Conviction
From Raised
"CONVICTION,” said Cletus. "What you are experiencing is conviction of your sin."
"What do you mean, Uncle?" asked Benjamin, with a puzzled look on his face.
"The fact that you have been made aware that you are spiritually dead—God is trying to show you your need of Christ. You see, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit will convict of sin, righteousness and judgment. The key verse on it is John 16:8 which says, 'And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.' Jesus taught that when the Holy Spirit came, He would reprove the world of these three things."
"Uncle, what does the word 'reprove' mean?"
"It means to convince or convict. It is like a prosecuting attorney giving his closing argument to the jury. He is trying to convince them to find the defendant guilty of the charges. The defendant will be convicted of the crime and become known as a convict as he goes to jail or prison. The Holy Spirit works like a prosecuting attorney to convince you of your guilt before God. He shows you that you are a guilty sinner who deserves God's wrath and judgment. He also convinces you that there is mercy and forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.”