CONVICTION
Mike Johnson
Are you a person who has strong conviction? Once you learn what the Bible teaches, are you willing to believe and practice it no matter what? In the Bible, we can read of many people who were like this. At all costs, they were determined to follow God. For example, Paul, Stephen, Moses, and Elijah were all people of firm convictions, and we need to be like them today. Consider a few examples from the Old Testament, which should encourage us to be stronger and then some applications for today.
Micaiah
One outstanding Old Testament example of having strong convictions is a prophet by the name of Micaiah. I Kings 22 points out that Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, approached Ahab, the king of Israel, about an alliance against Ramoth-Gilead, which was in the hands of the king of Syria. Ahab seemed willing, but Jehoshaphat wanted to inquire of the Lord about the matter. Ahab asked of his four hundred prophets who said, “Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.” Jehoshaphat, perhaps having some misgivings, asked Ahab if another prophet might inquire of God. Hesitantly, Ahab told Jehoshaphat about Micaiah, whom he did not like as he had prophesied evil about him. The king sent a messenger to get Micaiah. The messenger told Micaiah he had better prophecy like the others, but Micaiah said, “As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.” Micaiah went before the king, and boldly declared that the military effort would be unsuccessful. At one point in his speech (v. 24), one of the king’s men, struck him, and eventually, they put him in prison.
Micaiah was undoubtedly a man of conviction. Four hundred, apparently spineless, prophets had already predicted victory. Ahab himself did not want to believe anything else. Micaiah’s view, given to him by God, was in the minority. Outnumbered four hundred to one, he stood firm. By revealing the truth, he would be subject to ridicule and scorn, and by going against the king, he would subject himself to danger as the king had the power of life or death over him. In spite of all of this, Micaiah stood firm, presenting the truth and standing by it. Taking a stand for right is not always easy to do, but Micaiah was willing to because he was a man of firm conviction. His prophecy came true as Israel and Judah were defeated, and Ahab was killed.
Daniel
Another example of a man of conviction is Daniel, a young man of Judah who was a captive in Babylon. In spite of this, he continued to serve God and gained the respect of the king. His high standing with the king caused jealousy among some of the government officials, which resulted in them plotting against Daniel. They presented a law to the king, “that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.” The officials knew Daniel prayed regularly, and by their scheme, they might be able to entrap him. Darius, the king, probably did not even think about Daniel and signed the decree. According to chapter 6, Daniel knew about the order (v. 10). Daniel now had to make a choice. Would he be a man of conviction and continue to pray as usual? The decision for Daniel was not difficult as he continued to pray, which resulted in the king casting him into a lion’s den. In the lion’s den, God delivered him. Daniel was, indeed, a courageous person with strong convictions!
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were also people of firm conviction (Dan. 3). These men, along with Daniel, were a part of the Babylonian captivity. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image, which the people were to worship at certain times. The penalty for a person failing to worship the image at the prescribed times was being thrown into a burning fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to pay homage to the image. They told the king, when brought before him, “…we will not serve the gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage, threw them into the furnace, but God protected them, and the king then released the three men and had to admit “. . . there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego faced tests, and they proved themselves people of conviction. They adhered to their belief in the true God, regardless of the circumstances, and God delivered them.
Conviction Today
Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Christians must not conform to this world. The world may act, worship, and dress in a way contrary to God’s Word. There is a tendency to copy and to “fit in” with the crowd. However, the person of conviction will be different from the world when what the world does is contrary to God’s Law.
Certain people Peter was writing to had at one time engaged in the various sins listed in I Peter 4:3. Consider, however, the attitude of the world toward these now faithful Christians. Verse 4 says, “In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.” These Christians had enough conviction to stop their sin and to continue doing right even though some spoke evil of them.
Christians today need to be people of conviction and continue obeying God consistently instead of obeying God only when it is easy or convenient. Christians need to have conviction concerning their worship and daily conduct. They need to be unashamed and willing to do what they know is right.
Do we have firm conviction?” Do we do what is right, no matter what? People of strong conviction will practice what they know to be correct:
- no matter how inconvenient it might be;
- regardless of how different from others it might make them;
- no matter how much pressure might result.
We should always remember Paul’s closing exhortation found in I Corinthians 16:13, which says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”