Is Your ‘Personal Conviction’ Personal?

This week, personal conviction featured a lot in our family discourse. You should read my post on how to develop compelling conviction. It will answer the ‘what next’ question after reading this post.

Christian conviction is a deep persuasion and firm belief, typically informed by our core values, leading us to make purposeful decisions about how we follow and serve Christ.

It is conviction that inspires consecration, not the other way round. And that’s why every believer must make this a personal matter for their spiritual growth.

Over the years, I’ve seen believers ‘give up’ what they once considered personal consecration made to serve the Lord. It worried me for a long time.

But there’s a different dimension to the discourse. For some, what they thought was personal conviction was probably anything but personal.

To embrace and comply with denominational affirmations is not a measure of personal conviction or spiritual maturity.

Personal conviction is NOT by committee

Let me be clear from the outset. It’s not a sin issue when churches adopt bible-centric positions on matters of corporate worship and conduct.

I have been privileged to actively serve the Lord under various ministries over the years, all sharing the same core beliefs and articles of faith but significantly different in their expression of worship.

However, we must be wary of adopting congregational positions and call them our personal conviction or consecration UNTIL we are personally persuaded.

Not every congregational persuasions are salvation issues or should ever be used as a measure of spirituality.

Congregational affirmation is NOT personal conviction. Call it anything else but not 'personal' by default… until you are personally convicted and persuaded by the Word and the Holy Spirit // Is Your 'Personal Conviction' Personal? Click To Tweet

Only then will it transcend your immediate environment and have the necessary staying power in your life.

Romans 14:1-12 — “each should be fully convinced in his own mind” because “each of us will give an account of himself to God”. 

How pastors and elders can help their people

Pastors and church elders play a significant role in shaping the theology of their people.

Biblical teaching is so crucial but even that requires an unbiased approach to scripture and a desire to stay faithful to the spirit of the text.

There are fundamentals on which our conviction must be single and unwavering for every follower of Jesus.

We must be fully persuaded about the Trinity of the Godhead, our creation origin (not evolution), man’s sinful depravity, justification by faith, etc…

However, there must be room for personal growth in knowledge, faith and conviction on non-essential matters in our walk with God.

Only then can real consecration come about by the compelling power of the Word and Holy Spirit.

On these, the church should focus on sound biblical teaching and the nurturing of believers to spiritual maturity, without dictating or seeking to impose unnecessary and man-made criteria for biblical service.

If we impose our personal convictions on others, first it becomes a burden and then legalism follows. Soon, some will measure their stand with God on the basis of their compliance to congregational positions — Galatians 3:2, 5:1-9.

The ground of our salvation is not our performance but by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and for the glory of God alone // Is Your 'Personal Conviction' Personal? Click To Tweet

A call to radical Christ-centred focus

You simply cannot live the Christian life without strong personal convictions. Without a radical persuasion of and focus on the Person of Christ and His gospel, you will be swept away — Hebrews 2:1.

Therefore, we cannot outsource, to our pastors and spiritual mentors, our personal responsibility and duty to knowing God.

Remember, knowing God is a matter of personal dealing.

The call to consecration is no different — it’s also a matter of personal dealing with a view to a deeper and more radical Christ-exalting, Christ-centred life.

When God is the One at work in your heart, personal conviction and consecration become a natural response of our obedience to a God who has been far more gracious to us than we deserve // Is Your 'Personal Conviction' Personal? Click To Tweet

But if man is pushing the agenda, the struggles and emotional exasperation will remain and your performance will never be enough.

Photo by Stefan Spassov on Unsplash.