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“lotsa empty words”

Is that what you say about the many scriptures I cited?

“You said that the holy spirit convicts people of sin THROUGH believers. Got a verse for that?: Your entire premise is based on it.”

I can give you many. Every verse where we see the Holy Spirit convicting people of sin. Will you actually read them and think about what they mean? I gave you a specific passage (Acts 7:51-57) in the post to which you are presently replying. How about you start with that one?

Can you cite one example of the Holy Spirit convicting anyone apart from a Spirit-led believer speaking to the one being convicted by the Spirit?

Conviction comes through the Word of God when a sinner is enlightened by the Holy Spirit or his own conscience.

Titus 1:9 NKJV
Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Romans 3:20 NKJV
Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

2 Peter 1:21 NKJV
For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

If you read Acts 10, you will also see how the Gospel was first preached to the Gentiles, who then believed and received the Holy Spirit. God did NOT send the Holy Spirit directly to Cornelius, but sent him an angel to tell him to go see Peter. Then, Peter preached Christ to them and the Holy Spirit worked through Peter’s words. Acts 11 specifically describes their response as “repentance,” which means that they were convicted of sin in order to repent.

The coming of the Holy Spirit was a prophecy and promise of the Old Testament. While it was specifically for Israel, Joel 2 reveals that the Holy Spirit would be “poured out on all flesh.” See verse 28. The same passage is quoted several times in the New Testament in the context of the Gospel. For example...

Romans 10:13-14 NKJV
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Also...

1 Corinthians 12:3 NKJV
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Gospel + Holy Spirit = Calling on the name of the Lord for salvation. While an unbeliever CAN say the word “Lord” apart from the Holy Spirit, he cannot truly comprehend and call Jesus Lord (i.e. Yahweh in Joel 2) apart from the revealing work of God’s Spirit.

Galatians 3:5 NKJV
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Ephesians 1:13 NKJV
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

So, we see plainly that unbelievers encounter the work of the Holy Spirit when the Gospel is preached to them. This is the doctrine of the Bible. This is the historical record of the Bible.

Spirit-led believers speak. They preach. They prophecy. People hear. Some are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, are convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit, and are moved to call on Jesus as Lord. It is ALWAYS through the word. It is ALWAYS through the HEARING of faith. Paul said in the passage in Romans I cited above that a preacher is mandatory. People cannot hear without a preacher. And the preacher must be sent by God and empowered to preach by the Holy Spirit. This is HOW the Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts and brings about repentance and salvation through the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit convicts of sin through the preaching of the Gospel which includes the message of Christ dying for our sins. These are not separate “jobs.” True Gospel preachers do not proclaim a positive, happy-thoughts, self-esteem promoting message that leaves out anything about sin. The Holy Spirit does not operate as some nebulous force like in Star Wars that floats around “convicting” people of sin. The Holy Spirit fills, leads, and empowers believers to proclaim the Gospel, including the message of sin and the peril of eternal torment (i.e. “judgment’). The Good News is NOT that there is no sin to be addressed or no coming judgment. The Good News is that people can escape these things through repentance and faith in Christ.