Developing Convictions

“I know and I am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean.” – Romans 14:14

Convictions on how we should act differ from convictions regarding what we believe. In both areas, the Bible forbids personal convictions at variance with its teachings. For example, the Bible says that Jesus was born of a virgin. To have a conviction contrary to this, Scripture calls unbelief; so also if we have a conviction that it is permissible to steal when we know the Bible says that it is not. Such unbelief God calls sin, and He will judge us accordingly.

Assuming that our convictions are not at variance with Scripture, they must, by their very nature, be personal. Our convictions regarding a certain matter may be in agreement with others, but we should not establish our convictions based on what others believe; they must come from our own study of the Word and our walk with God. They are our convictions, and only accidentally the convictions of others. Nor can we make our convictions normative for others. Each person is obligated to form their own convictions.

Remember two things in developing convictions: First, they must be established before the time of testing. It is not a good idea to wait until we negotiate a contract to develop our convictions regarding what fairness looks like. Second, shaping convictions is essential for holiness. If the commandments of God are like the edge of a cliff, our convictions determine how close to the edge we should get without fear of falling off. Without convictions, we are practically guaranteed of falling.