Molimo ha a batle hore mang kapa mang a timele. That’s why God gave everything to the people to accomplish His will and save people from death. Leha ho le joalo, people have been given a free will to make their own choices in life. Every person decides which path to go: the broad way of the world, which leads to destruction, or the narrow way of life, e isang bophelong bo sa feleng. Hohle ka Bibeleng, we see one recurring theme and that’s the great love of God. Lerato la Modimo, doesn’t want anyone to perish. That’s why throughout the Bible God called the people to repentance. But what brought the people to repentance? The revelation and conviction of sin brought the people to repentance. How else can a person repent if a person doesn’t see his sinful state? How can a person turn away from his works, tse khahlanong le thato ea Molimo, if a person doesn’t consider his works evil? Let’s look at the conviction of sin in the three dispensations of the Bible, and how sin was revealed in each dispensation.
The conviction of sin in the dispensation of God
As mentioned in a e fetileng poso ea blog, we can divide the Bible into three dispensations: the dispensation of God the Father, Mora Jesu Kreste (Lentsoe le Phelang), Moea o Halalelang. Leha ho le joalo, in all three dispensations, we see the continuous collaboration between the Almighty God, Jesu; Lentswe, Moea o Halalelang.
Mokgahlelong wa pele wa Modimo, we see the relationship between God and His chosen people after the flesh; Iseraele (born of the seed of Jacob).
When God; El-Elohim created man after His own image, man was made perfect. Until man decided to go his own way and rebel against the words of God and sin.
Moea o teng o ile oa hlokahala mme motho ea fetoha moea o phelang, who had knowledge of good and evil.
We read about the relationship between God and Able, Enoch, Noah, Abrahama, Isaka, Jakobo, Josefa, etc.
They all walked with God after His will, while God had not given them His law yet. But they listened to His words and believed His words and walked in Kutlo to His words.
Leha ho le joalo, we also read about Cain, Esau, bara ba Modimo, batho, who lived in Noah’s age, the inhabitants of Sodoma le Gomora, etc. They all lived their own lives after the will, ditakatso, and desires of their flesh in disobedience to God’s words.
Modimo o fane ka molao wa Hae
We read about God’s people, who lived in Egypt under the oppression of Pharaoh for 400 lilemo, and how God saved them. God heard their cry and chose Moses, as His representative to redeem His people out of Egypt and from the oppression of Pharaoh.
When God redeemed His people by His hand and led them into the wilderness, God revealed Himself through all the signs and wonders. But God wanted a relationship with His people. He wanted to be their God and that they would be His people. Therefore He gave them the Law that revealed His will concerning their lives.
Bakeng sa 400 lilemo, they lived after Pharaoh’s will and according to the Egyptian setso, Boitšoaro, and rituals and worshiped idols.
They were defiled and that’s why it was time, that God’s people would be cleansed from all unrighteousness and put off their old life.
The only way to do that was to nchafatsa likelello tsa bona with God’s will because the mind determined their actions. Ka Law of righteousness and life, Molimo o ne a Tseba Batho ba Hae, and sin was revealed.
The law represented not only God’s will but also God’s nature, Ho Loka, le khalalelo.
The holy law of God brought light in the darkness and gave life to those, who would submit themselves to the Law (thato ya Modimo) and obey the Law.
The law revealed the truth and exposed every sin, that would lead to death. Because God didn’t want anyone of His people to perish. By keeping the law and all the regulations, that belonged to the law, His people would be blessed, e bolokiloe, and have life. But every person, who was part of His people, had a choice to obey the law of God or not.
Throughout this dispensation, we see that God’s people were devoted to God for a specific time and then turned away from Him. That’s the nature of monnamoholo, ea tsamaeang ka mor'a nama; devotion to God, a turn away from God, pako, devotion to God, turn away from God, etc. Every time His people got into trouble by leaving His law and adopting the culture, Mokhafisong, and behavior of pagan cultures, they cried out to God and sokoloha. Joale Molimo, who is faithful and full of goodness, saved them. But it didn’t take long before His people rebelled again and became disobedient to the law. But what exposed the sin in His people’s life? The law of God exposed the sin and apostasy of the carnal man.
The conviction of sin by the law
When the law of God was read before the people, the holiness of God became visible and sin was revealed to them. The law was their teacher, and showed them, how far they were driven away from God and His words. Then His people had a choice to baka kapa eseng joalo.
Without the law of God, which represents the law of righteousness and life, they were not aware of the fact that their lives were full of sin. His people had rejected the law, mantswe a Modimo, and lived just like all the other nations, after the lusts and desires of the flesh. They did their own will and were led by their flesh instead of the Word of God. They took strange women from other nations, they committed adultery, le borapeli ba litšoantšo, there was sexual uncleanness and they allowed manyala in the house of the Lord.
But as soon as the law appeared and was being read, sin was revealed and convicted man of sin. Without the law of God, there was no awareness of sin.
