The Conviction-Condemnation Conflation
Notes
Transcript
Handout
In this sermon, I desire to bring some clarity to potential confusion surrounding the sermon I gave two weeks ago. I was reminded that for many there is confusion concerning conviction and condemnation. These words are thought to mean the same thing or functionally bring the same results.
This is true in the English language, for we call someone we condemn a convict. It is natural to think it is the same for the Greek words.
The result is that the conviction of Holy Spirit is misunderstood as condemnation. My understanding of Scripture is that these two ideas are not synonymous. Looking at the Greek definitions of these words will help us undo the conflation.
The Greek word ἐλέγχω (elenchō) occurs seventeen times in the NT. It is translated as “convict” five times, “reprove” four times, “rebuke” four times, “expose” three times, and “tell” once. It is never translated as “judge”, “condemn”, or “condemnation”. The dictionary definition is: “to convict, rebuke, expose. it refers to rebuking or correcting an error, or to exposing something.” Michael Scott Robertson, “Discipline,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
Of the seventeen references, I think the passage of John 16:5-17 is crucial to our task of understanding the difference between conviction and condemnation. John 16:7-11 informs us about the Spirit’s role of conviction.
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The Holy Spirit convicts/exposes in three areas.
He exposes sin in the world.
He exposes righteousness - Jesus, the embodiment and source of righteousness through the cross and resurrection.
He exposes judgement - judgement is here and is coming. John 3:16-21 is a good passage to reflect on his exposure of judgement. John 3:18-20 brings clarity to the exposure of God’s judgement.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
The Greek word κατάκριμα (katakrima) is translated as condemnation. It is used three times in Scripture. It means “to judge someone as definitely guilty and thus subject to punishment.” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 555.)
It is from the Greek word κρίνω (krinō) meaning: “to pass judgment, to make a judgment. It describes the act of carrying out a judicial process or making a judgment. (Matthew Aernie, “Judgment, Final,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
Each use of κατάκριμα (katakrima) is in Romans. The first two references (Romans 5:16-18) refer to one’s standing before Christ. The third reference is Romans 8:1, which refers to one’s standing with Christ.
16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.
17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
These passages reflect John 3:16-21 of there being no condemnation for those who believe.
I hope this has brought clarity to the conflation of conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit does not condemn you; he exposes your sin, he exposes the answer to your sin - Jesus, our righteousness, and he exposes that we are condemned if we do not believe in Jesus .
This helps us break the condemnation/shame cycle because we are no longer deceived into believing that the Holy Spirit is condemning us. We choose to believe the truth of Romans 8:33-34.
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
Now that we believe the truth, when the Holy Spirit exposes our sin we do not need turn to condemnation and shame, nor do we excuse sin away so that grace may abound all the more. May it never be! (Romans 6:1-2). Instead we apply 1 John 1:5-10.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
We acknowledge our sin, we turn from our sin, we receive the forgiveness of our sin made possible by the grace of God, and then we live in the identity of a child of God, walking in the light .