My prayer list grows. At times, I’m tempted to become
discouraged, especially praying for people who are lost in sin. Nothing seems
to change even in those who are aware of the Gospel and unhappy with their
lifestyle. Yet Jesus gives me hope with this statement He made before His death
and resurrection:
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7–11)
The Holy Spirit came. He has a task and He knows how to do
it. He convicted me of sin, specifically the sin of not believing in Jesus. He continues
to convict me concerning righteousness and judgment. As Tozer says, God still
speaks in this world. He uses the Holy Spirit to convict a lost human race of these
vital matters. By His faithfulness to continue His ministry, I know that the
Lord has not forsaken this world — including the people on my prayer list.
Tozer also offers a thought that is new to me. I know that
God the Father made a sacrifice in sending His Son to die for the sin of the
world, and obviously the Son made a sacrifice when He left heaven and came here
to die. Tozer adds this:
The very fact that the Holy Spirit has left the love and joy of heaven and made His residence for nearly 2,000 years in this uncongenial world, places His sacrifice alongside that of Jesus Christ in His incarnation and redemption.
I know that God is omnipresent, yet there is a sense that
He is here in this mucked up place, walking alongside His people, and also
involved in the lives of those who do not yet know Him. He sees all we do,
hears all we say, and knows our very thoughts. My life is reasonably quiet, but
the news headlines alone show me the garbage that the Holy Spirit sees as He
mingles with the world He came to convict. Anyone who works with the corrupt
side of society knows that this is a great sacrifice.
^^^^^^^^
Jesus, I am humbled by Your great gift and the cost of it,
a cost that continues as Your Spirit experiences all the very opposites of the
heaven You came from and the wonders that You have promised Your people. As I
think about Your amazing grace, I’m motivated by a deeper desire to please You
rather than quench or grieve Your Spirit with my sin and selfishness. I love
You because You first loved me.
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