Conviction Or Condemnation?

717 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Sa 24:10,11, “ And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly." 11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,” I don't want to get into a detailed account about the difference between Holy Spirit conviction and conscience, but there is a difference and it is important to note. Bakers Evangelical dictionary says this about conscience: “ Conscience is an aspect of self-awareness that produces the pain and/or pleasure we "feel" as we reflect on the norms and values we recognize and apply. Conscience is not an outside voice. It is a inward capacity humans possess to critique themselves because the Creator provided this process as a means of moral restraint for his creation. So why do I bring this up in light of this text? Because David's heart (conscience) “condemned” him. My friend have you not read that in Christ there is no condemnation? (Rom 8:1) The Holy Spirit “convicts” us of sin but does not condemn us, rather He leads us to repentance, forgiveness, restoration, and healing. Our conscience is greatly influenced by society customs and mores and can lead us to self-condemnation or self-gratification as we just seek peace by “fitting in.” This self-gratification is becoming more and more evident in our land today, it is as Paul warned Timothy: 1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, Here's my point: You can never rely solely on your conscience. It may condemn your behavior or applaud it, in accordance with society's accepted rules of behavior, but your behavior must always, in the final analysis, be measured with Holy Spirit conviction of God's accepted rules of behavior. God didn't leave David in his self-condemnation. He sent a prophet the very next morning to let him know for certain how his actions measured up with the Word of God! Our culture has wandered far from the guidelines laid out in Scripture, and in many cases, searing our consciences. Let us return to the guidelines as found in Holy Writ.