Conviction vs Condemnation
No one likes to fail, but unfortunately, failure is often our greatest teacher because its in our failure where we find wisdom, if we choose to look for it. However, our desire to look, to learn, to find wisdom will be driven by how we emotionally respond to our failure, with conviction or with condemnation.
Condemnation is an expression of strong disapproval, deserving of blame, or an unacceptable action. Conviction from a legal sense is simply a legal verdict of guilt.
You may be thinking that’s a thin line of difference and I would agree from a worldly perspective. However, from a Biblical perspective there is a chasm between the two.
Condemnation is a statement against the person, more so than the failure or offense itself. Condemnation says you are bad. Whereas Conviction focuses on the failure or offense more so than the person. Conviction is a persuasion; a reproof which says what you did was bad.
Condemnation typically produces shame, disgrace, a lack of self-worth, and often leads to depression. Conviction produces awareness, opportunities to grow personally and in our relationships. From a Biblical perspective, condemnation is prohibited and conviction is encouraged.
For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. - 2 Cor. 7:8-10
It should be noted that not all suffering is from failures but some failures do result in suffering. Regardless of the reason, the Bible provides a process for turning suffering into hope and is clear that if we follow that process, there will be no shame or Condemnation.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - Romans 5:1-5
A failure will only produce condemnation if nothing is learned from the failure and if repentance and wisdom are not sought through humility and strength from the Holy Spirit. When you fail, seek forgiveness from those impacted, and forgive yourself. Then seek to gain wisdom which will help you avoid failing in that area again. Do all of this by seeking forgiveness from God knowing that through this experience we will develop endurance, which will strengthen our character, which will produce hope that will defeat shame because of the love God has poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
