What’s This In Regard To?

“When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” (John 16:8–11, NIV 1984).

My Musings – Guilt, is the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law. Convict has two possible meanings.  The first is to make the guilty party aware of their guilt.  This is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit and is the meaning in this particular text.  The second is to actually declare that party guilty of a criminal offense by the verdict of a jury or the…