The conviction of sin in the dispensation of Jesus Christ
Mokhahlelong oa bobeli, re bona ho tla ha Jesu Kreste, Mora Modimo, Hae Mosebetsi oa Pholoso, and His relationship with God’s people. He is the Word, that became flesh and lived among the people. Jesus was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and power, and went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, hobane Modimo o ne a ena le Yena (Liketso 10:38). He represented and brought the Kingdom of God, including the law of God; molao wa ho loka le bophelo, lefatsheng. Jesus lived after God’s will and therefore He established and fulfilled the law. God’s holy nature lived in Jesus and He confronted the people of God with their sins.
The conviction of sin by the Word
Jesu; the Light shone in the darkness and brought all things, that were hidden in darkness into the light. The Light confronted people with their sins. Tseo, who were willing sokoloha. They were baptized in water and removed the sins from their lives and Ho latela Jesu.
Empa ba, who were rebellious and stubborn and had the devil as father, weren’t willing to repent.
Bona rejected Jesus Christ; the Word and remained living in sin. They hated Jesus because Jesus testified of their evil works.
Lefatshe le ke ke la o hloya (monnamoholo) since you are part of it), but it does hate Me (new Man filled with the Holy Spirit) because I denounce it and testify that its deeds are evil (Johanne 7:7)
Hoja ke sa tla, ka bua le bona, ba ne ba se na sebe: empa jwale, ha ba na boitshwarelo bakeng sa sebe sa bona. He that hates me hates My Father also. Hojane ke se ke ka etsa hara bona mesebetsi eo ho seng motho e mong ya e entseng, ba ne ba se na sebe: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. (Johanne 15:22-24)
The confrontation with the Word, Who represents the righteousness and holiness of God, revealed the sin in people. The Word convicted the people of sin.
The conviction of sin in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit
Mokhahlelong oa boraro, we see the birth of the new creations and the relationship with the Holy Spirit. What the devil had destroyed in the Serapa sa Edene was restored by Jesus Christ. Jesus established the Law and dealt with the sin problem of man.
Through His death and resurrection from the dead and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Lintho tse ncha ba hlahile.
Ka ho tsoaloa bocha ho Kreste, the flesh of the old man died and the spirit was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. The new man was born by Metsi and Spirit and was no longer a son of the devil but had become a son of God.
Man was reconciled in Jesus Christ with the Father and had received His Holy Spirit. Man didn’t belong to the world but to the Kingdom of God.
Moya o Halalelang, Who bears witness of Jesus Christ; Lentswe, and Who represents the Kingdom of God, and the law of righteousness and life, live inside the new creation. Just like God had prophesied:
Kamora matsatsi ao, Saith Morena, Ke tla kenya molao oa ka lithong tsa bona tse ka hare, mme o e ngole dipelong tsa bona; mme e tla ba Modimo wa bona, 'me e tla ba sechaba sa ka (Jeremia 31:33)
Ka ho ba le kamano ea Moea o Halalelang, God’s will and His nature live in the heart of the new creation.
The old nature of the devil, which is present in the flesh doesn’t exist anymore but is crucified in Christ. Jwale, God’s holy nature lives inside of the new creation.
When the new creation walks after the Spirit, he shall submit himself to the Word and the Holy Spirit and shall obey the will of God. Therefore the new creation shall tiisa molao (Baroma 3:31)
The conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit
Jesus bore witness of the Holy Spirit and said that the Holy Spirit reproves (convicts, confutes, admonishes, exposes, rebukes) the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment (Johanne 16:8-10)
The Holy Spirit represents the will of God and convicts the sins of man. Just like Jesus convicted the sins of man and called man to repentance and put away sin. And just like God convicted the sins of man, by the law and called His people to pako and to put away sin.
Modimo, Jesu, and the Holy Spirit are One, and therefore They have the same nature and the same will. They shall never contradict Each Other!
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and exposes all the lies of the devil. Therefore everything that happens in darkness, He will bring into the light.
He confronts people with their sinful state and reveals to them their evil works from God’s point of view instead of man’s point of view.
That’s why we need the Holy Spirit. He alone will convict the person of sin and show him his defiled sinful nature.
Without a conviction of sin, a person cannot repent and lay down his life and put away his sins. That’s because the person is not aware of his sins. The person doesn’t see the necessity of laying down his flesh and becoming born again in the spirit. He shall not consider the works of the flesh as evil and therefore shall never put off the carnal works of the flesh. The person will only do that if God will reveal to him his spiritual state.
The conviction of sin brings man to repentance
Molimo ha a batle hore mang kapa mang a timele. Ke ka lebaka lena, because of His goodness, He gave His law, Mora oa hae, le Moea oa hae o Halalelang. So that the sins of the world, which are concealed in darkness and are hidden for the natural eyes of the old man, will be exposed and man has the opportunity to repent, remove his sins, pholosoa, and become a new creation in Jesus Christ.
‘E be letsoai la lefatše’
