A Meditation on the Difference between Condemnation and Conviction

“A mere man could no more redeem the world as he could create the world: the Restorer of man must be the Maker of Man.”

―George Smeaton

Currently, for the Easter season, I am reading an excellent devotional book by Jonty Rhodes: Man of Sorrows, King of Glory. (I highly recommend it.)

Today I studied how Jesus’s death on the Cross not only changed our relationship with God but also our relationship with Satan.  As Paul stated: by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Col. 2:14-15).  These rulers and authorities are the fallen “Watchers/Sons of God/Angels” led by Satan who, from the time of the Fall, have kept humanity in bondage. 

Ultimately Satan’s main weapon against us was his power to accuse us, before God, of our guilt and thereby demand our rightly deserved condemnation and judgment.

But Jesus, by offering himself as a sinless substitute, took our guilt upon himself and thus disarmed Satan’s “trump card”. In the O.T. God said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” In the N.T. – after the Cross – He said, “Have you considered my Son: Jesus?”

Rhodes pointed out something that I don’t think I’d ever read or heard.  He highlighted why it was important for Jesus to be tried and condemned by a legal court (vs. a lynch mob or assassination). The reason is that Satan’s accusations and charges against us are absolutely correct—we are guilty before God.  But as our perfect, sinless representative: Jesus was convicted by both the Sanhedrin and Pilate (the court of Rome) and found guilty. So by both the Jews and the Gentiles, Jesus was convicted on our behalf and thus represents us all. 

Rhodes pointed out another interesting thing. He highlighted how that is why (besides Mary) Pontius Pilate is the only other person named in the Apostle’s Creed.  Interesting!

Here’s my devotional thought for us today: Know the difference between condemnation and conviction. 

The truth has never stopped Satan. If we are hid in Christ, Satan can no longer condemn us before God, but He can and does condemn us directly. (Relentlessly!) 

And here’s another important truth.  God forgives us of our sins, but He loves us too much to tolerate our sinning.  For sin always destroys and kills something precious in our lives. 

And more importantly sin affects our relationship with both God and Satan. Sin distances us from God and provides access for Satan to meddle in our life.

Thus the Holy Spirit convicts us by pointing out our sinfulness.

So what is the difference between Satan’s condemnation and the Holy Spirit’s conviction?

When Satan condemns us the by-product is shame.  We hate ourselves.  We feel unworthy and alienated from God and hesitate to even approach God.

However, when the Holy Spirits convicts us we feel disappointment in ourselves.  We know that we have let ourself and others down and most importantly our Abba Father.  We know we could have and should have done better.  We hear “Coach” Holy Spirit saying, “You are better than this.”  He continues, “You were created for more than this.”  And His promptings challenge us to run to Abba Father and ask for forgiveness in Jesus’s name and for strength to get up and do better next time.

Both shame and conviction say “Run!”  Shame says run away from God; conviction says run to God and therein lies an eternity of difference.[1]

[1] Devotional Reading: Man of Sorrows, King of Glory, Jonty Rhodes | pages 93-97