Hey crossnote, I've noticed you keep saying the Holy Spirit convicts believers of sin (around the forums/different posts). Do you mind giving me some verses?
I understand correction and chastisement, but conviction is something entirely different. Jesus does say the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin and clarifies by saying, "Because they believe not on Me." Obviously, we believe in Jesus and this verse is in reference to an unrepentant sinner in need of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is addressing unbelief.
So I am curious, what verses do you use to back up this doctrine of Holy Spirit's conviction of sin for believers? From what I understand most feelings of guilt and condemnation are from our own conscience and not from God. Even at times from the enemy, as the accuser of the brethren.
Something to point out, that I was just reading, is that our hearts can condemn us and it isn't God doing the condemning.
1 John 3:20-21King James Version (KJV)
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
Actually what you say here is not so in your second paragraph, because you look at unbelief as just not believing in Jesus as in His existence.
However unbelief is shown within the bible as also being a person who may claim Jesus as Lord and Savior, but does not do as He said. This is also unbelief !!!
So if you have Him as your Lord and Savior but walk around with a mindset that I don't have to repent, or get baptized, or forgive others, or confess, and such you are still walking in unbelief.
Plus the part that always seems to get overlooked in
John 16 is the other parts of the convicting of the Holy Spirit, people focus just on the sin and thus come away not for us.
Truth is the Holy Spirit convicts:
To turn us from sinful ways to walk in His righteousness.......
Of righteousness to make sure we continue to walk in His ways........
Of judgment so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world and die in our sinful ways, but be confirmed to His ways that lead to eternal life........
We must not take only part of John 16 without using the whole context of the convicting of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit can not convict people who do not have Him !!!