“For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” Romans 14:2-3
Personal convictions are very important in the life of a Christian. To believe in God’s righteousness is to care about our lives in His sight. But it must be remembered that personal convictions are just that, they are personal. Whenever we try to make our personal convictions the public norm, we run into problems. We must remember that our personal convictions are to be between us and our Master. We must do all we can to make sure they are approved of by Him, for the judgment’s sake and our testimony of faith. For if God approves them not, they are just weights that easily beset us.
For the most part, personal convictions are made up largely from our own person: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know even as also I am known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 It must be remembered, that at best, our person is still incomplete and is still yet to discover more things than we now know.
Personal convictions do not necessarily imply Christianity proper. People of heathen religions have personal convictions. The Pharisees had personal convictions, and because of these, they were given to finding fault against Christ and His disciples. Job’s friends had personal convictions, and due to their convictions, they deemed Job to be “unholy” and under Divine judgments for ungodliness. Peter had very high convictions about loyalty to Christ, unto death. And it was his personal convictions that got in his way of doubting himself enough to fully surrender himself to the admonitions of Christ, and thus Satan took advantage of him. When we become driven by our own personal opinions, we are wide open prey for Satan to sift us as wheat.
Due to personal convictions, some view a ministry to be too strict, while others view the same ministry to be too lenient. There is no way to form a bond of unity out of a mix of people’s personal convictions.
Real unity, and things done in a way that is expedient for the Lord’s work, comes to pass from the fruit of the Holy Spirit working within. People who live right and make decisions that honor God and build up His work, do so, not because of self-assertiveness, but by forsaking their own thoughts and ways, unto becoming directed by the Holy Spirit in what they are doing. Due to parties with strong personal convictions, the church can be sharply divided. But due to submission to the Holy Spirit, unity, growth, and fellowship abounds. BE CAREFUL! By personal convictions, we can be a more conscientious Christian, or become a law to ourselves, hardened in our own conceits!
SHARING
