Introduction
Many people wrestle with guilt and shame over past actions they regret. They’ve believed in Jesus, but at times, they’ve strayed from His path, succumbing to the desires of the flesh. This internal conflict can lead to questions like, “Will I make it?” or “Am I good enough?” Often, unknowingly, they make their Christian walk about performance.
However, the beauty of the Christian life lies in living out the reality of Christ within you. It’s not about striving or measuring up—it’s about letting your spiritual reality flow into the physical through the renewal of your mind. Christianity is meant to be enjoyed, a joy-filled journey of being your authentic self in Christ.
There are moments in life when you feel completely at ease—places where you don’t have to wear a mask or pretend to be someone you’re not. Imagine feeling that same comfort, but rooted in your identity in Christ Jesus! The most liberating truth to hold onto is this: you were saved by grace, not by works. Your salvation had nothing to do with your performance—only your belief. You are sustained by Christ.
You are sustained by Him
After salvation, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking your performance determines your standing with God. Yet Scripture reminds us that it’s not about what we do—it’s about what He has already done.
God sustains us. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, “so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The Bible clearly says that Jesus is the one who sustains you till the end and not us, or what we do. And he will sustain us guiltless and without blame in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. This means we can live with absolute confidence, free from guilt or blame, because our fellowship with God never wanes.
It then goes on to say that we have been called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. By whom were we called? By Jesus! We are in fellowship. Our fellowship with God never wanes or goes away. Sure, you might feel that the fellowship is going through a downward spiral, because of your emotions. You might feel that you do not have a connection with God- but the spiritual reality remains unchanged: you are one with Christ in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).
God has taken a personal responsibility in your sustenance
We know that our actions does not necessarily add up to who I am. You might say “Sometimes I am not faithful”, but fear not, “the Lord is faithful and true”. For him to not be faithful to what He said, is denying Himself. As he said:
2 Tim 2:13: If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. Just like a parent would never give up on their child, no matter what their shortcomings are, our Father in heaven cannot deny us, because it is like He is denying Himself.
Also mentioned in Jude 1:24:
“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” . It is God who keeps us from stumbling, and sustains you to stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy!
This verse reveals God’s sustaining power. It’s not about us striving to be perfect; it’s about Him perfecting His good work in us until the day of Christ. Our role is to trust Him and remain steadfast in the hope of the gospel.
You are Holy and blameless forever
From the very beginning, God’s plan was to make us holy and blameless in His sight. Ephesians 1:3-4 reminds us that we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and set apart.
Some argue “See, see. We are supposed to be holy and blameless by doing this doing that.. or else..”
But they forget that Paul clarifies this in Col 1:22-23 where he says
“He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel.”
How? If we continue in the faith. Not by performance, but by faith!
Remaining holy and blameless is not about striving but about staying anchored in the gospel. Just as you could do nothing to earn righteousness, you can do nothing to lose it.
Holiness is not what about character
Imagine a holy person for a minute. What is it that you imagined? Most imagine someone who is very humble, so soft spoken, wears modest clothes, and so forth. Maybe you didn’t imagine like I mentioned, but I’m sure you imagined something in terms of character.
But then if holiness is about character, how is it that even objects and places were called holy? Clearly, it is not because of what those inanimate objects did. So what is it?
Holiness means literally to be “set apart”. The inanimate objects in the Old Testament and even the place where Moses was standing was holy because God set it apart for His purpose.
So clearly, it is not unto the object but upto the one who sets apart, ie, God to declare the object or anything for that matter, to be holy.
So what about us? We are holy because God set us apart for a purpose in Christ Jesus. It’s not about your character, or if you are wearing jewellery, or if you are wearing white, or if you stood in the city centre and preached. All we had to do was to have faith, and we became holy!
Remaining holy and blameless is not about striving but about staying anchored in the faith. Just as you could do nothing to earn righteousness, you can do nothing to lose it. Isn’t it glorious!
Well, I also have to add that when someone is holy and set apart, and one with the Spirit of the Lord, it shows! You cannot douse yourself in perfume and expect not to be noticed. Such is holiness. It will show. Maybe a bit, maybe in fragments, but without trying it will show. That is the beauty of grace!
So what about the Holy Spirit convicting sinners?
A common misconception is that the Holy Spirit convicts believers of their sins. But you see, that even though it sounds good, that is still not right. Let’s delve deeper into John 16:7-10
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
It clearly says here that the He will convict the world (believers are never called the world) concerning sin. He convicts them regarding sin, because they do not believe in Him. So in other words, he does not convict the believer, rather he convicts the unbeliever. To the believer, he doesn’t convict, but rather He convinces us for who we are. He says “this is not who you are. You are better than this. You are the apple of God’s eye. You are loved”. Isn’t it glorious! Hallelujah!
Also, it talks about concerning sin, in singular, and it means the sin of not believing in Him, and concerning righteousness, to the believer.
What does the Holy Spirit do, then? The Holy Spirit reminds you in Him, that you are a righteous individual, to convince you of that, to convict you of that.
Conviction for the believer is not about pointing out failures but about reinforcing their identity as righteous, holy, and blameless in Christ. As Hebrews 10:14 declares, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”
Understanding this is important
Have you wondered why God emphasizes time and again that you are the blameless and holy? Because understanding that is key to our spiritual life. if we have this mindset that we are not holy, and get into this performance mindset, you have to be sin-conscious, because they go hand in hand. But it really has the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. You see, the law did the same. The law brought sin-consciousness, and sin multiplied. The antidote to this is grace.
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.– Heb 10:1-4
And Heb 10:15-18 explains to us the beauty of this gospel.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
Did you read that? It says that God will remember their sins no more, and that there is no longer any offering for sin, why? Because Jesus Christ was offered at the cross for us.
This is the Gospel
The message of the gospel is one of freedom, joy, and assurance. You are holy, blameless, and righteous—not by your efforts but by the finished work of Christ. This is the essence of grace: it’s not about what you can do for God but about what He has already done for you. By staying anchored in faith and embracing your identity in Christ, you can live free from guilt, shame, and performance-driven striving. The Holy Spirit is your constant reminder of this truth, not convicting you of sin but convincing you of your righteousness in Christ. Rest in His grace, let go of striving, and walk confidently in the glorious freedom of being His beloved. This is the beauty of the gospel—this is the good news!
Ask yourself these questions
- How does understanding that you are sustained by Christ, and not your own efforts, change the way you approach your daily walk with God?
- Do you find yourself striving for approval through works, or are you resting in the assurance that you are holy and blameless through grace?
- In what areas of your life do you need to embrace the truth that your identity in Christ is unshakable, regardless of your emotions or circumstances?
- How does knowing that the Holy Spirit reminds you of your righteousness rather than convicting you of sin impact your relationship with God?
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