Accusers bring condemnation. Advocates bring liberation.
Don’t be an accuser; be an advocate. Imitate Christ Jesus.
Silence the voice of the accuser. Listen to the voice of your advocate, Jesus, the lover of your soul.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
The more you seek your own way, the more you become a slave to sin and to yourself.
The more you seek after God, the more you become a servant of His ways. (see John 8:34)
THE HOLY SPIRIT will bring CONVICTION, NOT CONDEMNATION to us.
For whoever the Lord loves He will correct, just as a good father corrects a son (Proverbs 3:12).
The difference between condemnation and conviction and/or loving correction is this:
Voice of Condemnation says:
- There’s no hope for you.
- There’s no way out for you.
- You’ll never change.
- You’re a hypocrite.
- You should be ashamed.
Voice of Conviction says:
- That behavior is not a reflection of who you really are.
- Confess your sins to me and accept my forgiveness.
- I forgive you and I will help you.
- Come to me every time you are facing temptation. I am Your way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Turn away from that and walk with Me; I desire to heal all your wounded places and meet all your deepest needs.
- Do not run away from me. Run to me and find mercy, help, healing and forgiveness.
Voice of the Accuser says:
- You are no good.
- You can’t do anything right.
- You have no value.
- You’re useless.
- You’re worthless.
Voice of The Advocate says:
- I love you with an everlasting love.
- You are my child, special, set apart; my unique work of art.
- I have chosen you to be a part of my royal bloodline.
- I am calling you to radiate my glory and do my good works in the earth.
- I have called you by name.
- I will never leave you. I am always willing to forgive you and give you a new start.
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. 1 John 2:1-2
Even now my witness is in heaven. My advocate is there on high. Job 16:19
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. John 14:26
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom (dominion, reign) of our God, and the authority of His Christ have come; for the accuser of our believing brothers and sisters has been thrown down at last, he who accuses them and keeps bringing charges of sinful behavior against them before our God day and night. And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death. Revelation 12:10-11 (Amplified Bible)
Read more promises relating to who you are in Christ as a believer by clicking on the link on the Home page of this blog entitled, “THE GREAT I AM says I am.”
Want to go a little deeper? Read on and pray the prayer at the end of this post.
STOP GIVING THE ENEMY A PLACE IN YOUR LIFE THROUGH WILLFUL SIN OR DISOBEDIENCE. God has done His part, now we have to do our part.
The more you seek your own way, the more you become a slave to sin and to yourself.
The more you seek after God’s, the more you become a servant of His ways. (see John 8:34)
What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. (Ephesians 4:25-27 The Message)
However, don’t get caught up in performance or legalism. When you sin, confess, repent, and ask God for His forgiveness. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 – written to believers). If we say we never sin, we are lying. All of us sin and fall short of God’s glory. This is why we need Jesus. We all need The Savior. We all need His amazing grace. Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We deserve punishment and death because none of us are good enough to measure up to the holiness of God. But Jesus took our punishment for our sins on the cross and paid the price once and for all, and He is our advocate, our mediator, who has covered our sin with His blood and made us worthy to stand before our Holy Father God, the righteous Judge of all. His grace doesn’t excuse us or give us the liberty and freedom to just keep living rebelliously in sin. Instead, His love, grace, and forgiveness empowers us. By His Word our minds are transformed, and by His Spirit alive within us, our heart’s desires begin to align with His desires for us. Ultimately, our behavior is changed as a result of our beliefs, and our character begins to reflect the image of Christ. We are all in process of this new life change that comes from the inside out.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, and receive His mercy and forgiveness, it is finished. He cast our sins as far as the east is from the west and remembers them no more (Psalm 103:12). We won’t lose our salvation or our eternal destiny in Heaven with the Father because we still fall short of living a perfect, sin free life – JESUS IS THE ONLY PERFECT ONE. However, this does not give us a free pass to just do whatever we want or think is best, whether it lines up with God’s Word or not. To experience abundant life, we have to choose God’s way over man’s way or the moral code of our culture or lack thereof. The consequences of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Yes, God’s grace covers us, but there are still consequences to our choices and to sin. Even though they may not result in immediate physical death, they all bring about the death of something — such as peace, relationships, financial freedom, or just the joy of living in the blessings of God and His best for us. God does His part and we are still called to do our part – which is to trust and obey – remember? There is no other to way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey – an oldie and a goldie of a truthful hymn.
The ultimate price of death has been covered once and for all through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. Still, the daily choices we make affect our lives and the lives of others around us. Experiencing God’s love and grace should stir up a desire to love Him back. Our love for the Lord should provoke the desire to not only trust God, but also obey and follow the teachings of Christ. Out of our love of God, not obligation, spiritual growth and maturity will follow. When we fall, make mistakes or willfully sin, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God will bring those things to light for us to repent of and receive forgiveness. This is why being in the Word of God, praying, listening to the Holy Spirit and submitting to a place of accountability within the church is vitally important. As we do these things and walk in the light as He is in the light, God empowers us to live as overcomers for His glory. This brings true freedom, life, joy and peace that goes beyond anything this world has to offer.
STOP AGREEING WITH THE ACCUSER! The accuser, the devil, speaks lies and is called the father of lies; he was a murderer from the beginning and he has always hated the truth (John 8:44). Jesus referred to him as a thief and he comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy, but Jesus came to give us life and life abundantly (John 10:10). Death and life are in the power of our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). When we speak words of death and cursing, we are agreeing with the accuser. We need to repent any and every time we do this, and ask the Lord to fill our minds, our hearts, and our words with His words of truth and life. We need to speak out words of edification, exhortation, and blessing over ourselves and others. When we do, we are truly being imitators of Christ. Yes, Jesus referred to the Pharisees as hypocrites and a brood of vipers. Those were not words of blessing or life. However, they were words of truth from The Truth, Jesus, who is One with the Father. By being God in the flesh, Jesus not only is a discerner of hearts, but He is the Only One who has the rightful position to judge our hearts. We do not. We are not to stand in the place of judging or cursing others. Of course, this does not mean that we cannot ever correct, speak against, or judge evil behavior, but that is a separate teaching. We are always called to speak the truth in love, and never in a manner that brings disrespect for another person’s self worth. Those of us who claim to follow Christ should never speak against another person’s worth or value as a person.
A PRAYER:
Thank You Lord Jesus for being my advocate, my shield, my defender, and The One who has made a way for me to be in fellowship with God the Father. Thank You, Lord, for making a way for me to come boldly to God’s gracious throne in order to receive mercy and help in every area of my life. Help me to discern the voice of the accuser and to take captive every thought that enters my mind and cast aside every one that is not in agreement with Your character and Your Word of Truth. Help me to discern Your voice and to walk in Your divine wisdom that is pure, peaceable and gentle. I repent for agreeing with, receiving, or speaking lies and deception over myself and over anyone else. Thank You for forgiving me, and cleansing my mind, my heart, and my spirit completely right now in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen. I thank You that I am not condemned, but I am the righteousness of God in Christ by the shed blood of Jesus. I thank You for your gentle and loving correction and conviction in my life. Thank You for empowering me by Your Spirit to be a living example of Your love, mercy, grace, and truth to others. Thank You for completing all that You have begun in my heart and life for Your glory. Amen.
Additional scripture references: 1 John 1:9-10, 2:2, 4:9-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 5 & 6; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:17-32; Matthew 23; 2 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 4:16; James 1:13-15; James 3:8-10,17
Ponder It 
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