Christ tells us that the Comforter will reprove the world. This is speaking of the Holy Ghost's convicting power in the lost, either directly, or mostly through God's Word, often preached by believers.
Jesus tells us that the Comforter reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Every man is a sinner, but righteousness is required. Therefore, every man will be judged.
The reproof regarding sin, Christ explains, is because they don't believe on Him. Whoever does not believe on Christ is already condemned for that reason.
This sin of unbelief is particularly egregious since Christ has died, rose again, and ascended in glory to God. These three proofs the Comforter impresses upon the lost, whose sins remain with them, because they have not trusted in the sacrifice of Jesus that takes away sin.
The Comforter reproves the world of righteousness, because Christ now appears in glory, and we cannot see Him down here anymore.
Now that Christ has departed, the Comforter takes up His task of urging the need for righteousness in poor lost men, and vindicating the perfect righteousness of Christ.
A powerful example of the Holy Ghost's reproof of wicked men's betrayal and murder of Jesus, is seen in the example of their murder of the martyr Stephen. He strongly accused the rulers of Israel of rejecting the Messiah, and of resisting the Holy Ghost.
When they gnashed their teeth against Stephen, the Holy Ghost revealed to him, then and there, the glory of Christ at the right hand of God, and Stephen conveyed that truth to those wicked men.
Here we see the Comforter sharply reproving sinful men who deny Christ's righteousness!
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
