Message of the Latter Rain - Kelvin M. Duncan

face to face, when we could have access to the Spirit, twenty-four hours a
day, seven days a week. Could the Holy Spirit really work with power while
the whole world waited in line to see Jesus? His office would have been
ignored and neglected even more than it is today, while Jesus is in the
heavenly sanctuary. This is why Jesus said the Spirit would not come unless
He went away.
The Spirit's Primary Work
Now that the Comforter has come, what is His primary work? We must
understand His mission, if we are to understand what it means to sin against
Him. Jesus said, "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). Notice that Jesus said
the Comforter, will "reprove" or "convince" the world concerning three
issues: "sin," "righteousness," and "judgment." Every Bible student thinks he
or she knows what sin, righteousness, and judgment are about. However, the
definitions that we have in mind may not coincide with the definitions Jesus
had in mind. If we are going to understand the work of the Holy Ghost, we
must accept the definitions Jesus gave for these terms, in the context in
which the description of the Holy Spirit's work appears.
Jesus continued, "Of sin, because they believe not on me" (John 16:9).
First John 3:4 says, "Sin is the transgression of the law," but this is not the
definition of sin which Jesus gives in the context of His description of the
work of the Holy Spirit. Here is one of the places where our preoccupation
with the law has not served us well. He says that the world will be convinced
of sin by the Holy Ghost, "because they believe not on me." Here we find the
first clue to understanding the unpardonable sin correctly. It must be
understood in the light of the gospel.
Next, He addresses the subject of righteousness. "Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more" (John 16:10). At first
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