Allen Dvorak
02/25/09
Conviction is an important part of the life of a Christian. It can, however, be detrimental to the Christian if it is not based on proper evidence. I can believe with all my might that George Bush won the presidential election in 1992 and served out a second term, but the strength of my conviction does not change the truth. Unfortunately, in the arena of religion, it is common for the strength of one’s conviction to be treated as the confirmation of truth.
Consider the early life of the apostle Paul. Saul of Tarsus (as he was known then) was absolutely sure that Jesus of Nazareth was an imposter, a blasphemer. He persecuted Christians with the conviction that he was serving God acceptably. Of this time in his life he later said, "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9). We get a glimpse of the ferocity of his conviction as manifested in his zeal in persecution (Galatians 1:13-14). Despite the fact that he acted in all good conscience (Acts 23:1), meaning that he did what he thought was right, the truth was that he was absolutely wrong and he realized this when the risen Jesus appeared to him while he traveled on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Saul’s mind was changed when he was willing to let go of his "conviction" and examine the evidence.
The life of the patriarch Jacob presents us with the same truth. When Jacob was shown the bloody tunic of his son Joseph, he concluded that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. He said, "Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces" (Genesis 37:33). While there was no doubt in the mind of Jacob about Joseph’s fate, he was absolutely wrong. The brothers of Joseph, responsible for selling him into slavery, had misled their father by means of the bloody tunic, encouraging him to come to the wrong conclusion in order to protect themselves. For years Jacob believed that Joseph was dead. Neither the strength of his conviction nor the length of time that he held this conviction changed the truth about Joseph’s circumstances. Jacob eventually discovered the truth and realized that his conviction was based on a lie.
Conviction is an important part of the life of a Christian. But it is not enough to "strongly believe" something; we must be willing to ask "why do I believe this doctrine?" So many people are willing to trust the affirmations of others about divine truth ("The preacher said…" or "My pastor taught…"), basing their conviction on fallible men. Some would say, "I’ve just always believed that," appealing to length of time for veracity. Others hold certain convictions because they have strong emotions which they interpret to be evidence of the truth of these convictions. No doubt Saul of Tarsus felt strongly about his role as a persecutor. The only reliable source of information for our convictions is the revealed truth of God.