Biblical Convictions of the Christian

How to Get and Live by Biblical Convictions

Romans 14:5

Pastor Craig Ledbetter

Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland

13 Sept, 2009 AM

www.biblebc.com

I. Introduction (Ephesians 5:8)

A. This month, we are learning about being “Separated Christians.” Different than the world that we live in

B. Christians are not just different, but different by design. We are lights in a dark world. We are a new creature in Christ. We have a new mind, a new heart, a new song, a new direction we are heading. We talk different, think different, love different, give differently – we are different

C. But Christians not only need to be different, but stay different, instead of starting out godly, and clean, and ending up filthy like the world around us again (2Pet 2:22) like a pig does, and a dog

D. Biblical separation is a part of the Bible that so many dare not teach, because it is offensive to people, even Christians. People don’t want anyone telling them NOT to do something, or to stop their drinking, or to live differently. Doctors gave up a long time ago trying to tell people to stop smoking, and to eat right. Nobody listens!

E. Let me set forth some things right now about preaching this topic.

1. It is VITAL. Living clean and godly is a vital part of the Bible and needs to be preached.

2. It is the Christian LIFE. It is not my intention to hurt or offend you in anyway but to help you understand what biblical separation is and the necessity to practice it individually and as together a New Testament church.

3. This month, we are going to look hard at several issues and practices of God's people in the area of separation, dedication, consecration. I want to challenge you to not become irritated and upset about what the Bible says, but to simply consider how you are living, and whether God means it when He calls us to live differently than the world around us.

F. This morning I want us to want to have some convictions – some backbone about how we are going to live, and what we are going to do, and what things we will never allow ourselves to do

G. We live in a day when anything goes. As long as you don’t hurt anybody, and as long as it feels good, people, even Christians just live like everyone around them.

1. Divorce numbers are basically the same between Christian and heathen

2. Drink and Drug use in Christian homes are nearly the same – prescription drugs, and social drinking

3. Most Christians live almost exactly like everyone else around them

H. This is not how Jesus intended us to live. Jesus did not purchase to Himself a worldly church, but a pure church, who live like He did!

I. We are children of LIGHT, and must walk/live as children of light (Eph 5:8)

J. Let me show you how!

II. Message

A. There is a Time for Convictions (Daniel 1:1-8)

1. When your world crumbles (1:1). The nation of Israel had been completely conquered by Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Their society, the world they knew was destroyed, and they were now slaves

2. When religion fails (1:2). The Jewish Temple lay in ruins, stripped of all its gold, and glory and beauty. Everything that was physical, and tangible about their religion was now gone.

3. When families are separated (1:3,4). The children were separated from their parents, and brothers and sisters were separated from each other. Everyone was now on their own. The Dads and Moms were no longer able to be around for the children (teenagers) to look to and lean on!

4. When it would be easier to just “go with the flow” (1:5-7). These young men were provided everything they needed, and it seemed great. All the best food, nice housing, training. They were given new names to get them to forget who they were and where they came from. It would have been SO EASY to have just given in, and gone with the flow

5. When your relationship with GOD is at stake (1:8). The things we allow ourselves to do can affect our relationship with God! The food was offered to false gods, and was part of the reprogramming of these young people, so that they did not worship Jehovah God, but instead, became BABYLONIAN

6. Hey, we are in such a time!

a. Our world as we have known it is crumbling

b. Religion HAS failed – always has

c. The strength of families is being broken up constantly and interfered with

d. It is just so much easier to go with the flow, and be like everyone else

e. But our relationships with God are at stake – will we allow ourselves to be defiled, to be soiled, to become filthy, and therefore unable to worship our holy and pure almighty God?

7. We, like Daniel and his three friends. need some convictions!

B. What are Convictions?

1. Convictions are strong beliefs that you are fully convinced of, having been persuaded by clear evidence and not just your feelings.

a. We have a conviction when we are thoroughly convinced or fully persuaded that something is true and right to do.

b. Convictions are more than personal preferences or subjective opinions; they involve strong beliefs that reveal themselves in our actions.

2. Biblical convictions are limits that you put on yourself of what you will and will not do so that you can stay close to God

a. Having convictions is being so thoroughly convinced that something is absolutely true that you take a stand for it regardless of the consequences.

b. Do YOU have any convictions?

