Illus: Years ago, it was not unusual to hear Christians in the church saying such things as, “I do not do this, or that, because it is a Bible conviction I have.”
But today, you rarely hear professing Christians talk about Bible convictions they have. Why? Because, Bible convictions are based on the Word of God. It is sad to say, today we do not have a lot of churches that are preaching the Word of God.
Illus: Dr. J. L. Cook, pastor of Homeland Baptist Church in China Grove, North Carolina, has a sermon he calls “Burger King Religion.” He describes the sermon by saying, “American Christianity has deteriorated into “Burger King” religion. He says this, because the chain has an advertisement that states, “Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us…HAVE IT YOUR WAY!”
This is what Christians today are doing. They are trying to find churches where they can have it their way. And a lot of these liberal, compromising preachers know that is what they want, and they are letting them have it their way. They know that the last thing that many today want, is a sermon from the Word of God that tells them it has to BE GOD’S WAY, not THEIR WAY!
Because the Word of God is not being preached, we live in a society where professing Christians do not have BIBLE CONVICTIONS. Bible convictions are based on the Word of God.
The apostle Paul spoke of an age when men would not come to church seeking for the truth of God’s Word. Look at 2 Timothy 4:3-4. We read, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Paul said the time would come when this age would exist, and today it does exist. Our Christian bookstores have filled the shelves with books that say if you want to grow numerically today, then the PREACHING OF GOD’S WORD IS OUT!
• You can give a speech, but you cannot preach
• You can share some ideas, but you cannot preach.
• You can entertain, but you cannot preach.
Illus: Dr J. L. Cook, who has this fiery sermon on “Burger King Religion”, also says, “I heard one young pastor of a rapidly growing church in Texas say, ‘Just preaching the old-time gospel isn’t enough anymore’.” Dr. Cook said, “I could not help but think when he said that, ‘How would he and his new kind know if it worked or not?’. They’ve never preached the old time gospel.”
Because there is so little of the Word of God being preached today, we have a society that no longer has Bible convictions. Oh, do not misunderstand what I am saying. THEY HAVE BELIEFS, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
Some seem to think that BELIEFS and CONVICTIONS are the same, but they are not. A belief can be a preference. And the reason that BELIEF is not the same as a BIBLE CONVICTION is because a belief can be changed.
Illus: For example, a Christian girl who went to high school, had gained the reputation of being a Bible believer. That is, all her friends knew that she professed to be a Christian, and that she was very active in the local Baptist church that was located a few blocks from her home.
But later, her sister that also was a Christian, started dating a young man in high school that was a Mormon. They graduated and later got married and she converted over to Mormonism.
Later on her sister graduated and she got married. Her older sister who had converted to Mormonism began to convert her to Mormonism. After awhile she was successful in doing just that.
But it was a shock to everyone that knew this girl. How could she believe in the things she believed in so deeply all her life, and now believe just the opposite?
HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED? It can happen, and does happen all the time, because our BELIEFS CAN BE CHANGED!
The reason these two girls converted over to Mormonism is because they never had Bible convictions in what they believed. They had beliefs, but circumstances changed their beliefs.
When a person has Bible convictions, NO ONE or ANYTHING can change their convictions. When people are not rooted in the word of God, often things come along and change their beliefs.
Illus: Dr. David Gibbs, president of the CLA (Christian Law Association), tells us there are, “Five circumstances noted by the court that most often cause one to change his/her beliefs”.
One of the groups that attorney Dr. David Gibbs represents is CHURCHES THAT HAVE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS, KINDERGARTENS, AND CHURCH NURSERIES.
What has to be determined when they are brought into court, is WHY they are involved in these ministries. Is it-
• Because it is a Bible Conviction?
• Because it is a Belief? (which is no more than a preference)
For example, some so called Christian schools are in existence because they are racially motivated. This is not why a church should have a Christian school.
But when they can prove that they are acting on what they consider to be A BIBLE CONVICTION, they then have something the court will honor.
Attorney Gibbs list five things that distinguishes BELIEFS from BIBLE CONVICTIONS. If we allow certain things to influence our beliefs, they are not BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
(1) PEER PRESSURE
Sometime teens and adults allow “Peer Pressure” to determine their beliefs.
Illus: For example, suppose you are a Christian lady and you have a BIBLE CONVICTION about women wearing men’s clothing. When you go to work, most of the women wear tight blue jeans and they seem to get all the attention. Now as you wrestle with this problem day after day, you finally throw in the towel, and you also begin to wear blue jeans to work.
If this is the case, what you have done is proven that wearing slacks was not a BIBLE CONVICTION, but it was a PREFERENCE, and you allowed PEER PRESSURE to change your beliefs.
Illus: For example, a lady in her younger days wore these blue jeans that were always about three times to small for her. But you have to hand it to the people who made those blue jeans, they used the strongest thread that could be used to hold these seams together. As she walked around in those blue jeans, you could not help but to think of these pressurized containers of biscuits that some of you women use. Anyone that has ever dealt with these biscuits, knows that all it takes is one small crack in the container, and those biscuits are going to come out of that can. And the same thing seemed to be true of this woman walking around in these tight blue jeans. If one thread was ever to break, there was going to be some hollering going on for sure!
Later on this lady realized she was getting older, and one day she backed up to a mirror, and saw what everyone else could see, and she decided then and there, that she needed to change her wardrobe.
BUT GUESS WHAT? All of a sudden, now she says she has a CONVICTION about wearing blue jeans. This woman has never had a conviction about wearing blue jeans, she is like the words of that old song, “She is to old to cut the mustard”, that’s her problem. If she had BIBLE CONVICTIONS about wearing those things, she never would have put them on in the first place.
