Confidence before God is necessary for spiritual growth and intimacy. Without confidence, it is not likely that we will communicate freely, and without communication intimacy cannot develop. That is why a condemning conscience robs the Christian of consistent confidence. Lack of confidence then leads to doubt, which can lead to further alienation from others and from God, and to self-condemnation. Self-condemnation is a form of god-playing. Romans 8:34 states that no one can condemn or separate the Christian from the love of God in Christ. Not even we ourselves! If we cast verdicts of condemnation upon ourselves, we do something that even God Himself does not do. In a twisted kind of way, our self-condemnation puts us in a position of adjudication that belongs to God alone. There is a difference between genuine remorse and guilt over our sin, and the feeling or belief that we are condemned on account of our sin. Such confidence, first and foremost, comes from His work for us and in us, not from our work for Him. Performance, although a helpful barometer, is secondary to the objective promises of God’s work in our lives. Too much focus on our failures gets us off track. We lose the biblical perspective that God is at work for us and within us (Phil. 1:6, 1:28, 2:13). Our primary focus should always be on the adequacy of Christ and His finished work.
(exerpt from The Journal of Biblical Counseling; authors Gary L. Nebeker and Norman L. Thiesen)
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