Monday, October 27, 2008

Conviction vs Condemnation

Hey I'm suppose to be encouraging you on this blog... what's with the heavy stuff?

I think there is fundamental misunderstanding in the minds of many believers with regard to conviction and condemnation. Not understanding the difference can cause you to live a life of defeat and bondage.

If you ask, many people do not know there is a difference, but the Bible makes a clear distinction;

Romans 8:1 - "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"

So whats all the fuss, we should just believe what it says and move on, hold on to the scripture and turn our back on the feelings that we have of guilt and just press on. Some call it speaking positively, some call it saying no to the enemy's attack, I call it denial.

If all that we do is stuff all the feelings we have and wrap it up in the "hold every thought captive" scripture, we may be missing a tremendous opportunity for growth, an opportunity for blessing and most definetly an opportunity to hear from the Lord.

Lets face it, it starts off the same, the acquisation... You have Sinned.

Okay so there may be some of you out there that say, "I am living a Holy life, set aside for Jesus and I do not sin... Or at least when I do I repent and turn from my sinful ways. " Congratulations you have a holiness card and are probably going to be sainted or something soon.

I am talking to the rest of us that struggle with reality like Paul, saying;

"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing." Romans 7:19

How did he know this was happening? He listened to something telling him he had commited the sin he wrote about here and that caused him to call himself "the worst of sinners" 1 Timothy 1:16.

Wow, what power of the enemy could have this kind of affect on one of the great fathers of the faith? What scheme of satan could cause him to believe such a lie about himself?

Well, it wasn't a lie.

Be careful from this point forward because what I am about to say may come off as heresy, I promise you I do not mean it to in any way. But it is fundamental to understanding the truth of the severity of our sin.

God and the Enemy agree. They will even say exactly the same thing. You are a sinner, they will both specify what you have done, with excruciating accuracy.

But my God has forgiven me of all my sins.... Your sins are as far from me as the east is from the west." I agree, but why do you still feel the guilt of your sin if this is really true?

Is it because you are really not saved after all? That is what the enemy would have you believe and he will use that card first for a new believer.

Is it because you really didn't mean what you said when you confessed to the Lord your sin? Again that is what the enemy will have you believe.

The problem is that even though we know with our minds the truths of God forgiveness, in those areas where we just can't get past it, we fail to make the full turn away from our sin. I know I have agreed with God and look down at my sinfulness and then start to agree with the enemy who was telling me to ponder long and hard about what I did, I should be ashamed, you should feel bad about how your acting, or what you were doing, you are a terrible person, God can't for give that...the list is endless.... Condemnation.

The time between Conviction and Condemnation is almost indiscernible. We go from trying to turn from our sinfulness and instead put out our hands and allow shackles to be placed on our faith to receive the forgiveness we so yearn for.

You see Conviction is the proving of guilt for a crime.

Condemnation is the pronounced sentence for the crime.

The problem is we agree with enemy's sentence, we should be punished, our simple minds can not handle unmerited forgiveness, we can't earn it so we don't see how its possible.

So what can we do? We have to hold to the one principle we agreed to on the day of our salvation, all scripture is hung on it, and without it there would be no need for Genesis or Revelation or anything in the middle.

Its the WHY - All the comforting scriptures that give us the reminder of the attributes of God's forgiveness are found in the single act of Jesus, paying the penalty of our sin.

No sentence can be pronounced on our sin because Jesus paid it in full. We need to AGREE with Jesus when he says "It is finished" as we hear the shackles hit the ground and we walk in the forgiveness he died for.

"Lord help us to Agree with you that we have sinned but also to agree with you that your Death was enough, once and for all to pay the price for my sin. Help me to spend more time looking at what you did and less time looking at what I did so that you may be magnified in my life.. When the enemy tries to tell me lies to bind me, help me to resist his voice and turn my ear to your voice of forgiveness and freedom."

1 comment:

Debra Kaye said...

I join in the chorus ~ It is finished ~ Amen!