C. Whatever happened to “Belief”? (James 2:18-20)

1. Today, "believing" is not enough. It’s not that believing isn’t important; it is. But today, believing is more of a preference based on how we feel at the moment rather than a strong conviction based on sound evidence.

2. We live in a culture that’s radically different from the one just 30 years ago. In today’s culture, many beliefs are emotionally determined and therefore, are easily subject to change.

3. It’s not enough to merely believe or just agree with biblical truths about God. Many people hear and even know the truths of the Bible, but they are not held by those beliefs.

4. They believe one thing, but live a completely different way

5. We must to develop deep inner convictions which will enable us to stand alone in our modern humanistic world (James 2:19).

D. The Value of Biblical Convictions

1. Godly convictions result in Christ-like thinking and Christ-like actions. How Christians live is always a direct result of what they believe with all their heart (Acts 8:36,37).

a. If you believe Jesus is coming back any moment, you will live like it

b. If you think it is nothing to worry about, you will live only for yourself and ignore the way Jesus lived

2. Biblical Convictions actually protect our families. It would be foolish to ignore the pressures of the world upon our families and make no serious effort to counteract them. God gave us all the walls that we are to build around our homes! When we live by God’s instruction, it protects our children, and blesses our relationships!

3. Biblical Convictions enable us to stand alone. Peer pressure affects all of us to some degree and comes in many forms. At school, at work, among friends, there is always a load of pressure to be like THEM! But, if we are going to please God with our lives, we need to be able to resist negative peer pressure so that we can live godly (Titus 2:12). A great example of this is Joseph in Potiphar’s house.

4. Biblical Convictions enable us to successfully resist temptations from the world, the flesh and the devil and to avoid experiencing the reproofs of life caused by the consequences of our disobedience. They keep you out of trouble with God.

a. Hey, do you have a conviction that speeding is wrong? If you do, then you will not get in trouble with the Garda! If you don’t think it matters, you will get point after point on your license!

b. Hey, do you have a conviction that stealing is wrong? Do you firmly believe that? Then you will not end up in jail!

5. Biblical Convictions help us stay consistent. Consistency of life does not come easy. Having clear, powerful convictions about what is right and wrong help us know where the lines are in life, and helps us stay way clear of those edges! You will always be inconsistent until you believe something is very wrong, or very right!

6. Biblical Convictions help us make decisions. It is on the basis of convictions that important decisions should be made about how to live, and what to do.

a. Job transfer? If you don’t have a conviction about having a solid Bible believing church to attend, you will move and live anywhere

b. What to read or watch? If you don’t have a strong conviction about moral purity, you will read anything filthy, and watch anything filthy

c. Who to date or marry? If you don’t have clear and strong convictions about only marrying a godly Bible believing Christian whom GOD led you to, you will struggle for the REST OF YOUR LIFE because of uncertainty about whether he or she was the right one.

E. Some Biblical Convictions You Need

1. Convictions About Church (Heb 13:1) Let brotherly love continue.

a. If its great weather on Sunday, we are in church

b. If its terrible weather, we are in church (Heb 10:25)

c. If people appreciate me, I’ll serve them

d. If people ignore me, or even abuse me, I will still serve them

e. I love Christians

f. I have a conviction about loving and serving the brethren, and about being in Church on Sundays and Wednesday evenings, and about soul-winning (Heb 11:25)

g. And, it matters what KIND of a church you are a member of

2. Let me carry this on about Worship (Dan 3:1-18; 6:3-5)

a. We already read how when King Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and took Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to Babylon, they refused to eat food that had been offered to idols, even if it meant starving.

b. Later on, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo had to choose between bowing down to an idol, or a fiery furnace. Their decision was EASILY made because they had a conviction about worship

c. Later still, the government made a law against praying, and Daniel didn’t fret, or struggle with what to do, he had a conviction about worship, and just simply opened his window and knelt and prayed as always!

d. Hey, there are constantly new bible versions coming out, and new styles of worship, and new ways to express ourselves, and new music, and new ways of entertaining people… we must have some convictions about how we are going to worship

1) Bible only, not popular opinions

2) Glorifying Jesus, not ever ourselves

3) Praying, not complaining

4) Tithing, not being stingy

3. Convictions About Integrity (Job 2:3)

a. Job Eschewed evil – hated, abhorred sin, and turned away from it

1) Like Lying (Psalm 119:128, 163) and deception

2) Everything that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19)

b. Do you live by moral limits, or by what everyone else is doing?

