Convictions you don't understand..
 

I am curious about how everyone here feels about being convicted by God about something, and you cannot think of any "logical" or practical reason why. Alot of people in here seem pretty intelligent and strive for seeing the rational side of the things of God, yet where is the line drawn? Someone says they are "convicted" of something or other and it's respected, yet nonsense and extrabiblical things are looked down upon. How do you deal with them? Do you strive to obey convictions even if you don't understand them, seek out only logic and reasoning, or a mixture of both? Do you feel that everything has to be make "sense" or if its not a heaven or hell issue is therefore unnecessary and a silly conviction?

Btw, I definetly agree with following the Lord's leading on convictions, not the traditions of men. For example, I am convicted on wearing makeup, jewelry, short sleeves and knee length skirts. I do not understand why. Yet I obey, because Ive been trying to straddle the fence on these things and I seriously feel convicted. I don't understand it, but I feel its not that big of a deal and if for some reason the Lord is pleased with this obedience from me, then so be it.

I am an analyst, always have been even before coming into the church, and I have tested this. I try to reason with things and never fall into man made "standards" and extra-biblical teachings. Yet I don't want to ignore my strong conviction just because it doesn't make logical sense to me, which would probably classify me as a legalist to some, lol. My personal opinion always goes along with the scripture "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways." Id like to hear what you have to say, Thanks.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Im not sure every conviction comes from God.

Muslims are convicted Allah is God and Muhammed is His prophet.

Mormons are convicted Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and the BOM is God's word.

Nation of Islam advocates are convicted that Elijah Muhammed was a prophet of God.

Millions of Germans were convicted that the things Hitler preached to them were true.

Convictions are beliefs. What forms the basis of your beliefs? Is it the word of God?

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Certainly seems like there is a lot of confusion about them. I know of a pastor who preaches w/out a tie. My pastor says he must wear one in the pulpit. My unc used to never preach in short sleeves. Looks like if all of it were coming from God there would be a little more uniformity. ? It makes sense that they come from our own heart.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

....and peer pressure.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

If one does from a conviction about something non-salvational that's fine and please stay true to your convictions,but I have a probelm when folks start saying that everybody has to have the same convictions about matters the scriptures don't class as salvational.

I do have some convictions that are personal but I don't teach those as matters for others to line up to.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

You've got to do what your heart tells you to do. Of course, sometimes the human heart can betray us and tell us to do things like murder. That's where a revelatory guide can be of use - the Bible.

We've got to be honest and charitable toward one another along the way as well. For example, just because one person "feels convicted" about wearing a pair of baggy cargo shorts, it doesn't mean that something new has been added to our guide - the Bible.

The Bible gives us the eternal principles. The rest we do as an expression of our own personal style and feelings.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

... and there are traps like peer pressure, fads and just plain silliness. People who are prone to these sorts of things stand out in any crowd. And, at times we've all made a blunder or faux pas so a healthy dose of humor and forgiveness always goes a long way.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

For me this is not hard to understand. Where wearing for you would be a stumbling block for someone else it would not. But whereas, you could do something that would not be a stumbling block to you, but for another it could be.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

This is a good topic, one that should be discussed in depth. However since I am neither deep nor do I have time, I can't enter a conversation of depth. But, I will say this: the Bible teaches us that we are to be fully persuaded in our own minds and that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Why one person feels conviction for something while another does not is something I can't answer. My job is to abide by my own convictions, while not forcing them on others.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

How does it help? Many times in the Bible, God commanded people to kill. You say that was Old Testament and God will no longer command anyone to kill?

Prove it.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

It's simple. Different people make up different things, and say it was God. OK, theoretically, it's possible that some of them are right. How can we tell who is right and who just makes things up? Can't. How can the person getting the convictions tell if it really was God or not? Can't.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I have convictions, by the way. I don't claim they're from God, though. Such as "it's bad to say God told you something when He didn't".

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

If what we do doesn't violate biblical principles,I would say we are safe.
Some people can't accept this but in non-essential matters differences of convictions are allowable.
I would hate to think God has a cookie cutter mentality,and cuts us out of the same mold.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I agree. But don't you think God may just want everyone to make up their own minds about things? The paramount Biblical principle of "love your neighbor as yourself" should be enough. And it has no effect whatsoever on hair, tattoos, TV, etc. etc. etc. Is it really necessary (in God's view) to "convict" different people of different things, to achieve diversity?

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

convictions are good but should not be used as a Bible principle for salvation...some things may hinder one person and have no effect on another person....

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

God deals with people individually. He knows my weaknesses, and may convict me of something that will protect me from falling, but He may not address it to anyone else.

