Condemnation Vs Conviction

2 Corinthians 7:10

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

We have all felt it at one time or another. We have sinned, or missed an opportunity to serve God, and the voices in our head start.

“See, you’re not good enough to be a Christian. Just give it up.”

“You’re a hideous person, there is no way God can be pleased by someone like you.”

“You’re a failure in every way. You disappoint everyone around you.”

On and on it goes, recriminations, insults, guilt-trips. They assail us day after day, and our self-esteem, well-being, and faith drop lower and lower.

Soon, if we’re not careful, we just give up. Give up our faith, our relationships, our lives. And we wonder why God was being so rough on us.

There is good news: none of that was God! All of that was condemnation, not conviction. Condemnation is our own insecurities being blown out of proportion by ourselves, and the devil. Make no mistake about it, the devil knows where to pick us apart. Evil has done its best to discourage Christians from the jump. In John 18:44 Jesus said that Satan is a liar and the father of lies.

So next time you sin, and the voices start ask yourself this: is what I feel spurring me to do better, or is it trying to destroy me? God’s conviction confronts our sin and leads us to repent and get closer to God. Condemnation tries to destroy us and drive us further from God. Train your heart to know the difference.

Today’s Readings: 2 Corinthians 7-10

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