One Torah For All

One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Exodus 12:49

Sin, Righteousness, and Judgment
The work of the Ruach Qodesh

Yochanan (John) 16:8
“And He, when He is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

In explaining the work of the Ruach Qodesh (Holy Spirit) when He would come into this world, Yeshua taught His followers that His work would involve three aspects: sin, righteousness, and judgment. Yeshua gives a brief explanation in the next three verses, which we shall look at briefly. However, it is not solely the work of the Ruach Qodesh in which we are interested in this study. More specifically, we are interested in the work of the Ruach Qodesh in the life of those who follow Mashiach Yeshua, and how the Ruach Qodesh manifests each one of these three aspects in and through us.

Yochanan (John) 16:9
“of sin, because they do not trust on Me;”

The Ruach Qodesh convicts people of sin. Part of the sin which He convicts people of is not trusting in Yeshua as Mashiach. This is especially true of those walking in the ways of the world. However, if a follower of Mashiach Yeshua has a way in his life which is according to the world and not according to the Living Torah, then the Ruach Qodesh shall certainly convict him of this sin as well.

Yochanan (John) 16:10
“of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you behold Me no more;”

When Mashiach Yeshua ascended back to His heavenly Father, this was an act of righteousness. He was able to do this because He had no sin in His life. The sin for which He died was our sin, which was laid upon Him. He who knew no sin, became a curse on our behalf. However, this too, was an act of righteousness.

Yochanan (John) 16:11
“of judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.”

Each person knows through the work of the Ruach Qodesh that the prince of this world, Satan, has already lost. He has been judged. Those who follow him and his ways shall be judged as well in the same manner as he has been judged and receive that which is according to their deeds.

Almost every follower of Mashiach Yeshua knows these three basic truths. However, there are a couple of pieces of this which the follower of Mashiach Yeshua may not yet have put together until now. The Ruach Qodesh is not simply in this world as some mystical Entity going about doing His work. Rather, the Ruach Qodesh lives in the followers of Mashiach Yeshua, and He functions through them in this world.

Yochanan (John) 14:17
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive; for it beholds Him not, neither knows Him; you know Him; for He abides with you, and shall be in you.”

Please note what Yeshua taught His talmidim. Not only was the Ruach Qodesh presently with those Yeshua was speaking to at that time, but He would also be in them at a later time. We know that the time of infilling began on the day of Shavuot immediately following the ascension of Yeshua back to His Father. It is the infilling presence of the Ruach Qodesh in a person’s life which also affects each and every person around him.

In a nutshell, then, when the Ruach Qodesh convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, He does so using those in whom He abides.

Personally, I have seen this happen many times in my own life. That is, I have seen my presence convict others of sin. I have seen my presence convict others of righteousness. I have seen my presence convict others of judgment. Please understand the context of what I am saying here. It is not actually me doing these things. Rather, it is His Spirit within me; I am simply a vessel and instrument. However, many times those who are on the receiving end of the conviction, often fail to distinguish that it is His Spirit in me and will often hold me to blame for the feelings of conviction. Thus, rather than submit to what the Spirit wants to do in their lives, I will catch the flack of their reaction towards the conviction since it is my presence which caused it in their eyes.

Romans 6:13
Neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto Elohim, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Elohim.

When a person is moved by the Spirit of the Almighty, then his words and his actions have the power of His Spirit in all he does and says. That power convicts those in the world and those who have worldly ways of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Always! This happens whether you personally have eyes to see it or not.

One of the most sobering aspects of the ministry of the Ruach Qodesh in a person’s life is when He brings judgment into another person’s life. To see this, to recognize this happening while it is happening, can be a frightening thing. There is not really anything one can do about it, except to watch and be humble as the Ruach works in the other person’s life. While this is happening, oftentimes the person to whom it is happening will be blaming in some way the person through whom the Ruach Qodesh is working through. This actually increases the judgment upon them.

It is a wonderful blessing to see a person be convicted of his sin and then turn to Mashiach Yeshua as a result of the realization of what and who he is. It is not so wonderful to see a person have conviction heaped upon him and then reject the help which is also offered through the righteousness of Mashiach Yeshua. After this rejection has happened enough times, judgment will come. This too, comes in increasing increments. In the beginning, the judgment is more gentle in an effort to get the person to repent. However, if the person refuses to submit to the authority of the Creator, then the judgment will grow more and more severe.

Remember Pharaoh when YHWH sent Moshe to him. YHWH’s perfect will was for Pharaoh to do as He was asking through His servant Moshe. Pharaoh could actually have been a part of the kingdom of Elohim, if he would have so chosen. But Pharaoh only hardened his heart towards the work of the Ruach Qodesh. With each hardening of his heart, each judgment grew more and more severe, until finally, the judgment upon Pharaoh was the sentence of death, first the death of his firstborn son, then the death of himself.

B'midbar (Numbers) 14:20-23
20 And YHWH said, “I have pardoned according to your word;
21 but indeed, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of YHWH;
22 because all those men that have seen My glory, and My signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tempted Me these ten times, and have not hearkened to My Voice;
23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised Me see it.”

This same pattern was later repeated in the lives of those YHWH had brought out of Egypt. YHWH tells Moshe that they had rejected Him ten times; there were ten opportunities for Pharaoh to accept the word of YHWH through Moshe. As a result of these ten rejections, all the men over the age of twenty were sentenced to die in the wilderness and not be able to enter into the land which YHWH had promised to Avraham, Yitzchaq, and Ya’aqov.

In both of these cases, it was the Ruach Qodesh working in and through His agent Moshe. In like manner, this same thing is repeated in the life of every single follower of Mashiach Yeshua. This is especially so of those who are surrendered to Him to do His will. However, it is also true of all those who make the claim of following Him.

YHWH has many agents in this world. He is fully capable of bringing conviction upon any single person or upon any group of people He chooses. That conviction may be about sin; it may be about righteousness; it may be about judgment; or, it may be a combination of these three. Unless a person has eyes to see the message and not the messenger, he is most likely to reject the message and not submit to the conviction of the Ruach Qodesh in his own life.

Furthermore, just because YHWH uses us in this manner, does not mean that we cannot receive the same in like manner through another person. Let us also be diligent to hear His message to us personally when the Ruach Qodesh brings conviction upon us through another brother or sister in Mashiach Yeshua.

Shabbat Shalom
Zerubbabel ben Emunah
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