The basic difference between Guilt and Conviction is; Guilt separates and Conviction restores. For the child of God, those who have been reborn of the Spirit of God, they should never feel guilt or shame. “For all have sinned, all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins”(Romans 3:23-24 NLT).
We are new creations, the old has gone, and the new has come(2 Corinthians 5:17). Guilt is a lie whispered to unsuspecting, immature Christian from the evil one. It is used in an attempt to seperate you from Jesus and prevent you from living in freedom. Those who fall prey to this lie are still seeking to “earn salvation” (Ephesians 2:8-9) and have unfulfilling Christian lives.
Conviction on the other hand, is a very good thing, it identifies you as a child of God. Is the Holy Spirit speaking to your spirit and correcting you, identifying areas that you have not obeyed the Lord or harboring sin. The gentle stirring of the Holy Spirit guides us to confess our sin and receive forgiveness.“If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of every wrong” (1 John 1:8-9 NLT). It's his way of saying, "let's get rid of this, I want nothing between us." There are other times when the Holy Spirit is guiding you in the way you need to go, to grow your faith.
Those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, suffer from Guilt. They are those who are still under God’s judgment. The heavy burden hangs around their necks and it is something that they can never escape. When the gospel is spoken, the Holy Spirit moves on that person and encourages them to accept Jesus. That is why many people feel so uncomfortable in church or around Christians, because the Holy Spirit is telling them they need Jesus and they struggle to get away from that conviction.
How about you, do you feel that heaviness of separation? Only God can remove that burden. Do you feel uncomfortable when you hear things about Jesus? It should be good news, because you have been chosen by God to be set free. Come to the saving blood and grace of Jesus. Apostle Paul wrote, “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead” (Ephesians 2: 4-5 NLT)
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