Condemnation and conviction

When we sin, God doesn't condemn us - but we does convict us.

Well, God will send the conviction of his Holy Spirit – the conviction of the Holy Spirit which will woo them back into the faith. 

He always responds with grace.

Paul writes in Romans 8:1, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ.”

Do you belong to Jesus today?

When you sin, when you have a bad day like Noah, the Holy Spirit will convict you and never, ever condemn you.

There is NO condemnation.  No.

That word "No" is the strongest possible negative in the Greek language.

It means, “no, no..Never…never...not in a million years.

There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

There is a difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of the enemy.

Paul writes in Second Corinthians 7:10, “Godly sorrow (conviction) leads to repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow (condemnation) brings death.”

The conviction of the Holy Spirit makes us painfully aware of our sinfulness and our failures, but even as it does we are motivated to confess our sins and try again.

We hear ourselves saying, “I know I’ve failed, but I will do better next time.”

Condemnation, on the other hand, makes us feel like giving up.  It tells us that we will never be any different that God is sick of our repeated failure.

That God is ready to wash His hands of us.  It drives us into hiding away from God.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit is always very specific when He convicts us of sin.  He puts his finger on it – identifies it – so we can deal with it and bring it to God and get rid of it.

Condemnation is vague, general, it leaves us feeling guilty, unworthy but not really sure why.

It does not identify a particular sin, lest we deal with it and be delivered.

In fact, the only time condemnation is specific is when it condemns us of sins we’ve already confessed.

God forgives our sins, He is done with them; he never brings them up to us again, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”  Psalms 103:12

As you come to God in repentance - God will never, ever reject you.

Just a thought for a Tuesday.