|
Musings on Faith #65 What Are Your Convictions? | |
|
Dr. Charles Stanley’s sermon this past Sunday was taken from Daniel, Chapters 1 and 2, and it dealt with two interrelated topics. The first was the tremendous parallel between the political world faced by Daniel and his compatriots and the political world in which we find ourselves today, in both of which people are being led to worship governments and heads of governments rather than God. I encourage you to read and re-read Daniel to discover for yourselves this amazing parallel, the chief significance being that in both cases the people of God are under attack. The second point of Dr. Stanley’s message, however, is the critical one, and that is ‘What are our convictions’, especially in the face of increasing attacks upon and oppression of Christians in America. Taking the issue beyond ‘beliefs’ to ‘convictions’ is a real test of our faith. We easily say "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" and so on. But what are our convictions? Webster’s Online Dictionary defines ‘belief’ as ‘a state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing’, but ‘belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer’. Conviction, on the other hand, is defined as ‘a strong persuasion or belief; the state of being convinced’, or, ‘free from doubt’, or, ‘ ‘a belief strongly held’. A very apt synonym of ‘conviction’ is ‘certitude’, which is ‘a faith in something not needing or not capable of |
(Continued) proof’. Is not this last the very picture of our Christian faith? Is not the ‘truth’ of God, greater, and more certain, than the ‘truths’ of the world? So the question is ‘What are our convictions as Christians?’ And the underlying message is that if we do not have a conviction about our faith, and convictions about the tenets of that faith, how shall we stand against the forces of the world that are mounting against us? And if we do not have that strong and certain belief that amounts to conviction, how can we stand strong against the world, and ingrain in our children and grandchildren the certain faith and certain hope that is ours in Jesus Christ? Friends, these are profound and important thoughts, coming from one of the great Bible scholars and Christian leaders of our age. And as we face increasing condemnation and persecution from the world, and even from our own government and leaders, we need to look deep within ourselves and examine the depth of our convictions, both in relation to our Lord and in relation to our form of government and our freedoms. Without convictions, strongly held, many Christians will fall by the wayside, and their children will be lost. Stand strong, and hold fast to Jehovah God! Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard |
|
Go to Index Musings on Faith  | |