I want to do what is good, but I don’t.
I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
Romans 7:19 {NLT}

Don’t live under the control of your sinful nature.
If you do, you will think about what your sinful nature wants.
Live under the control of the Holy Spirit.
If you do, you will think about what the Spirit wants.

The way a sinful person thinks leads to death.
But the mind controlled by the Spirit brings life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6 {NIRV}

The last couple of days, we’ve been talking about the “one thing” we do that we don’t want to do. A sin we may be a slave to.

I’m curious … when you do that one thing, are you left feeling guilty? Full of condemning thoughts? If so, I want to reassure you those thoughts are not from God.

God did not come to condemn the world!

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 {NLT}

If anyone hears my words and doesn’t follow them, I don’t condemn them.
I didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world.
John 12:47 {GW}

Condemnation comes from satan and is meant to shame and humiliate us. Condemnation let’s us know we’ve failed, and tells us we’re failures.

Those are the lies satan wants us to believe.

Follow me for a minute:

1. so there’s this one thing we don’t want to do, but we do it anyway …
2. there’s a battle being fought in our hearts and minds over this one thing …
3. good vs. evil …
4. the Holy Spirit who God sent to guide us vs. an enemy who’s come to kill, steal, and destroy …
5. in our human flesh, we fail and fall into the enemy’s trap …
6. and then we subject ourselves to condemnation from the enemy whose trap we fell into …

And guess where that leaves us? Right where satan wants us. He set up the trap, made it look good, we fell, he humiliates us, and calls us a failure because of it.

The gravity of that cycle is powerful, isn’t it?

If you have fallen into the hopeless feeling that cycle can bring … I’m here to tell you, God is the God of all hope and nothing is hopeless with Him.

God still loves us. With an everlasting love. No matter what. He’s there with His arms wide open to take us in and love us. God doesn’t judge or condemn us, and He’ll never call us a failure. Jesus said, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” {John 12:47}

Conviction is godly sorrow

Romans 2:4 tells us, godly sorrow leads to repentance.

Condemnation tells us we’ve failed. Conviction tells us we’re forgiven. <– click to tweet

Conviction is a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. A God-sent Counselor {John 14:16,17,26}. God has given us our very own personal coach and guide in this life.

Conviction is a nudge guiding us to truth and forgiveness, not shame and humiliation.

Conviction leads us to the love of Christ.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?
Does this mean nothing to you?
Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2:4 {NLT}

I hope you’ll join me tomorrow as I share some final thoughts on overcoming that “one thing.”

This is part three in a four part series:
Part one
Part two
Part four

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