfulness. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8).
Unbelief Is Sin
Jesus stated that you sin when you don’t believe on Him. Oh, how many atheists do we have downtown tonight? How many people do we have out here who believe in God (even a god that you have created in your own mind)? But do you believe in Jesus Christ? Is Jesus your Lord and Savior? If not, Jesus says that you are sinning.
Not only did Jesus say that you sin when you don’t believe in Him, but He also said that the punishment for those who don’t believe will be worse than for sinners who never heard the Gospel.
Woe To You
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee (Matthew 11:21-24).
Eternity In Hell
We share the Gospel with you because all unrepentant sinners will spend eternity in Hell. There are no exclusion clauses and there is no escaping eternal damnation, once you die in your sins. For those of you who continue to reject the glorious Gospel and you do so until you die, you will face a harsher punishment for all of eternity than those sinners who die in their sins and never heard of Jesus. Please notice that Jesus didn’t say that Sodom wouldn’t be punished. No, He said that Capernaum would face a harsher judgment than Sodom.
We plead with you to get right with God because He is righteous. Jesus also said that the Holy Ghost would reprove sinners of their sinfulness because God is Holy. Even if you are out here tonight and claim that everything is relative, that anything goes, that there is no right or wrong, you know better. Because God has written His Law on our hearts.
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another (Romans 2:15). You know right from wrong because you have a God-given conscience, whether you admit it or not.
God Is Holy
God is Holy. He is righteous. HE is righteous, we are not. He is sinless, we are sinful. He does what is good, what is right. Many of us follow our own hearts. We do what is right in our own eyes. But the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it (Jeremiah 17:9). If you are out here and you are following your heart tonight, your heart will lead you straight to Hell, unless you repent and trust Jesus.
Not only does the Holy Ghost shine a light on your sinfulness and manifest God’s Holiness to you, but the Spirit also reveals that there is judgment to come. Jesus said that Satan will be judged. But along with the devil being judged, all unbelievers will be judged too. God is Holy and He cannot tolerate sin. Sin must be punished and sin will be punished.
God Loves Everyone
People who foolishly run around saying God loves everyone has not read the Bible and if they did, they surely didn’t understand it. A drunk woman last Friday night kept running around repeating God loves everybody. She kept saying that because she wants to believe that God will overlook her pet sins. But He won’t. If He did overlook our sins, He would no longer be God. But He is God and He does punish sin. God never changes. He punished sin in the past, He punishes sin today and He will punish the sin of all unrepentant sinners for all of eternity.
God wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah. God wiped out all life with the great flood except for the eight souls on the ark. For those who say God loves everyone (again saying this because they think God will overlook their sin), where was God’s love for Sodom and Gomorrah? Where was God’s love for the estimated 3 million souls that perished during the flood?
God Judges!
God judges! Will He judge you guilty on Judgment Day? He will if Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior. If you die in your sins, Judgment Day will not be a hearing where you will plead your cause. No, it will be a day of sentencing. All unrepentant sinners are guilty. Judgment Day will merely be a formality of your final sentencing to the lake of fire and brimstone forever and ever.
In Revelation 21:6-8, Jesus states: And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
There Is Judgment Coming!
Judgment is coming! All unbelievers have the lake of fire and brimstone to look forward to; for all of eternity. Jesus said unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:3). God commands everyone, everywhere to repent because He will judge the world in righteousness through Jesus (Acts 17:30-31). It’s appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).
There is judgment to come! Will you be ready? If you have not repented and surrendered your life to Jesus, I assure you that you are not ready. You are not ready for the Hell you are going to pay forever. Amos 4:12 says prepare to meet thy God. Don’t foolishly die in your sins rejecting God’s great salvation found in Christ alone. The only way to prepare to meet thy Maker is through Jesus Christ and through Him alone. He is the only Mediator between God and man. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).
Come To Jesus Christ
Come to Jesus Christ. Surrender your life to Him. Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3:5). He is the only Deliverer. He is the only Way of Salvation. He is the only Propitiation for our sins. In other words, He is the only one who satisfied God’s wrath over our sins. He is the resurrection and the life. There is no other savior, He is the only one. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Come to Jesus Christ and be saved.
Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ the Lord. Do this tonight and be saved. Flee from the wrath of God. Escape the judgment to come. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:5). Avoid the flames of Hell. When Jesus Christ saves you, He saves you from eternal damnation, from God’s anger over your sins, as well as from sin itself. Oh, tonight, repent and believe the Gospel. Cry out for God to have mercy on your very soul.
Jesus Is Righteous
The Holy Ghost reproves, exposes, brings to light – sin, righteousness and judgment. Don’t ignore the Holy Ghost. If God is convicting you tonight over your sins, come to Jesus. He is the righteous One. He’s the only one who can make you right with God.
Don’t put this off. If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior, then you are already under God’s judgment. Don’t continue with God’s anger abiding upon you over yours sins. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus Christ. Turn and live. Do this tonight and be saved. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Be ye saved. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. Surrender your life utterly and completely to Jesus Christ.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on October 7, 2016)