S128P5 – That which lies within: spiritual conviction
Rom. 14:5-7
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.
His quest for a new church after such a big move was exciting. He was looking forward to connecting with a new church family, but he understood that his search could take some time. As he eased into his new routine, he thought it would be a good idea to ask his coworkers if they could suggest any congregations. Only two of his colleagues were Christians, and each recommended his own church to him, one meeting on Saturdays and the other on Sundays. When he stated that he would like to visit both churches, the men seemed displeased. He did not know that these brothers and their respective denominations had a long-standing dispute regarding the proper observance of the Sabbath day. It was a dispute that had kept these congregations apart in worship and service for almost a century.
Our spiritual convictions are key to our faith. Through our discernment of God’s written word and our interactions with his Spirit, we start to develop a framework that informs how we walk through this life. Some issues are not up for debate. We do not need personal conviction to know that lying and stealing are wrong. God’s word is clear on those matters. Other issues such as Sabbath observance, whether it is required today and when it is to be done, are more murky, and that is where personal conviction comes into play. The thing is, we cannot let such issues be divisive tools in the Church. While the Lord wants us to be faithful with our personal convictions, He does not want us to use them as a way of judging our brothers and sisters who feel differently regarding matters on which salvation is not dependent.
I was raised in a fundamentalist environment, and my current church is rooted in a conservative history. I know what it is like for people to judge a man’s faith by the length of his hair or a woman’s faith by whether she wears pants. For some, these are serious doctrinal issues. For others, these are silly side notes. Differing personal convictions on these kinds of topics cannot be disregarded, but we must understand that they are personal. We have them for our various reasons, but they cannot separate us and diffuse our collective spiritual power. It is okay for us not to agree on everything and concentrate on agreeing on Christ. Father, show us where our personal convictions are flawed and divisive, and keep us from using them as a tool of judgment.