Condemnation or Conviction?

“When you belong to the King, how can you discern the difference between the Devil’s condemnation and the Spirit’s conviction? How can you determine if you are in the bogus courtroom or the real one?
In the real courtroom:

• you know your good deeds are not enough
• your hope is in Christ alone for your deliverance
• when convicted of sins, you are pointed past your sins and on to Christ
• the last word is always hope.

In the Devil’s counterfeit:

• the attention is all on your sins
• you stand and fall on your own behavior
• you are alone without an advocate
• questions are raised about the extent of God’s forgiveness.

Christ alone, Christ alone– that is your defense.”
–Edward T. Welch, in: