We left off last time in Acts 2:36 with Peter concluding this premier Christian sermon with the ultimate indictment—Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. This serves as a necessary first step in all preaching, in that the word was proclaimed as authoritative truth from God that indicts the sinner. From this point on, through the remainder of the chapter, we will see the Spirit’s work in the hearers as a result of this kind of preaching. It follows that if we want to know where the Spirit of God is truly working, then we will find where sin is confronted with the word of God, followed by conviction in the heart of those listening to the word and then a repentance from sin. If any of those parts are absent, then you can be assured that the Spirit is not working in a saving way.
Now it should be no surprise to us that the Spirit chooses to work through preaching that, on the one hand exalts Christ, and on the other hand, exposes sin. In the upper room discourse passage in John, where Jesus describes the upcoming sending of the Spirit, he declares in 15:26 that the Spirit will testify of him and then in 16:14 that the Spirit will glorify Christ. And earlier in John 16, he said this about the Spirit in v.8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…Now virtually every ministry that places itself under the umbrella of Christianity would affirm the necessity to exalt Christ, but many people and ministries have determined that conviction of sin is detrimental and actually a hindrance to spiritual growth. However, we can know with certainty that a saving work will not occur apart from the conviction of the Spirit through the acknowledgement of guilt. For instance, conversion will not happen without this, for who needs Christ if one is not guilty before God? Moreover, sanctification or ongoing growth in Christlikeness will not happen either, for who would even desire to change unless the Spirit has brought conviction that something in our life is in error and needs to change?
Thus, when the Spirit is bringing conviction, it is assurance the Spirit is working.