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

I do not believe that simply because God speaks one thing to one person, He does or must speak it to everyone, or that everyone must abide by what God spoke to one person. What is written in His Word is for everyone; beyond that, we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Phillipians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I posted this on the makeup thread, I'm going to copy it here because I think it's relevant:


Sometimes, it's not the *thing* God is dealing with you about, it's your heart condition at the time. Then, if your heart condition changes, what you thought God prohibited might again be allowed.

And sometimes we can get confused about what exactly God is dealing with us about. For instance, I know someone who was reading a LOT of fiction.... plowing through entire series in just a few days, neglecting other things they should be doing. They started feeling convicted about that. So they concluded that reading that type of fiction was wrong for them. When in reality, it wasn't the fiction that was the problem, it was time management. Spending too much time reading fiction. They later realized that. When they started reading that fiction again, they weren't going against what God showed them. They had become better managers of their time, the fiction wasn't the issue.

I believe that God always concerns himself with our hearts.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Interesting thread. I sometimes think our convictions are a result of what we like or don't like, or are how we are raised. As an example, when I was small, my pastor preached against amusement parks. I do not like to go to them to this day, and feel uncomfortable there. However, my wife and children have no issue with them! So, they get a break from me when they go!

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Timmy some people have liberty in some areas where others don't ,why this is I don't know ?
I don't want to be crtical of others in non-essential matters.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Great Post, Bro. OneAccord! Happy Birthday!:heart

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Some things I do because I'm convicted. Some things I do because God says do them. Some things I do to glorify Him or as service to Him.

If I were in love with someone, I might change my hairstyle or wear certain things not because they said to and not because I felt I had to, but because I was in love and felt that my hair or outfit would please them best. Its not that everyone needs to (act, do, say), its that I want to.

Same with some 'convictions'. I do some things and don't do others because I'm in love. :)

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Good post OA. Rom.14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Convictions aren't uniform. That's the point. I think we use the word "conviction" for everything though. It just means we don't feel comfortable doing things that way, or wearing that. That's fine. I would wager some of what we pass off as conviction has been injected into our lives at some point.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Don't see how pants on women can be a stumbling block but what ever floats ya boat..LOL

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I know the skirt can be a stumbling block my wife has proved that...LOL Stumbled right to the ground..

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

What was Christ's response to Peter in the Garden?
What does it now mean to "turn the other cheek?"
What does "Live by the sword. you will die by the sword" mean?
What does love your enemies mean?

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

No. We aren't all wired the same. My stumbling blocks may not be yours. God knows what's best for me. There's places that aren't good for me to go, that will be consciously fine for others.

As far as dress, I think we do those out of reverence for how we feel, and do as a sacrifice to God.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

:hanky

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Seriously. Your rhetoric sometimes really lacks reverence for others (not what you say always, but how you say it), it is flippant and in this case, obscene. We are Christians here. It's your prerogative to say/do what you want on here. But if it means anything, I wanted to share that with you.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

GP I will take that as a compliment... Thanks

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

That doesn't prove He will never again command someone to break those commands, as He did in the OT: He said thou shalt not kill, and yet He commanded some to do just that.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

The question is whether these "convictions" really come from God. Does God put a conviction against cutting hair into one lady's heart (because, um, that's her "stumbling block"? :hmmm) but not another lady's heart? Maybe I'm missing something. (And you say "Well, duh!" :lol)

Think God is pleased with such "sacrifice"? Would it make Him happy if I sacrificed wearing shorts, say? Or maybe I should give up chocolate? Does it make Him happy if we do things we don't like, or give up things we like? Again, I'm probably missing something. ;)

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I preach in shredded jeans, untucked t-shirt, I sit on a stool and have no pulpit. It's one thing for me to say "Come as you are" and it's another thing to create an environment where people actually can.

As far as the so-called "holiness convictions" go.....I don't understand any of them.

I do, however, understand grace.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Personal convictions are just that, personal.
I suspect most convictions are meant to be for an individual to further their own walk with God.

The idea that everyone abide by the same convictions is the basis of legalism.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

I still believing in killing other human beings under the right circumstances.

I still believe it is the will of God for me to kill other human beings under the right circumstances.

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Such as when He gives a direct command to kill someone?

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Anyone? If God told you to kill someone, would you? (Nobody has proven that He would not give that command, today. Not that I believe He would, either today or ever, but you guys should, if you believe He speaks to people.)

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Timmy if god told someone to kill someone else who am I to say they were wrong...or truly did not hear from God..As far as god telling me to kill someone I have to say never heard from him on anything so kind of hard to say....

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

Is it equally bad to make the call that God did or did not tell someone something when only they and God actually know?

Re: Convictions you don't understand..
 

D4T I also think that away who am I to say they did not hear from God..