Beliefs can be changed, but BIBLE CONVICTIONS cannot be change by PEER PRESSURE.
Another thing that distinguishes BIBLE CONVICTIONS from BIBLE BELIEFS is-
(2) FAMILY PRESSURE
Often we find in the church, that a saved person has an unsaved spouse. Many times that unsaved person puts a lot of pressure on that saved person. But if they are rooted in the scriptures and HAVE BIBLE CONVICTIONS, NO SPOUSE, CHILD OR RELATIVE can change their BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
The apostle Paul lists a host of things that Satan sent across his path trying to get him to compromise his convictions. Look at Acts 20:24, we read, “BUT NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME….”
Another way we can tell whether someone HAS BIBLE CONVICTIONS or BIBLE BELIEFS is-
(3) LITIGATION PRESSURE
There are some folks who say they BELIEVE in certain things, but once they are faced with a lawsuit, they will back down immediately. When a person has a Bible CONVICTIONS, a lawsuit will not back them down.
Another way we can tell whether someone HAS BIBLE CONVICTIONS or BIBLE BELIEFS is-
(4) JAIL PRESSURE
There are some folks who state they BELIEVE in certain things, but when they are threatened with spending time in the local jail, they back down immediately.
Another way we can tell whether someone HAS BIBLE CONVICTIONS or BIBLE BELIEFS is-
(5) DEATH PRESSURE
The ultimate test if we have BIBLE CONVICTIONS or BIBLE BELIEFS, is death itself. The fact is, if we are not willing to die for what we believe in, WE DO NOT HAVE BIBLE CONVICTIONS!
Illus: Dr. David Gibbs says, “A conviction must be self-determined, not influenced by what others do or by what others ask you to do.”
God needs some strong Christians today, who have BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
In order that we might have these kinds of BIBLE CONVICTIONS, let’s turn to the Word of God to look at some Bible convictions. The Bible gives us some good examples of men who had BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
Such is the case with the godly prophet called Daniel. His life reveals two things that are essential to having Bible convictions:
I. HIS LIFE WAS A LIFE OF PURPOSE
When Nebuchadnezzar captured Israel, he did something very wise. He took the wisest young men he had captured, and used their wisdom and talents for his own gain.
Look at Daniel 1:3-4. We read, “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.”
These were the cream of the crop, and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were among those who were selected. Look at Daniel 1:6. We read, “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.”
But notice something else Nebuchadnezzar did, he changed their names. He gave them Babylonian names. Look at Daniel 1:7, we read, “Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.”
He may have changed their NAMES, but he could not change their CONVICTIONS. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
Look at verses 5 and 8. We read, “And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. (Verse 8) But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
We hear Christians today giving excuses as to why they are caving in on their beliefs. They say they were afraid what others might think of them if they did not go along with the majority. Listen, no one in their right mind wants people to dislike them. NO ONE!
But Daniel was a godly man who had godly convictions, and he could have easily rationalized:
• We are in a different country and no one will know.
• We are being forced to do something we do not believe in.
• We are on our way up in leadership in this new land, let’s not rock the boat, and go along with these fellows.
But instead, he purposed in his heart that he would obey the law of Moses instead of defiling himself with the King’s wishes.
He was not going to allow “Peer Pressure” to change his lifestyle. He purposed in his heart he would not do this. THIS IS A MAN OF BIBLE CONVICTION.
HIS LIFE WAS A LIFE OF PURPOSE. But also-
II. HIS LIFE WAS A LIFE OF PRAYER
Look at Daniel 6:10. We read, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”
The Jews were instructed, that when they were away from the temple, they were to pray in the direction of the temple. Now, because Daniel is in captivity he is not able to pray in the temple court yard. So the Bible says, he went into his house; “…And his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed…”
Anytime you find a person who has BIBLE CONVICTIONS, you can rest assured this is a person who spends time with the Lord in prayer.
There are two ways we gain BIBLE CONVICTIONS.
(1) THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.
Sometimes as we are reading the Word of God, God speaks to us through His Word, and reveals to us WHAT IS and WHAT IS NOT SIN. Now once He shows us things from His Word, BIBLE CONVICTIONS are created in our life.
We do not need to pray about these things anymore, we just need to stand on the things His Word teaches.
But there are things in our lives that are not listed specifically in the Word God as sin. These things fall under the category of 1 Cor. 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO, do all to the glory of God.”
How do we find out what these things are, that fall into the category of sin?
(2) THROUGH PRAYER
And no doubt, when Daniel prayed about being in captivity, the devil was trying to get him to compromise his God-given convictions. He prayed about them and he refused to do it. God has always worked through men and women who knew how to pray.
Illus: A Western rancher had asked the district superintendent to have a pastor assigned to his community. "How big a man do you want?" asked the superintendent. "Well, Elder, we're not overly particular, but when he's on his knees we'd like to have him reach heaven."
One of the great needs of the hour is for God to find men who know how to get on their knees and talk to God, but also to let God talk to them.
Illus: Suppose I did something you thought was wrong, but I had no idea what I did might have offended you, until one day you came to me and told me how you felt.
The same things goes for BIBLE CONVICTION, it is during those time we talk to Him and then He talks to us, that we find how He feels about certain things in our lives.
Conclusion:
I. HIS LIFE WAS A LIFE OF PURPOSE
II. HIS LIFE WAS A LIFE OF PRAYER
