The Difference

Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit." (NKJV)

Have you ever considered that if we were still living under the
stringent laws of the Old Testament, most Christians would be walking
around dismembered and maimed? Think about that for a moment, and let
it sink in . . . . If you needed a reason to thank God today, you have
one now! :o) And even though we are no longer under the law, I've
noticed many Christians still act like it in one particular area
because they've yet to discover "the difference". Perhaps, Paul's
authoritative warning in the previously mentioned verse needs to be
shouted from the rooftops.

When Paul says "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus...", literally, he's saying "Once you've come into
a saving knowledge of the person and work of Jesus, your sin does not
bring condemnation, even though it's worthy of condemnation. God
offers pardon to those in Christ Jesus". As those in Christ have died
with Him (see Romans 6:1-4), they have in Him satisfied the law, and
hence they cannot be under condemnation. Jesus, the sinless One, was
made sin for us; so we, forgiven through Him, are made the
righteousness of God in Him (see II Corinthians 5:21). In essence, we
experience adoption (as Believers, we've been given full privileges as
sons & daughters in God's family) and justification (declared
righteous) once we experience the vital union with Christ. We
sometimes forget about the significance of this vital union and fall
victim to what I like to call "Mature Manager Mode". The more mature
in Christ you become, the better you get at managing your sin. We
know we have been freed from the penalty of sin, but still often feel
enslaved by it. If you are a Christian, the uneasiness resulting from
your sin brings conviction (a great example of this can be found in
Psalm 51:1-17). If you are a Non-Christian, the uneasiness resulting
from your sin brings condemnation (see John 3:18). Even though both
condemnation & conviction originate as a consequence of sin, believers
need to hold fast to the stark difference between the two.

With condemnation, there is no hope. With conviction, the hope is in
Christ. Condemnation stems from false guilt brought to us by the
enemy. Conviction stems from genuine guilt brought to us by the Holy
Spirit, and the expected result is repentance. Condemnation exists
when an individual is still in our first federal head, Adam.
Conviction exists when an individual has surrendered the reigns of
his/her life to Christ as Lord. The difference between condemnation &
conviction is similar to the difference between suffering for Christ
and being inconvenienced for Christ: one is authentic, the other is
perceived to be authentic.

Romans gives a masterful presentation of God's plan of salvation. One
of Paul's purposes in penning the book was to give the believers in
Rome a well-instructed faith that they might be established (see
Romans 1:11). With that in mind, my goal in writing this devotional
is to encourage those in Christ and at the same time, admonish those
not in Christ. I'm completely aware that what God calls evil, some
might call "no big deal". But I challenge you to deeply ponder this
thought: the Holy Spirit, which convicts of sin (see John 15:8)
desires to make you distinct from what is common. This action (called
sanctification) refers to a process which is perfect in principle,
though not yet attainted. If you have not yet attained an
understanding to the difference between condemnation & conviction,
will you allow the process to perfect YOU?

"Conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct." -
Thomas Carlyle

Edifying, Encouraging & Enlightening, A GospelPreacha