Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Convicted, and not condemned.

Ack!! I've had a revelation~~~
Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

I used to have skim over this, because it always made me feel so condemned. That this was proof that God couldn't really love me, because, even though I knew I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I still had enough of these "attributes" in my daily life, that He could not possibly love me like He does those who seem to be so perfect in their walk. I felt though, that He would love me, once I stopped doing these things.

I now see this as a Promise. That He will not let these things remain in us. The unrighteous have no problem with most of these, reveling and even bragging about them. Some attributes they might judge as "immoral" in others, but see no problem with what they see in themselves. 

God is faithful to bring us Godly sorrow; convicting us in the areas that we struggle with. The enemy wants us to feel condemned. The reason we hate that we occasionally slip, or fully engage in, these areas is that the Holy Spirit is convicting us, not condemning us.

This passage covers such a wide variety of sinful natures. We may not participate in orgies, but who of God's people has never felt the hot flash of road rage? Or indignation at being slighted, overlooked or mistreated? Had impure thoughts? Or, like me, over-indulged at a party or drinks too much wine on a daily basis?

I am Thanking God, giving Him thanks, that He will not allow these things to remain, BECAUSE I am destined to inherit the kingdom of God.

Resist the devil (and his condemnation) and he will flee from you. Conviction leads us to repentance and Godly sorrow; condemnation allows complacency and self-justification.


Are you picking up what I'm laying down?

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My blog; my thoughts. And I know that my thoughts are not His thoughts, my ways are not His ways. But, occasionally, I hear from Him : )