Convinced And Convicted In Worship Series

The key to the biblical view is found in ROMANS 14:9: “To this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” Christ Jesus is Lord; thus, it is before our Master that we either stand or fall [see VERSE FOUR]. We are obligated to remember who the Master of the church is; consequently, we are to ensure that He is also Master of our own life.

Though we have been redeemed, we are yet fallen people. Because this is true, we are prone to exalt our own peculiar views on matters. Therefore, I find it necessary to state clearly that since He is Master, we are responsible to find His will in matters and then to do what He says. If He calls us to identify openly in baptism as those who believe, we cannot change the order and say that we are baptised in order to believe or that we will be baptised with a view to believing at some future time. If He calls us to obey our leaders, we cannot say that we will honour them if we feel like doing so. We must know His will and we must do what He commands.

My view on privately held opinions is unimportant. Likewise, what you think of “doubtful issues” really is not important. Some guidelines will assist us in finding the will of the Master in such issues, however. The first of those three guidelines is found in VERSE FIVE: Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. As a Christian you are a responsible, thinking person; you must make up your own mind. You are not condemned because you fall on one side or on the other of a “doubtful issue,” but you must work through all such matters on your own and be convinced of what is right.

Should you lift your hands when you sing? It is not important one way or the other; however, you must act in faith and with freedom. Should you eat out on a Sunday following church services? Ultimately, your decision does not affect your relationship to Christ; but you are responsible to think through the implications of your actions and make a reasoned decision. When you take a given action or adopt a particular course, you must be convinced and convicted in the basis for your actions.

The second guideline teaches that Either decision still permits serving the Lord. Paul writes, “The one who observes the day, observes it in honour of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honour of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honour of the Lord and gives thanks to God” [VERSE SIX]. On either side of “doubtful issues,” Christian act as they do (or at least they should act as they do) because they sincerely wish to honour the Lord.

We are taught that “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” [ROMANS 14:17]. My faith does not consist of what I eat or drink, nor does it consist of where I worship or even whether I worship on a “holy day.” My faith is in Christ and I bear responsibility to honour Him in all things and to meet with Him in Spirit and in truth.