4. Convictions About Purity. No matter what you have fallen into, God expects us to have convictions about having clean minds, and clean lives:

a. Sexual sins (Joseph in Genesis 39:9; 1Cor 7:1)

b. Good Health

c. No Alcoholic Drink At All (1Peter 5:8)

d. Never smoking Cigarettes (1Cor 3:16,17)

e. What you wear (1Sam 16:7) how you dress, tattoos

f. What you look at with your eyes (Psalm 101:3)

5. Convictions about Home (Heb 13:4) Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

a. Priority relationship after God, is your home!

1) Your parents

2) Your wife or husband

3) Your children

b. God will judge us if we get out of balance

c. We need convictions about how important they are

d. Convictions about what we are going to allow into our home (Joshua 24:15), and what we as a home are going to do

6. Convictions About Our Attitudes (Heb 13:5,6) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

a. Attitudes are usually reflections of or feelings. We feel good, so we have a good attitude. We feel bad, we have a bad attitude

b. Do you allow that with your children? yet we allow it with ourselves

c. Our attitudes, our ways of thinking about circumstances MUST be controlled by a conviction that God is our Rock, and our strength and our source of joy?

d. Are we willing to reign in our runaway thoughts? (Eph 4:31,32; 2Cor 10:5)

7. Conviction About the Bible (Psalm 119:140)

a. Is it the word of God? Is it perfect? Is it right? Or do you constantly argue with it, and ignore it, and treat it like it is only a religious tale?

b. You better have a conviction that It is to be Pre-eminent in your life. Start your day with it. Meditate on what you learn. Obey what it says

c. You better learn WHY we believe the King James Bible is the perfect, inspired, inerrant word of God, and not just another translation!

8. Conviction About Assurance (Paul in 2Timothy 1:12)

9. Conviction About Obeying God (Abraham in Romans 4:18-21)

10. The list will go on, and only grow as you mature and learn the truths of the Bible

F. Where To get Convictions

1. You first get them from your parents and your culture

2. You then pick some up at church – at least you SHOULD

3. But to have right convictions, they have to come from three sources that never change, and never fade (Malachi 3:6)

a. The Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3)

b. The Son of God (Matthew 10:34)

c. The Holy Spirit of God (John 16:8)

4. Are you ready to start to get your convictions from this old Book, or are you going to keep relying on Oprah and Dr Phil, and the Opinion pages of the newspaper?

III. Conclusion

A. The First Conviction you need is that you must be born again

1. That you are guilty as a sinner before an all holy God and you need a Saviour

2. Not a just in case kind of relationship, but a all or nothing relationship with Jesus Christ

3. Admitting you are a sinner, and deserve God’s judgment on your sin

4. Asking for the forgiveness that only Jesus can give – at His expense

5. Believing that He wants to save you, and will save you

6. Living the new life that He will give you, obedient to Him and His word

B. We have learned that There is a Time for Convictions

1. When your world crumbles (Daniel 1:1).

2. When religion fails (1:2).

3. When families are separated (1:3,4).

4. When it would be easier to just “go with the flow” (1:5-7).

5. When your relationship with GOD is at stake (1:8).

6. Hey, we are in such a time!

C. We Have Learned What Convictions Are

1. Convictions are strong beliefs that you are fully convinced of, having been persuaded by clear evidence and not just your feelings.

2. Biblical convictions are limits that you put on yourself of what you will and will not do so that you can stay close to God

3. Do YOU have any convictions?

D. We Have Learned that Just Having a Bunch of “Beliefs” is Worthless (James 2:18-20) We must to develop deep inner convictions which will enable us to stand alone in our modern humanistic world (James 2:19) and live like Christ did.

E. We Learned The Value of Biblical Convictions

F. We Went Through Some Biblical Convictions You Need

1. Convictions About Church (Heb 13:1) Let brotherly love continue.

2. About Worship (Dan 3:1-18; 6:3-5)