Let Each One Be Fully Convinced

Romans 14:5 finishes with this statement: "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." It's a powerful statement. One that adequately describes the type of maturity we are meant to walk in. Paul was talking about the differences between believers concerning meat, drink, and holy days. Rather than tell them what they should believe, he went on to tell them how they should behave.

The interesting thing about this statement by Paul is that I was rarely (if ever) told to work out some of my own beliefs. While I was never forced to think like everyone around me, there was always the sense that we should simply fall in line with church practice. I'm not against this type of faith per se, but I do think that many believers in today's church are looking for a greater expression. The need to know why they believe what they believe, or why they practice what they practice, is dominant in this generation. Rather than see this as a good thing, many have questioned the motives behind it. However, I believe we have an incredible opportunity to raise up mature sons and daughters in the faith.

I said earlier that Paul instructed the early church in how they should behave in regards to these particular things rather than tell them what to believe. It's a bold move. It meant that he trusted the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It also means that he viewed some of these things as non-essential elements of the faith. The most important aspect of this teaching was to demonstrate how we should interact with one another. How we could live in peace and unity. How our focus could always be upon mutual edification.

Unfortunately, this often gets lost in church life. We have our lists. We have our way of doing things. And rather than see the Lord in an individual that thinks or believes differently than we do, it's much easier to reject them. Poke holes in their beliefs and practices. Slander them. Or even demonize. This is not the way the church was meant to behave. Paul explicitly told the Church in Rome that they SHOULD NOT judge others in their practice. That each of them should be fully convinced in their our own mind.

While we typically only value this teaching in the areas of Christian liberty (ie eating, drinking, etc.), the reality is that this approach can be used on a much broader scale. There are certain aspects of our faith which are, in a sense, etched in stone. Paul held beliefs about the Gospel that were so solid that he believed any other gospel wasn't a gospel at all. Then there were areas where he taught out of his own opinion, believing that he had the Lord's heart on the matter. The point being that each and every one of us should hold some deep convictions about certain aspects of our own faith, and at the same time hold some loosely while being convinced in our understanding.

It has been my experience that this type of faith experience leads to incredible maturity. A willingness to wrestle with our own beliefs will enable us to be strengthened, confident, and able to adequately express our faith. Several years ago I started this journey in my own life. I had been a believer for many years. I had preached, taught, and shared my faith with many. But it was in this process where I began to own my faith. Rather than go to the Scriptures to defend what I already believed, I began to ask the Lord to teach me. A journey that was encouraged by the leadership of the church where I was on staff. There was a discussion we had about a particular topic where my opinion was very different than the one they held. They simply asked that I look into it myself. Find all the verses in the Bible where this is mentioned and seek the Lord for understanding. My mind was not only blown away through this process, but it was changed. I had discovered something in the Bible that I had missed all those years. A few years down the road I was challenged in another area. I decided to take the same approach. Once again, my mind was changed. After going through this process a few times I figured out why Jesus told people to Repent. If we aren't willing to change our mind, then it will always prove difficult to accept the Truth.

Questions should not shake our faith but be a natural part of helping us go deeper into the Truth. I remember some time ago reading about people who had left different faith backgrounds. One of the things that always bothered them was the general rule that you could not ask questions regarding their particular faith. You could look into others, read books, and question them; but you better not question your own religion. I don't know about you, but I've always believed that if we had the answer then we should never mind the question. The Christian faith has outlasted so many others, persevered through incredible persecution, and continues to be the largest "religion" in the world. While there are many different expressions of our faith, it continues to spread like wildfire.

Think about it this way:
There are libraries filled with thousands of books written to express Christian thought. Many brilliant minds have wrestled with theology to have an understanding of what the Apostles taught, and what the early church believed. When we go back and read about the formation of the Nicene Creed, how the Early Church Fathers worked to bring the Bible into reality, and even some of the discussions that these councils engaged in, we discover that our faith has come a long way. Men and women have worked through various opinions, discussed various practices, held some very heated debates. All as a means of understanding/communicating the faith, and seeking a deeper understanding. This has held true even in my lifetime. Why? So each of us can be fully convinced.

Be convinced of your beliefs.
Be convinced of your practices.
Both are necessary.
But in the process, honor every member of the household of faith.
Believe that the Lord is able to make each person to stand.
This was the instruction of Paul to a group of early believers. It should be the practice of the church today.

It's all a part of maturing as a son. The way in which we can be confident in who He is and who we are. This is your journey. Enjoy it!