(1) Whenever we are convinced especially of the sinfulness of sin we
may be sure that the Spirit is striving with us. There are times when
we may be thoughtless and sin with impunity; but not so when the Spirit
is doing his work, for sin is an awful thing.
(2) Whenever we are impressed with the heinousness of unbelief be
assured that the Spirit is at work, for the worst sin in all this world
is not impurity but rather that we should not believe on Jesus Christ.
To reject him is to sneer at God, to trample the blood of his Son under
foot, to count his sacrifice a common thing and really to crucify him
afresh. In all this impression God speaks.
(3) When we see the danger of dying in our sins he is moving us. It is
a mystery to me how men can close their eyes in sleep when they realize
that any night God might simply touch them and time would give way to
eternity and the judgment would be before them. As a matter of fact
men are not indifferent to this, and the fact that they are not proves
that the Spirit of God is opening their eyes.
(4) When he strips us of excuses be sure that he is working. The man
who has said, "I will wait until I am better," begins to realize that
his past sins must be taken into account and no future resolutions can
touch them. The man who has said, "There is time enough," suddenly
realizes that between him and eternity there is but a beat of the
heart. The one who has claimed that hypocrisy in the church kept him
out of it comes to see that hypocrisy proves the life of the church,
for men never counterfeit that which is bad money but rather that which
is good.
(5) Whenever we see the folly of trusting in any other word than
Christ's then the Spirit of God is with us. Not reformation, for it
does not touch the sins of the past; not resolution, for this is too
weak, and though we may seem better than others, this may be true only
according to our own standard. When we see the folly of these
positions the Spirit of God is doing his work; so be careful how you
treat him.