Conviction or Condemnation?

by a.abeScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled

Scripture: Romans 8:1 · John 3:16–17 · John 16:8 · 2 Corinthians 7:10

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not less condemnation. Not delayed condemnation. No condemnation. Jesus did not come swinging a hammer, He came carrying a cross. John 3:16 tells us why He came: love. John 3:17 tells us how He came: not to condemn the world, but to save it. When the Holy Spirit moves, He does not crush, He convicts. Jesus said, “When the Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin.” Conviction is not an attack; it is an invitation. It exposes sin to heal the sinner.

Condemnation, however, has a different source. The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and Scripture names him clearly: the accuser of the brethren. Condemnation targets the person, not the problem. It says, “You are the problem. You are hopeless. You are finished.” Its goal is defeat. Conviction says something entirely different: “This is wrong, but you are loved, and you can change.” Condemnation names you by your sin; conviction calls you by your Father. Conviction always carries hope because it comes from a Father, not a prosecutor.

Paul makes the line unmistakably clear: “Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow produces death.” Condemnation produces despair. Conviction produces repentance. Repentance produces life. And life produces joy, joy in heaven and joy in the believer.

Hear this clearly: God does not expose your sin to reject or abandon you. He exposes it totransform you. Discipline is not rejection; it is proof of sonship. The God who convicts is the same God who promised He will never leave you nor forsake you, and He will finish what He started in you. So, stop bowing to voices that leave you crushed and hopeless. That is not holiness, that is hell’s imitation. The voice of God corrects, restores, and moves you forward into Christlikeness.

Reflect on this: Does the voice you’re listening to produce repentance or paralysis? Are you confusing the devil’s accusations with the Spirit’s conviction?

Prayer

Father, I reject every voice of condemnation in the name of Jesus. Teach me to discern Your conviction; loving, and life-giving. When You correct me, I will not run from You; I will run to You. Thank You that You are committed to my transformation and that You will finish the work You began. I receive Your correction, Your mercy, and Your life.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Quote: Condemnation shames you but Conviction shapes you

The Catwalk in Church

by a.abeIllustration, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled
Matthew 6:1-2 (NASB 2020)
1 “Take care not to practice your righteousness in the sight of people, to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Every morning, we clothe ourselves before stepping outside. We may be comfortable being naked when we are alone, but before people we cover ourselves—to hide shame and preserve dignity. Clothing was never about display first; it was about covering. Yet what we do with our bodies, we now do with our character. We dress it up. We present a version of ourselves fit for public consumption. The way we speak to loved ones at home is rarely the tone we use in public. The patience we display in church is often absent in private.

And this hypocrisy does not stop at the church door, it often finds its loudest expression there. In the very place meant to be centred on God, many of us perform for one another. The church becomes a stage, not an altar. It is not uncommon to see believers speaking loudly in tongues, weeping openly, displaying so-called manifestations of the Spirit, and offering long, dramatic, emotionally charged prayers. But the question must be asked, and it must be asked honestly: Is this the cry of the Spirit, or the costume of religion? Is this worship, or is it performance?

God is not impressed by volume, length, or theatrics. Heaven does not applaud what is done to be seen by men. What moves people does not move God. Fashion, as we know it, came much later in human history. In the beginning, clothing existed for one reason: to cover shame. Even today, at its best, clothing serves modesty and necessity. But in church, many have reversed this purpose. What should have covered the flesh has become a catwalk for the ego.

We walk into church and turn it into a catwalk, displaying our spirituality, advertising our maturity, and seeking honour from fellow believers. We measure anointing by attention and depth by visibility. We crave to be noticed, recognised, and affirmed. And the most dangerous part? We deceive ourselves. We cloak self-promotion in spiritual language. We tell ourselves we are “edifying the church” or “encouraging others,” when in truth we are projecting ourselves. What we call ministry is often performance. What we call zeal is often pride. What we call the Spirit may simply be the flesh dressed in religious clothing. God is not looking for better performances. He is looking for truth in the inner man.   

Prayer

Lord, search my heart and expose every place where I seek the approval of people instead of Your pleasure. Deliver me from performing righteousness and teach me to live it in secret before You. Strip away every costume of religion and clothe me with humility, truth, and sincerity. May my worship be real, my obedience quiet, and my life hidden with Christ in God. I choose the altar over the stage, the cross over the catwalk. Amen.

Quote: The catwalk displays the flesh; the cross puts it to death.

Detestable Defensiveness

by a.abeExtracts of truth, ScripturalPosted on Comments are Disabled
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. Luke 16:14-15 (NASB 2020)

Reflection

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree God had clearly forbidden, they immediately realized they were naked and became ashamed. Their first response was not repentance, coming before God honestly in their nakedness, but self-justification, an attempt to cover their shame. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Neither simply said, “I was wrong.” This instinct to explain ourselves, defend our actions, and shift responsibility is deeply rooted in human nature. Scripture shows us that this impulse did not come from God; it entered through sin.

Adam and Eve used fig leaves to “solve” their problem. This is the spirit of the fig leaf. Instead of coming honestly before God, we try to cover ourselves. Instead of humility, we reach for excuses. Instead of confession, we offer explanations. And Jesus makes it unmistakably clear how God views this, He finds it detestable.

In Luke 16:15, Jesus confronts the Pharisees, men who appeared righteous, convincing, and respected. He exposes their hearts by saying, “You are those who justify yourselves.” What is admired and applauded among people, He says, is detestable in the sight of God. Self-justification may look reasonable, intelligent, and even spiritual in human eyes, but God sees it as repulsive.

We often assume the main issue is the mistake itself. But Scripture reveals something deeper: God is far more offended by our defensiveness than by our failure. True humility is not found in proving we were right; it is found in admitting we were wrong. God is not impressed by explanations; He is drawn to repentance.

This is a work of the Devil that we must identify, acknowledge, and destroy. Humility is key to negotiate this. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil: the instinct to defend ourselves instead of surrendering. The moment we stop justifying ourselves before people and begin humbling ourselves before God, freedom begins. God already knows our hearts. Nothing is gained by hiding, but everything is restored through honest repentance.

Prayer

Lord, deliver me from the need to justify myself. Remove every trace of defensiveness from my heart. Teach me to respond to correction with humility, not excuses. Give me the grace to say, “I was wrong,” and to trust Your mercy more than my own explanations. Help me to live uncovered before You, rather than covering myself before people. Amen.

Quote: Defending yourself may save face; repentance saves your soul