Sometimes we get lost in our Christianese. It’s always good to look up the meanings of the keywords used in the Bible. If we only think we know the meaning, we lose the value of many truths that have the power to set us free.

When we know and understand the concepts in accordance with the context, it brings wisdom that prevents lies from entering our hearts.

That was the case for me with conviction and condemnation. I was putting them into the same basket and allowing guilt to speak in my life. After some study, I find out that they have completely different meanings.

Condemnation

The most known verse that mentions condemnation is Romans 8:1.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, ESV)

The Greek word for “condemnation” is katakrima. It articulates a negative judgment declaration. Damnation is the last thing you want the judge to declare. It would mean you’re separated from the common society and placed aside with a sign of being evil.

Condemnation speaks about you as a person. It shows who you’re are by tagging you “evil”. The opposite of condemnation is justification that tags you as “good”.

Conviction

We can find conviction in John Chapter 16 where Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit.

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment… (John 16:8, ESV)

The word “conviction” in Greek is elegchō. It reveals something to be wrong. Conviction doesn’t carry the judgmental aspect. It's pointing a finger at the problem and without any compromise telling what it is.

While condemnation is pointing at you as a person, conviction points at a wrong action, mindset, or belief. Condemnation shows who you are but conviction points at what you do or think.

Some examples to point out the difference:

• John the Baptist was convicting Herod about the sin of marrying his brother’s wife (Luke 3:19). Herod condemned John the Baptist by beheading him.
• Saul condemned Christians therefore he persecuted them. Jesus appeared on the road to Damascus and convicted Saul of his wrong actions. (Acts 9:1–6)

Knowledge and the next step

Both conviction and condemnation lead us to a certain behavior. Condemnation includes guilt, shame, regret and fear. If you ever felt condemned, you know the sense of hopelessness. It declares you’re wrong without any way out.

This leads to a lawless life. A person who sees himself condemned won’t be trying to change the tag of evil. The hopelessness tells him that it's too late for a fix.

On the other hand, the conviction is showing the wrong way and the right way. It’s full of hope and always provides a solution to the problem. The conviction doesn’t try to blame or put you down. It wants your actions to change by showing the fault without blaming you.

You can distinguish condemnation from conviction in your heart by the message they proclaim. Condemnation declares, “you’re wrong, you’re bad, you’re evil,” while conviction tells you without any resentment, “it wasn’t good what you did, next time you can take a better way”.

When I was a kid I was frustrated with my grandma. She wanted to bless me, but I shouted, “I don’t need it!” After a couple of minutes, I understood that I did wrong. My conscience convicted me of being unkind and immediately showed an opportunity to fix the situation with an apology.

Conviction is a realization that a certain action was against the desires of a pure heart.

My action upon the conviction is called repentance. I changed the way I thought and started acting right. I wasn't forcing myself to answer my grandma in a nice way. It was natural because I understood my mistake.

Our triumph

Sin is the only reason for our condemnation in the sight of righteous God. We were sinners without the strength to justify ourselves. Then Jesus came and condemned the cause of separation that was between us and God.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3–4, ESV, emphasis mine)

And that’s why…

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, ESV)

The Law showed our sinfulness and our sin was condemning us. It was right for God to condemn us but He chose not to. He decided to redeem us by taking all our sins and condemning them on the cross. That was our judgment placed on Jesus so that we could become righteous.

There’s now no condemnation, guilt, shame, regret, or fear of eternal judgment. Our guilt has been paid for. We were made holy by the sacrifice of Jesus once and for all (Hebrews 10:10).

Our faith in Jesus and what He did for us removed the mark that declared “condemned” and turned it into the eternal sign stating “justified”.

The enemy now is picking every little mistake and tries to condemn us proving we are bad people. Don’t believe him!

The fact that you feel bad about your mistakes shows that you have a pure heart that desires only good. The enemy comes and tries to prove you’re a bad person by pointing at the action.

He doesn't show a way to do good because he has a plan. The plan is to stop your faith that you’re justified by the sacrifice of Jesus. When you embrace this lie you can’t help but do bad, because there’s no hope anymore.

God will never condemn you because of the cross, but He will convict when you stray away from the course. It’s not about the blame, but about the correction; not about the guilt, but the change and transformation.

Holy Spirit corrects our actions that they would align with our hearts. Our hearts are the place where the Law of God is written (Hebrews 8:10). Our hearts are the place where God Himself lives (Ephesians 3:17).

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