While condemnation tries to destroy WHO we are, conviction deals with what we have DONE. There is a huge difference between WHO we are in Christ and what we DO in life. While we have been saved by Grace through Faith (Eph 2:8-10), we are children who still mess up. Not all our actions are yet perfected since we are still growing into the sinless person we will be on the other side of this world. But our identity will never change. If we have sincerely surrendered our lives to Jesus as Lord & Savior, we are forever Children of God! For now, we are saints who on occasion still act like our old, sinful self. But the key is that our Identity has been forever changed in Christ.
When we sin and feel guilty, if we know WHO we are, a child of God saved because of the Love of God, then instead of feeling condemned and running away from God, we will feel secure in His Love, simply acknowledging that we have acted wrong. This should draw us to God so that He can rectify our misstep. The first thing God does as we run to Him for help, confessing our sin, is that He forgives us, restoring our relationship so that we can receive whatever it is we need to make things right. For instance, if we have offended someone, God will give us the humility, courage and heartfelt words to ask the other person for forgiveness. The key is restoration of our wrong actions. And when we receive God’s conviction instead of feeling condemned, we will run to Him and the solution, instead of making bad things worse.
As we recognize the difference between these words, we can see that conviction leads us towards growth, while condemnation only leads towards more problems. It is when we run to God that He will gently restore us, correct us and help us be more and more like Him, boosting our identity in Him so that we do become the sinless person He always wanted us to be. Conviction leads us towards God, towards change & towards a more fulfilling life.
<>< Peace, Diane
