Condemnation or Conviction?

by Zeke Flores

To many, "conviction" is the same as "condemnation," and most of us familiar with condemnation don't like it much.

You know, the (not so) subtle voice that hisses,

• "You're not good enough!"
• "You're a failure!"
• "It's too late for you, there's no hope because you'll never change!"

Our evil enemy— and sometimes even well-meaning but misdirected people —can heap condemnation on us, leaving us to think that perhaps the words are true: I am a failure, and there is no hope.

Don’t confuse the condemnation by the enemy with the conviction by the Spirit of God. Condemnation dooms us while leaving no door open for improvement. But the conviction of the Spirit, while giving a true assessment of your status before God, offers hope for climbing out of the pit of despair and reaching new and better heights.

But you’ve got to start somewhere.

The place to start is to realize where you are (or aren’t) in your relationship with your Maker. Reading God’s word, the instrument of conviction, will sometimes sting. The gospel doesn’t always drip sunshine and warm fuzzies. It gives a truthful appraisal of your condition. Yes, you’re a sinner. Yes, you deserve judgment. It’s important to feel the weight of our sin and hopelessness without Christ. But the Spirit doesn’t end there.

The gospel is “good news” because it tells us there is help. It reminds us of our utter need for a Savior and the fact that He has come. Yes, you’re a sinner, but you don’t have to stay that way. You start with genuine remorse for your sins, which have caused estrangement from God, then resolve, with the Spirit’s help, to do something about it. And the Spirit of God doesn’t disappoint. Armed with your conviction and His revelation of God’s intention for you, you can begin to make the hard adjustments in your life that will bring you into a full relationship with the One who gave His Son for you.

Condemnation says, "You're too far gone and there's nothing better for you!"
Conviction says, "You've made a mess of things, but I've gotten help."

While it may be painful to realize the weight of sin, without it, you can’t rise above. You’ve got to start somewhere.

"And He (the Holy Spirit), when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (John 16:8).