This month, we're continuing our series of articles on various aspects of Bible work. Today's memo is drawn from some notes I taught early on in FAST that I've never put in print anywhere else. So this is "classic FAST"! And hopefully, something you'll find extremely valuable...



Over the years I've spent a lot of time trying to encourage believers to grow stronger in their Christian life. I've always seen that as a part of the Great Commission. But I learned early on that all the motivation in the world won't do much good, unless a corresponding inner conviction begins to grow in the heart of the person you are trying to disciple. So the formation of conviction became an important area of study for me.

I also quickly discovered that there are a lot counterfeits to true conviction. That is, people do all sorts of things for reasons that look very much like personal conviction, but when you scratch the surface you realize it wasn't true conviction at all. Being able to identify these counterfeits helped me glean some important insights into how the genuine forms.

Three Counterfeits

There are at least three counterfeits to true conviction and each sheds some light on the authentic. These include:

Beliefs
Sometimes a person will act in a certain way because they believe something is true. They have the correct information, have been exposed to the proper evidence, and are persuaded intellectually. They may even argue and debate their position! But that doesn't mean they have strong convictions about it. We have all known people who acknowledged something to be right, but yet chose to do the wrong thing, haven't we? Beliefs look like conviction, because there's a clear discernment of information--but the difference lies in how much that information is valued. Or as someone once put it, we all hold beliefs, but convictions hold us.

Preferences
In other situations a person may have a strong preference for something, and that can lead to choices that look a lot like conviction. I have a strong dislike for cooked spinach--and as a result you are probably never going to catch me eating it. Other people pursue hobbies and interests they enjoy. And just as with a personal conviction, these individuals are willing to sacrifice greatly for whatever it is they desire. The difference of course, is that convictions always revolve around some strong moral component. I don't feel guilt about eating spinach, I just don't like it. Violating a conviction, on the other hand, always leads to a feeling of guilt and remorse. Convictions go deeper than preferences.

Tradition
A third common explanation for the choices people make is tradition. People follow all sorts of tradition, diligently, sometimes for years. Some were ingrained from their childhood up, and that training can be extremely powerful. In fact, the consistency of these individuals in following their habits and patterns looks a lot like someone with strong convictions. But again there is a difference. When you ask the reasons for their actions, they can't give much explanation for it, other than that's how they've always done it. Traditions can have a rigid hold on our life, but that doesn't always mean they are in fact personal convictions.

All three can lead to choices that look a lot like conviction, but something is lacking in each. Their similarities with convictions, however, help us to identify some essential elements of convictions, and suggest a guide we can use to cultivate them.

Elements of Conviction

Consider again the similarities between these counterfeits and true conviction:

Beliefs and convictions are similar in that it is rooted in information. Both beliefs and convictions lead to choices based on facts and evidence perceived as true by the individual.

Preferences and convictions are similar in that there is a strong desire to achieve some outcome. This leads to determination, and even sacrifice, to obtain whatever it is they want.

Tradition and convictions are similar in that they become forged into a person's experience over time, through the creations of habits and patterns in life. Both lead to consistent life choices.

In other words, true convictions are rooted in information, generate a strong desire to act on them, and lead to a consistent experience over the course of life. I like to think of them as a three-legged stool. Neglect any leg, and your balance becomes precarious.

Conviction Formation

A little further reflection suggests a clear guide to conviction formation. To help a person cultivate strong personal convictions, you simply need to develop each of the three spokes. Here's how:

Information grows as we gain a knowledge of what the Bible says. Careful study of the Bible and what it teaches on a specific subject gives us a factual base upon which we can make intelligent decisions.

Desire comes when we understand the benefits of following biblical principles. The more we meditate on Scripture and discern how and why it works, the more we will want those benefits in our own life.

Experience comes through the wisdom of correctly applying Scripture to our daily life and then faithfully implementing those actions. Building consistent habits helps reinforce our commitment to the underlying principle.

A conviction can start with information, a desire, or through experience. But for it to fully mature, it must spread to all three areas through growth in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. There must be Bible study, meditation on relevant principles, and consistent personal application.

A Simple Example

You can see this process in just about any area of discipleship. Let's take Scripture memory for example. A person may be motivated to start because they saw or heard some verse that impressed them the practice was biblical. Or perhaps they grasp how it could help them spiritually, and so they have a desire to give it a try. Or perhaps, they were raised memorizing Scripture, and had some experience in its power in their life. All these can lead to some level of motivation.

But in none of these cases do we have strong conviction yet. There may be a clear belief it is biblical, a strong preference to memorize, or even a tradition of memorizing that's starting to bear fruit. For it to become a true conviction, this person will simply need to grow in any elements that are deficient.

That is, for the conviction to deepen they will need to combine a thorough study of the biblical case for memorization, with a clear understanding of the benefits it brings, and a commitment to doing it consistently until it is habitual--all three--for it to grow into something more firm. This is how beliefs, preferences, and traditions morph into strong personal convictions.

Essentially convictions come when we know something is God's will, we want to follow God's will, and we commit to actually doing God's will over time.

Comments

Assess the key practices in your spiritual life. Are they rooted in true conviction? Are some lacking in information? Desire? Experience? What can you do to reinforce those convictions? Share your comments in the boxes below.

Join the Discussion!

Want to read more articles, or leave a comment of your own? Please login. Not yet a member? Why not join our community...

JOIN LOGIN