Hence, although there is the love of the Father and the work of the Lord, there is still the need for the Holy Spirit to prepare man's heart. He still has to work in man's heart so that man will receive all that the Lord Jesus has done. One can say that the Lord Jesus is our objective Savior from God and that the Holy Spirit is our subjective Savior from God. The Lord Jesus is the Savior who accomplished redemption for us outwardly, and the Holy Spirit is the Savior who accomplishes salvation for us inwardly. All of us sitting here have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit. We all know that we are the lost sheep, that we have all turned to our own ways (Isa. 53:6). We all like sheep were lost. Our problem was not sickness or lameness, but taking a wrong path. The path that one takes is very important. In John 16:8-9, the Lord Jesus told us that when the Holy Spirit comes, "He will convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment." What does it mean to be convicted concerning sin? We are convicted concerning sin "because they do not believe into Me." We have developed a problem with Him, and we have come into conflict with Him. We are convicted of sin because we have not seen His blood and His authority, because we have not met His demands, and because we now have a problem with Him. The greatest sin of man is the refusal to believe in the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes to show us that we have developed a problem with the Lord Jesus and with God. Our position is wrong.

But let me ask a question. Is it possible that a person in a distant country can be a good son? Is it possible that he can be frugal and thrifty? Is it possible that he can be a diligent worker? Is it possible that he can be discreet in making friends? We know that this is impossible. If a person has wandered to a distant country and is wrong in his relationship with his father, he must be wrong in all other relationships. That is why the prodigal began to live dissolutely. When the Holy Spirit enlightens a person, not only will He show him that he is in a lost position, but He will also show him that his past conduct has been wrong. The Holy Spirit does not overlook past sins. He pays attention to all sins. However, He turns one's attention to all the sins only after He has shown such a one his perishing position. The Holy Spirit first shows you how dangerous a position you are in, then He shows you how many sins you have. The light of the Holy Spirit enlightens and exposes all the areas in which you have transgressed against others. It exposes all unrighteousness and all the hidden sins in our words and thoughts.

God's chastisement is for His healing. The Holy Spirit's rebuking is for His comforting. God is not pleased to chastise and punish His children without reason. The only reason God punishes is that man would obtain peace. The reason the Holy Spirit shines on man and shows man his shortcomings and his waywardness is that man would accept all the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Without the enlightening of the Holy Spirit, we are not able to see even one of our sins.