[The Holy Spirit also ministers to unbelievers. (extracted from HSU Library Bible study)
John 16:7-11 confirms this.
In verse 8, "convict" (elegxei) appears 17 times in the NT and translated eight different ways:
To reprove (Luke 3:18)
To expose (John 3:20)
To show him his fault (Mt. 18:15)
To convict (John 8:46)
To convince (John 16:8)
To confute (Titus 1:9)
To punish (Hebrews 12:5)
To rebuke (Titus 1:13)] Brian's lines, edited from study
So as in a courtroom of law, when a person is convicted of a crime, all of these aspects of the trial come out. The result is we are held responsible, guilty as charged, we are persuaded to accept the charges, punishment is announced and hanging over our heads ... but a resolution, a second chance is offered, we can be set free of this judgment . Christ paid for our sins and all we have to do is believe, follow and obey Him. He enables us to do this by making us a new creature, a spiritual transformation occurs and we can now see and are able to discern scripture.
The Spirit gives life!
God is over all through all and in all". Eph.4:6
He is present throughout all creation, giving life and breath to every human.( Gen.6:17; Is. 42:5)
"The Spirit's work may indeed be ambiguous in the world, not often being recognized by those in whom or around whom He works, but His work is also ambiguous in Church." Hendrikus Berkhof
Another powerful piece of work Ronald
2Ti_3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Office. Van Oosterzee does well to say, “Happily, not the sounding the depths of the Holy
Spirit’s nature, but the receiving and possessing of the Holy Spirit himself, is for us, even as
Christian theologians, the main point.” Hence, without detracting from the value of what has
preceded, of paramount importance is the office and work of the Holy Spirit. This is indicated
as follows: (1) The Spirit is the immediate source of all life, physical and intellectual (Ps.
104:30; Isa. 32:15; Job 33:4; Gen. 2:7, KJV; Ex. 31:3; Num. 11:17; etc.). (2) He bore an
important part in the coming of Christ in the flesh and the qualifying of His human nature for
His work (Luke 1:35; John 3:34; 1:32–33). (3) He is the revealer of all divine truth. The
Scriptures are especially the product of the Holy Spirit (Mic. 3:8; John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Cor.
2:10–13). (4) He moves upon the hearts and consciences of all men, attending revealed truth
with His power wherever it is known and even where it is not known, affording some
measure of divine light and gracious influence (Acts 2:17; John 16:7–11; 1 Cor. 2:4). (5) He
convicts men of sin; graciously aids them in repentance and faith; regenerates, comforts, and
sanctifies believers; bears witness to their acceptance with God and adoption as God’s
children; and dwells in them as the principle of a new and divine life. In addition to Scripture
quoted above, see Rom. 8:14–16; 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 3:17–18 (see Witness of Spirit). (6) He
also exercises guidance in the ministrations of the church, calling men to various offices and
endowing them with qualifications for their work (Acts 13:2, 4; 1 Cor. 12:4–11).
Special Work in the Believer. The Holy Spirit in this particular age from Pentecost to the
outtaking and glorification of the church, the Body of Christ, performs a special work in
every believer the moment he exercises saving faith in Christ. Simultaneously with
regenerating him the Spirit baptizes the believer into union with other believers in the Body
(1 Cor. 12:13) and into union with Christ Himself (Rom. 6:3–4). This is a unique and
distinctive ministry of the Spirit during this age. The Holy Spirit also dwells perpetually
within every believer (John 14:17; Rom. 8:9–14; 1 Cor. 6:19–20) and seals every believer for
the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). In addition, the Holy Spirit fills every believer when
special conditions of filling are met (5:18).
Dispensational Ministry. According to the prophetic announcement of John the Baptist of
the Spirit’s baptizing work (Matt. 3:11–12; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16–17; John 1:32–33), the
death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ were to inaugurate the new age of the Holy
Spirit’s ministry. Our Lord prophetically announced a drastic change in the Holy Spirit’s
operation in the age that was to begin. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came as the ascension
gift. He came, moreover, in a sense in which He was not here before and to perform all the
ministries delegated to Him in this age; namely, regenerating, baptizing, sealing, and
indwelling every believer with the added privilege of each believer’s being filled with the
Spirit, if he meets the conditions of filling. The distinctive ministry of the Spirit for this age is
His baptizing work. This occurred for the first time in Acts 2 (cf. 1:5; 11:15–16). The first
occurrence of the baptizing work of the Spirit in chap. 2 marked the birthday of the Christian
church. In chap. 8 the racially mongrel Samaritans were admitted to gospel privilege and
granted the gift of the Holy Spirit, which included the Spirit’s baptizing work, placing them
in the church, the Body of Christ. In chap. 10 the Gentiles were likewise admitted. This latter
instance marks the normal course of the age. Every believer, upon the simple condition of
faith in Christ, is regenerated, baptized into the Body, indwelt perpetually, sealed eternally,
and given the privilege of being continuously filled. The experiences of OT saints and all pre
Pentecost believers came short of these tremendous blessings that are the heritage of every
genuine believer in this age.
Unger.
Blessings
J.