Condemnation vs Conviction-Part One

What is the difference between Condemnation and Conviction?

Condemnation

Condemnation Greek katakrima (kat-ak-ree-mah), an adverse verdict, damnatory sentence.
There is no hope, the outcome is final-condemned. No way out of the punishment.

Condemnation is filled with guilt, shame, and no hope. You cannot fix the situation. Satan condemns.

Condemnation refers to the act of expressing strong disapproval or criticism towards someone or something, often accompanied by a sense of punishment or blame. Condemnation is dark, hopeless, and destructive. It holds you to your past and makes you feel like it’s the end. It’s the voice that says, “You’ve messed up too much, God is done with you.” Satan attacks us with our past and even our present mistakes, whispering that God has rejected us or that our prayers are falling on deaf ears.

Conviction

Conviction Greek elegchó (el-eng-kho), to convict, to reprove, to expose, to refute, to correct, to tell a fault.

Reprove-to correct gently or with kindly intent.
Rebuke-to reprimand, expression of strong disapproval.

Conviction is a sense of guilt , an awareness of wrongdoing, with the hope that there can be a change of direction. God convicts.

Conviction is to convince with solid, compelling evidence, to expose wrongdoing. Conviction from the Holy Spirit is light, hopeful, and constructive. It points you toward your future and is a beginning. It’s the gentle voice that says, “That wasn’t right, but here is your next step to move forward with God.”

The War with Sin

We all struggle with sin and we become aware that on our own we cannot do right consistently. Some may be more moral or ethical, but ALL fall short.
Romans 7:21-25
21 I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power[e] within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

Hope

Romans 8:1-2
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation [no damnatory sentence] at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because we understand God’s love we do not reject conviction that comes from the Holy Spirit, we know it is out of love and for our good.

If we experience conviction we do not need to be anxious and worrisome and afraid that God is out to get us. Instead we prayer and ask God to help us.

Rejoice

As followers of Jesus Christ we should be excited about conviction that comes from God. If God is convicting us by His Holy Spirit He will certainly give us the grace to overcome the sin we are being convicted of. His conviction should lead to confession and repentance, and a positive change in our life.

1 John 1:9-10
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

Condemnation vs Conviction-Part One, Differences Podcast