Dear Christian friends:

People do not like to be corrected, but it is a very necessary thing, because people have many wrong ideas about sin and righteousness. People have many misunderstandings and need corrections to get the right understanding. Even Christians have much of the world in their hearts and minds and so need correction regularly.

In our text Jesus was telling the disciples on the evening before He got crucified that He would go away and that it would be good for them, because He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to them and the Holy Spirit will teach them and correct them. Then they should preach to the world and through their preaching the Holy Spirit would correct the world about three things. The Holy Spirit still corrects the world about these three things, and He corrects through us.

So we need to understand these corrections clearly. Then the Holy Spirit can use us also to correct the world. This morning I want to preach to you about these three things. So with the help of God's Spirit let us consider the Holy Spirit corrects the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. There is much misunderstanding about sin. Which sin really condemns a person?

Some people think sin is like a sickness or weakness and God ought not condemn man if he sins. They think God does not charge their sin against them. When they die they think God will make them better. Others think some sins like murder, robbery, adultery, drunkenness condemn a person. All big clear outward sins they think are worthy of condemnation.

But the sins of the heart, motives, thoughts and bad desires they think are not sin and God will not condemn such hidden sins. Others think a little deeper. They believe that the hidden sins of heart and mind are worthy of condemnation, but they feel if they are sorry and try to improve themselves God will not condemn them.

But what does Jesus say about that? He says the Holy Ghost will correct the world about these wrong ideas: "When He is come He will reprove the world of sin, because they believed not on Me." (verses 8a,9)

This is a strange statement! It appears that only unbelief condemns man. Any sin that you do condemns you. But you need to understand that you were already condemned before you were born. "In Adam all sinned," Paul tells us. And God cursed and condemned all men at that time. So you were born with a curse and damnation on your head. And no matter what you do or try to do, you can't free yourself from that curse.

But God pitied you and sent His own Son Jesus Christ. By His suffering and death on the cross Jesus suffered the curse and damnation of God for you. Because of Jesus God now offers forgiveness to the world. He tells them all is forgiven, peace, peace, "I love you, believe me!"

Now if man doesn't know that and doesn't believe that, that is the one sin that condemns him. Not murder or adultery, Jesus paid for that but unbelief. Unbelief that is the sin which really damns now, because Jesus has paid for all others.

That is the Holy Spirit teaching about sin: First, man is born a sinner and can think and do only sin. He is damned before birth and after birth is all that he thinks or does.

But there is help and salvation for him in Jesus who paid for our sins. But if man despises God's love and forgiveness in Jesus, refuses to accept and believe it there is no salvation for him. The first curse stays on him and he gets cursed more because he does not believe and doesn't want God's love.

So Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:16-19. So, friend, let the Holy Spirit teach you about sin.

It is terrible enough that we are born sinners under God's curse and damnation. Too bad if we deny that! Too bad if we do not accept the mercy and forgiveness which God offers us in Jesus. If we refuse Jesus, God's wrath stays on us double and there is no other Savior.

Amen.