To Encourage You

John 16:7-8 “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.”

Jeremiah 8:11 “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”

Do you realize that day in and day out, probably much more frequently than any of us realize, there are spiritual forces at work in our lives? These forces work through people; people who say things, write things, and produce things. And they work on our minds and consciences, speaking to our hearts to either convict us or comfort us regarding how we are living our lives. One of these great powers is the Holy Spirit, also called such things as “the Spirit of Truth,” “the Helper,” or “the Comforter” in the Bible. The other great power is the devil who is called such things as the “Liar” and “Deceiver” in the Bible, as well as his hosts, the demons.

The way these two powers work is opposite regarding the issue of sin. To the believer, the Holy Spirit is indeed a great comforter or helper, as we are told in John 16, above. He teaches the believer and guides him or her into Truth. He opens the believer’s heart to the Scriptures. But in regard to sin and those who practice it, He is One who convicts, admonishes, and rebukes, i.e., He works to convince people that the lies they are believing and the sinful ways they are living are wrong. They are a violation of Scripture, the opposite of what God desires of them, and if they continue in that life, judgment is certain to come.

Satan, on the other hand, comforts unbelievers, telling them such things as “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4), if they continue to sin against God, and assuring them that “peace, peace” is coming to them, when there indeed is no peace, per the warnings of Jeremiah above. Conversely, Satan is known as the “accuser of our brothers” (Revelation 12:10),” i.e., those who have believed in Christ and saved from the penalty of sin. He works to bring up the sinful past of those who have been forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross, and he works to convince them that they are not forgiven, that they are too evil to be forgiven, and that life is hopeless because of it. These accusations are all lies from the pit of Hell, and it is such lies that are the flaming darts of the evil one that Paul mentions in Ephesians 6:16.

So, what voices are you listening to? If you are an unbeliever, are you listening to those who would comfort you in your sin as they deceptively work to damn your soul whether you realize you are being used as a pawn of Satan or not? Or are you listening to the Holy Spirit, Who loves you, and by His convicting voice is urging you to turn from your sin and live? If you are a believer, are you listening to the one who would accuse you of sin, or to God, Who speaks comfort and Truth to those who have been forgiven, and with that forgiveness has blessed you with such promises as His constant presence and love as well as the wonderful gift of eternal life?

How very careful we must be regarding the voices we are listening to.