No More Self-HateShembull

After you have repented and God has forgiven you of your sin, you may still encounter a sense of self-hate because the enemy wants to remind you of your sin over and over again.

Satan’s goal is to condemn you: with condemnation comes self-hatred, and with self-hatred comes self-destructive behavior.

Romans 8:1 is essential, “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.”

Let me help clarify the critical difference between conviction and condemnation.

Conviction is the process by which we become broken over our sins. Conviction draws us closer to God for healing from that sin. Thus, conviction is healthy and critical to our spiritual maturity.

Condemnation, on the other hand, is rooted in shame. Rather than drawing us to God, condemnation draws us away from Him. It isolates us and convinces us we have no hope.

Peter and Judas exemplify the contrast between conviction and condemnation. Both men sinned in betraying Jesus. While Peter experienced conviction, Judas experienced condemnation.

After he betrayed Jesus in Luke 22, Peter was convicted and wept bitterly. In John 21, Jesus restores Peter to ministry on that beach. Later, upon being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter becomes one of the critical players in the book of Acts. Thus, conviction results in Peter’s powerful restoration and incredible usefulness in ministry.

In contrast, Judas, who also betrayed Jesus, experienced condemnation instead of conviction. After realizing that the authorities may condemn Jesus to death, Judas did not ask God for forgiveness. Instead, in Matthew 27, he ran away from God and experienced the ultimate form of self-destructive behavior, suicide.

Please hear me, believer, CONDEMNATION IS NOT FROM GOD.

Consider the woman caught in the very act of adultery in John 8. He asked her in John 8:10, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” When the woman answered that no one had condemned her, Jesus replied that neither did He condemn her. The only One with any right on earth to condemn the woman did not! And He does the same for each of us.

Don’t miss this! Romans 8:1 says there is NO condemnation if you are 1) in Christ and 2) walking in the Spirit and are not seeking to please the flesh.

If you are committing the same sin over and over again, the enemy will try to use that sin to condemn you. Don’t give him the opportunity! Walk in the Spirit, so the enemy doesn’t have a place to cause you to hate yourself further!