Confidence vs. Condemnation

Condemnation: to feel guilty, disapproved of, unfit, judged against

Confidence: to feel as if you can live life boldly without fear of the past or the present

A major cause of lack of confidence is SHAME AND GUILT.

Signs that I struggle with guilt and shame:

___ I despise myself

___ I feel like I’m a fake

___ I see God as disgusted with me

___ I discount my positive qualities

___ I brag about my flaws

___ I feel I’m not worth of any praise

___ I destroy my own potential success

___ I hear criticism of what I do as criticism of who I am

___ I project my feelings of guilt and shame

___ I feel guilty because I feel guilty

To be free of guilt and shame, I must...

1. Accept that God's FORGIVENESS is real.

So there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus . . . Jesus--has freed me from the vicious circle of sin and death. We aren't saved from sin's grasp by knowing the commandments of God because we can't and don't keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours—except that ours are sinful—and destroyed sin's control over us by giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins.
(Romans 8:1-4)

2. Change the way I THINK.

Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God. Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God's laws and it never will.
(Romans 8:5-7)

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...
(Galatians 5:22,23)

Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.
(Philippians 4:8)

3. Experience the refreshment and the filling of GOD’S SPIRIT.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.
(Romans 8:9-11)

For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!
(2 Peter 1:3)

The result of these actions leads to FREEDOM.

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