Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

John 16:8  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:

Most of us know what it feels like to have a guilty conscience. We mess up, feel bad, and try to do better. But that’s not the same as what Jesus described when He said the Holy Spirit would come to “convict the world of sin” (John 16:8). Conviction isn’t just feeling bad—it’s God holding up a mirror and letting us see what He sees.

When that happens, excuses fall away. The noise of comparison quiets down. All that remains is an honest moment between you and God, the kind King David found when he prayed,

“Against you, you alone, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4).

Here’s the surprising part: Holy Spirit conviction doesn’t crush you. It wakes you up. It shows you the seriousness of sin—and then it shows you the passion of God’s love.

Because God doesn’t forgive by shrugging off our mistakes, forgiveness isn’t soft. Forgiveness looks like Calvary. Forgiveness has a cost—and Jesus paid it with His own life so that God could remain perfectly just and still overwhelmingly merciful.

That’s why the Cross stands at the center of the Christian story. It’s the place where God said,

“I see your sin. I know its weight. And I choose to carry it Myself.”

And forgiveness? It’s not just avoiding punishment or being “cleaned up enough” for heaven one day. Forgiveness is the moment God remakes the relationship. He puts His own Spirit in you. He plants a new heart, a new desire, a new way of living. He pulls you, the unholy one, into His holy life—not by demand, but by grace.

Conviction shows us our need.

The Cross shows us God’s answer.

And grace makes us new.

That’s the miracle: God doesn’t just pardon us—He transforms us.

May you have the courage to let the Spirit hold up the mirror, the faith to cling to the Cross, and the joy of discovering that God is not finished with you yet.

Have a Great Week!

-Pastor Corey