Conviction vs condemnation

Dave-W

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That was a great question. And I would love to answer it.

First - condemnation. Paul writes in Romans 8 that there is no condemnation for those in the Messiah. So it is the devil who condemns.

Condemnation is very discouraging. It leaves you feeling dirty and hopeless. “You dirty sinner, don’t you know you will never amount to anything? How can God love such a piece of junk?” The devil does that to keep you from growing and obeying God.

Conviction, OTOH which is from the Holy Spirit is clean. It says more like: “Yes you messed up, but you can do better with MY help. Confess your sin and try again. I am here to help you at every point. Together we WILL overcome.” It is always encouraging and uplifting.
 
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somuchjoy

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That was a great question. And I would love to answer it.

First - condemnation. Paul writes in Romans 8 that there is no condemnation for those in the Messiah. So it is the devil who condemns.

Condemnation is very discouraging. It leaves you feeling dirty and hopeless. “You dirty sinner, don’t you know you will never amount to anything? How can God love such a piece of junk?” The devil does that to keep you from growing and obeying God.

Conviction, OTOH which is from the Holy Spirit is clean. It says more like: “Yes you messed up, but you can do better with MY help. Confess your sin and try again. I am here to help you at every point. Together we WILL overcome.” It is always encouraging and uplifting.

Thank you! I mess up all the time it seems. When I do-like the other day, I exaggerated a story, I felt bad immediately and I asked for forgiveness and asked for help to not do it anymore. But then, I get this feeling of, if you are saved, how could you do that in the first place when you knew better? Then I feel awful.
 
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Dave-W

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But then, I get this feeling of, if you are saved, how could you do that in the first place when you knew better? Then I feel awful.
You are welcome.

That is one of the classic lines of the devil’s condemnation. Ignore it and move on.
 
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somuchjoy

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You are welcome.

That is one of the classic lines of the devil’s condemnation. Ignore it and move on.

I had an elder tell me that anytime I felt that, or felt fear, that I wasn't right with God. And to be honest, I have always feared God. Not in a run from Him kind of way, but I have always feared displeasing Him I guess you would say.
 
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Dave-W

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That elder doesn’t know the difference either. Blind leading the blind.

Fear of displeasing God is actually a good and godly thing.
 
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Carl Emerson

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That was a great question. And I would love to answer it.

First - condemnation. Paul writes in Romans 8 that there is no condemnation for those in the Messiah. So it is the devil who condemns.

Condemnation is very discouraging. It leaves you feeling dirty and hopeless. “You dirty sinner, don’t you know you will never amount to anything? How can God love such a piece of junk?” The devil does that to keep you from growing and obeying God.

Conviction, OTOH which is from the Holy Spirit is clean. It says more like: “Yes you messed up, but you can do better with MY help. Confess your sin and try again. I am here to help you at every point. Together we WILL overcome.” It is always encouraging and uplifting.

This is a good start Dave but maybe there is more to this.

I dont know if you are associated with the recent move to stress the 'daddy' nature of God. I personally feel uncomfortable with this because it over stresses one aspect of Gods nature.

At critical times in my life (when I have needed it) His fearful presence has bought me much needed correction. This is a clean sense of His enormous mighty power that renders one speechless.
At the same time you know that what is happening is for your own good.

A verse that I have found central to this topic is "Let the peace of God be the judge of all things in your heart." Condemnation never comes with His peace.
 
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Dave-W

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Thank you both. I am still pretty new to everything, and I have so many feelings, it is sometimes hard to discern them all and what they mean :)
Understood. All have to grow up in Him. And we keep growing our whole lives.
 
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I had an elder tell me that anytime I felt that, or felt fear, that I wasn't right with God. And to be honest, I have always feared God. Not in a run from Him kind of way, but I have always feared displeasing Him I guess you would say.
Courage is not the absence of fear. The principle is that we feel the fear and decide to believe the promises of God anyway. If we allow our fears to rule us, we will be paralyzed; but if we decide to move forward according to what God has promised us, then our fears will be pushed aside like the waters of the Red Sea when Moses and the children of Israel went through.

Every soldier in battle felt fear, but the courageous ones did not allow themselves to be cowards because of it. They pushed through their fear because they knew that their duty had to be done even at the cost of their lives.

Fearing God is not being afraid of Him. It is respecting and honouring Him and being more afraid of sin because of the dishonour that would being to Him and to Christ. When we stand before God in the judgment and say to Him, "I received Your promises of salvation for me and I believed them, and that is my only qualification for entering Your heaven", we will have a greater acceptance than if we said, "I tried my best to be a good person for you."
 
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