Author Darlene J. Conard

I have a friend who once shared something that stayed with me. Her mother had drifted far from God—slowly, quietly, the way a boat slips from its anchor. People around her, even pastors, tried to reassure her:

“You’re saved. You’re fine.” But her response was raw and honest: “If I’m saved… then why do I feel so lost?” Those words carried the weight of a soul that wasn’t looking for clichés—she was looking for truth. And instead of sitting with her in that truth, some brushed it off:

“That’s just the devil making you feel that way.” But not every discomfort is demonic. Not every stirring is an attack. Sometimes the ache is holy. Because when something in our lives is out of alignment with God, the Holy Spirit doesn’t stay silent. Jesus said: “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.”   John 16:13

Guiding us into truth means He will also guide us out of what is false. The enemy accuses to shame us. But the Holy Spirit convicts to restore us.

There is a difference:

• Accusation pushes you away from God.

• Conviction draws you back to Him.

Scripture says:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

When a believer feels lost, it is often the Shepherd calling them home—not with anger, but with longing. The Holy Spirit doesn’t condemn us; He awakens us. He whispers, “This isn’t who you are. Come back into the light.”

Paul wrote:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.”

2 Corinthians 13:5

That examination isn’t meant to terrify us—it’s meant to realign us.

So yes, the devil lies.

But the Holy Ghost leads.

And when something in our lives doesn’t belong—whether it’s sin, compromise, distance, or spiritual numbness—the Spirit of God will make it known. Not to shame us, but to save us. Not to expose us, but to heal us. Not to push us away, but to pull us closer.

Because the God who convicts is the same God who restores.

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1–2 (KJV) 

Some translations use the word “continue”, others “abide”, but the meaning is the same:Paul is asking, “Now that grace has covered us, should we stay in sin?” And his answer is emphatic: Absolutely not.

Why  Paul Asked This Question

Paul had just finished teaching in Romans 5 that grace abounds where sin once abounded. Some people twisted that message into a dangerous idea:

• “If grace increases when we sin… shouldn’t we sin more so grace increases more?

Romans 6 is Paul shutting that down.

He explains that:

• We have died to sin through Christ.

• We have been raised to walk in newness of life.

• Sin is no longer our master.

This is why he asks the rhetorical question—because grace is not a license to sin; it is the power to live free from it. Related Scriptures That Reinforce This Truth

• 1 John 3:6 — “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not…”

(Meaning: we cannot live in sin while living in Him.)

• Titus 2:11–12 — Grace teaches us to deny ungodliness, not indulge it.

• Galatians 5:1 — We are called to stand fast in freedom, not return to bondage.

• Ephesians 4:22–24 — Put off the old man; put on the new.

These passages echo the same message: Grace doesn’t excuse sin—grace transforms us.

A Deeper Reflection

Paul’s question in Romans 6 is not about perfection; it’s about direction.

He is saying:

• You may stumble, but you don’t abide in sin.

• You may fall, but you don’t live there.

• You may struggle, but you don’t belong to that old life anymore.

Grace doesn’t just forgive you—it recreates you.

Feel free to forward it to anyone you wish. My mission is to encourage everyone to follow our Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. ©Darlene J. Conard Vision Ministries 2026. This may not be republished or used without the author’s written consent. The photograph is AI-generated. Darlene J. Conard is also affiliated with Glory Carrier Ministries. If you have a prayer request, please email it to darlene.conard@hotmail.com, and my intercessors and I will pray.

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