Conviction and Certainty

We live in an age of skepticism and doubt. Nothing is "off limits" to scrutiny, examination and reevaluation. Long established traditions and beliefs are now all being questioned, even in the realm of religion.

A spirit of honest inquiry is a good thing. The philosopher Socrates said, "An unexamined life in not worth living." In matters of our faith it may also well be said, "An unexamined faith is not worth having." The Bible instructs us to "examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). We are to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God" (1 John 4:1ff). Examining our beliefs to determine if they are substantiated in Scripture is a good and wholesome practice.

However, the skeptical spirit of our age declares that it is impossible to ever arrive at absolute truth. It is popularly believed in our postmodern context that absolute truth is a myth. Therefore someone who displays certainty in their beliefs is viewed as arrogant and narrow-minded. Such could not be farther from reality.

It is true that some people have had arrogant, "know-it-all" attitudes in regard to their religious beliefs. Such is unfortunate and has done considerable damage to the very truth that such individuals claim to stand for. Pridefulness is not the same as being confident and certain in your beliefs. Scripture teaches us to "contend for the faith" (Jude 3) but to do so in a spirit of love and compassion for our fellow man (Eph. 4:15). The servant of Christ must always be "gentle" and "kind" when standing for the truth and must never be "quarrelsome" even with those who oppose the truth (2 Timothy 2:24-26). There is a delicate balance between being gentle and respectful of others while being firm and unwavering in your convictions (1 Peter 3:15).

Jesus teaches us that we can "know the truth" but only when we "abide in the word" (John 8:31-32). Our convictions must be firmly grounded in clear statements of Scripture. I can feel strongly about something, but if it is not clearly taught in Scripture it is a matter of my personal opinion and should not be forced upon others. I can know what is true when I "abide in the word" and discover God's clearly stated truths. Once these truths have been verified by Scripture, I can "know" them with certainty and with conviction stand by them. Once these truths have been verified there is no need to doubt them. Yet, I must always humbly admit that there may be additional information in Scripture that I may have missed that completes the picture. I must be open-minded enough to "tweak" my personal convictions based upon the total evidence discovered from Scripture. I must allow the truth of Scripture to challenge my preconceived ideas, biases, and traditions.

But when I come to "know" truth, I should never be hesitant to firmly, but lovingly, proclaim it without timidity. The young preacher Timothy was tempted (likely because of his youthfulness) to be timid in proclaiming the truth of God. Paul told him, "…I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:6-7). As Christians we should have "certitude" when it comes to the known truth of God. Certitude is a confident attitude of sureness. But we must always remember that certitude in your faith must not be confused with religious pridefulness.