Personal Convictions

[Rico]

Prax, are you saying that God has never required something from you that He doesn't require from everyone else?

[CC1]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

In your example, this is not necessarily a conviction from God, but a smart thing to do. It does not become a law unto himself that is a sin against God that others do not have to obey.

Rather it is a smart thing to do. It is a GOOD thing for him to do. It is the WISE thing to do. But that is far from making it a sin against God.

In your example it makes more sense though. But in talking about standards it just does not make much sense that God convicts some women to wear their hair up and others not to.

My example was of a situation where I think God might convict someone of an activity while not convicting others of the same.

I believe that is the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and why corporate legalism applied in a cookie cutter style misses much of the point of Christianity.

[scotty]

bump ?

Originally Posted by scotty

What about the rich man ?

Mark 10


17And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. 22And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

Is this not personal conviction ? He followed the commandments but Jesus addressed his weakness.

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by CC1

My example was of a situation where I think God might convict someone of an activity while not convicting others of the same.

I believe that is the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and why corporate legalism applied in a cookie cutter style misses much of the point of Christianity.

What do you mean by "conviction" though? Sin? Is God counting a sin against an individual for doing something that is ok for another individual to do and is not a sin?

BTW this issue has nothing to do with legalism

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by Rico

Prax, are you saying that God has never required something from you that He doesn't require from everyone else?

I've never had God come down and tell me "you do that and you will burn in hell" regarding something that others can do freely.

Whether that means he did not convict me or not I am not saying. I am looking into this topic.

When I first came into Pentecost I had somethings preached to me and I believed what was preached. It became my belief. It became my conviction. I then learned later on that what I was believing was not necessarily the bible.

Others though would claim that conviction came from God because it was the bible.

So it is possible to believe something is true or God ordained and infact it never was. Muslims believe their beliefs are from God. Mormons do to.

How do we know when it is really God? We can all say or accuse "So you don't know when it is God speaking to you?" but I have experience with a LOT of people that really believed it was God speaking to them and in fact it ended that it really might not have been God at all as the circumstances revealed.

Remember Paul says "Unto me all things are lawful but not all things are expedient"

[mizpeh]

Romans 14 is about convictions.

(Note Paul did not condemn the weak brother who did not eat meat, nor the weak brother who esteemed one day over another though Paul felt liberty in eating whatever he prayed over.)

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs

5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean

.... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Once again Paul did not condemn them for not eating meat or esteeming one day over another. Yet, Paul did condemn those who tried to force their convictions on other In 2 Timothy 4:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

I've never had God come down and tell me "you do that and you will burn in hell" regarding something that others can do freely.

Whether that means he did not convict me or not I am not saying. I am looking into this topic.

When I first came into Pentecost I had somethings preached to me and I believed what was preached. It became my belief. It became my conviction. I then learned later on that what I was believing was not necessarily the bible.

Others though would claim that conviction came from God because it was the bible.

So it is possible to believe something is true or God ordained and infact it never was. Muslims believe their beliefs are from God. Mormons do to.

How do we know when it is really God? We can all say or accuse "So you don't know when it is God speaking to you?" but I have experience with a LOT of people that really believed it was God speaking to them and in fact it ended that it really might not have been God at all as the circumstances revealed.

Remember Paul says "Unto me all things are lawful but not all things are expedient"

Brother, I understand what you are saying. However, I can't explain to you how I know when something is coming from God and when it's coming from me. I just do. The best way I can describe it is the way God words things when He speaks to my mind or spirit (whatever you want to call it) is different than how I word things in my mind when I think. (No, I am not talking about Elizabethan English either.)

[Praxeas]

Originally Posted by mizpeh

Romans 14 is about convictions.

(Note Paul did not condemn the weak brother who did not eat meat, nor the weak brother who esteemed one day over another though Paul felt liberty in eating whatever he prayed over.)

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs

5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike.

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean

.... for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Once again Paul did not condemn them for not eating meat or esteeming one day over another. Yet, Paul did condemn those who tried to force their convictions on other In 2 Timothy 4:

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Right, but were those convictions about "this is what God wants you to do or not do" or were they more personal about our own ability or feelings? In which case the later is not about sinning against God,

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Right, but were those convictions about "this is what God wants you to do or not do" or were they more personal about our own ability or feelings? In which case the later is not about sinning against God,

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin

It was sin depending on the attitude and faith of the person.

If the one who did not believe it was right to eat meat, ate meat, doubting and not convinced through faith that it was okay to eat meat, he was damned!

If the one who had liberty, flaunted his liberty and caused a weaker brother to fall, he condemned himself.

Not eating meat may have not been a commandment of God but it seems one can be damned if they eat meat while still believing to do so is wrong. You may not be able to cut this area as fine as you want to in black and white.

[Nahum]

I have no convictions in the last five years.