by Dane Massey
(Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)
How do we tell the difference between the condemnation of the enemy and the conviction of the Holy Spirit, when it comes to sin in our lives?
In the Bible we see one of the constant roles of the enemy. He is pictured as a prosecutor in a courtroom bringing accusations against us.
We also know that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to convict us of sin. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16: 7-8, NKJV).
I will list four ways to tell the difference between conviction and condemnation. I’m sure you, with time to think, could supply many more. This is merely a list to help you beware and to focus your thoughts in the right direction.
1.) Conviction deals only with unconfessed sin.
Condemnation deals with confessed sin.
The enemy would never condemn me concerning sin that I have not confessed. If he did I might turn to Christ in confession and receive forgiveness.
The enemy condemns me over forgiven sin. Questioning whether God could forgive such wickedness. How could I expect forgiveness again over the same sin? Maybe Christ’s death/blood wasn’t enough? He accuses, not only me but God, Himself!
Read Job 1-2. Literally the word “accuse” means to slander. He slanders me to me, me to God, God to God, and God to me, but I have an Advocate in this courtroom as well as an Accuser:
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (I John 2:1-2, NKVJ).
2.) Conviction is Always Specific with Guidance
Condemnation comes in a Deep Sense of Guilt with Hopelessness
When the Holy Spirit convicts it is always with a direct and specific purpose, making clear what the sin is and the action needed in order to deal with said sin.
The enemy loves to fill our hearts with a sense of fear and hopelessness. It’s like a fog moving in during the night. We have no idea why nor do we have a clue what to do about it. We are just in a spiritual fog.
3.) Conviction of the Holy Spirit Always Points Me to Christ.
Condemnation Always Points Me to Self
The enemy loves to convince me to “try harder,” read another self-improvement book, etc…. The Spirit’s conviction always points me to Christ and His Work on the Cross. The Spirit’s conviction always, always glorifies Christ and His Sufficiency!
4.) The Goal of Holy Spirit Conviction is Always Reconciliation
The Goal of Condemnation is Always Alienation.
The enemy is always out to destroy our relationship with Christ. He is always questioning our repentance, Christ’s sufficiency, God’s loving mercy, grace and forgiveness.
The Spirit is always working in our hearts to convince us of the unwavering heart of God to reconcile us unto Himself through the sacrifice of His own Son!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-19, NKJV).
The ultimate answer to all that the enemy brings in the form of condemnation is an unwavering faith the unchanging, unconquerable, unmeasurable love of God for us in Christ Jesus!
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
“ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’”
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Rom. 8:31-39, NKJV).
Finally, we must take hold o0f these truths, and rejoice in Rev. 12:11 (NASB):
“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
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