For a CLEAR Gospel Message click on THE GOOD NEWS link belowA Faith That Stands Up Under Trial
Acts 22 – Paul is in an actual trial, where his faith was on trial – literally.
The United States Supreme Court has criteria for testing someone’s faith. It was a landmark decision in 1972, Wisconsin v. Yoder. The Court was forced to come up with some kind of criteria to test a person’s faith to determine whether or not religious beliefs could stand up in court. Let’s apply these criteria to Paul’s faith during his trial and let us apply these criteria to our own faith. (The following points are actual criteria for testing of faith from the Supreme Court Justice case Wisconsin v. Yoder)
A belief system must be beyond simple preferences. There must be a plan to believe a certain way. What if you overheard your friend say, “I prefer to not to get drunk” or “I prefer not to drive recklessly and endanger myself”. There should be no PREFERENCE, but a PLAN to be vigilant and not do these – in other words, a determination and plan to strive for the actions they “prefer”. Acts 22:3-4; Romans 9:3-5; It is MORE THAN A PREFERENCE.
Paul was consumed by Jesus Christ! He lost friends and family when he believed in Christ. It was a conviction, not a preference! He could not have gone through the dramatic change in life that he did over simple preferences! It was definitely a determination and conviction – he went from legalism, hatred of Christians, and persecutor of Christians to lover of Christ and all others!
Do we prefer to believe what the Bible says or does it burn in soul, wanting to be fulfilled in our life?
A belief must be beyond personal philosophy. There must be a basis for what is believed. It is not what we know as “universalism” – there is a god for everyone. This is personal philosophy. The court looks beyond philosophy to something that has real live basis. Acts 24:13-16 – A spiritual basis for belief. Acts 26:7– The apostle is not coming up with a new way of thinking or philosophy – Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets!
Do we know what we believe? Could we say, in concrete terms, before a court of law, what we believe? Do we have a philosophy that has been handed down through our family or do we have beliefs that we know from our own study, based on own resources, that this is what we believe? (Romans 10:2 – zealous but not based on knowledge – that is not the criteria – it is dangerous.)
A belief system must stand the test of conviction, rather than preferences or philosophies. (Remember, this is a Supreme Court Case!) “not merely a matter of personal preference, but one of deep religious convictions” (exact quote from the Wis. V. Yoder).
True convictions are intimately related to daily living – “their belief pervades and determines their entire way of life” (exact quote from Wis. V. Yoder) – there is affected in everyway by their belief. The apostle was totally convicted by his belief – it was like an umbrella over all that he did. If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
True convictions have history – Acts 26:19-23; Romans 10:17; 14:1 This does not mean that information was learned and passed on – it means that there is a history of belief, using that belief and seeing the belief work in a person’s life. The history you have with God (all the times He was faithful, all the trials, tests, etc. that have had and God has seen you through) is what the Court is talking about having “a history”. Are you certain of your “history” with God to share it someone else? Do you have enough history to be confident in telling others about Him – or are you shaky in this area? Have you gone the faith route with God and had rich moments of “history” or have you panicked and gone the flesh route? Growth comes from hearing the Word and applying it. “Don’t fear tomorrow because there is bunch of yesterdays with God – the faithful One.”
True convictions are personal – 2 Timothy 4:16-17 Convictions are what we can hold onto even while living with unbelievers or carnal believers. Convictions are what we cannot compromise even when we are alone and no one cares.
True convictions are preserved against the pressure to conform. Romans 12:1-2; 14:2-3 – Paul’s passion is revealed urging the congregation at Rome to not conform to the world. He talks about the mercy that sees us getting into messes and begs us to sacrifice ourselves and commit to God to be transformed. We know God’s Will by renewing our mind – learning God’s Word. We are not bound up because we do not conform to the world, but we are freed by God’s Word and His bountiful blessings.
True convictions are unchanging regardless of circumstances. Acts 24:27 The same story over and over – never backing off from what we believe. You can judge what a person would live for by what that person would die for. Many have died for the sake of Christ. They never wavered because of their convictions.
God is asking us to live for Him, full of conviction, unstoppable, growing in faith. Convicted believers, that is a faith that stands up in court!
The United States Supreme Court has criteria for testing someone’s faith. It was a landmark decision in 1972, Wisconsin v. Yoder. The Court was forced to come up with some kind of criteria to test a person’s faith to determine whether or not religious beliefs could stand up in court. Let’s apply these criteria to Paul’s faith during his trial and let us apply these criteria to our own faith. (The following points are actual criteria for testing of faith from the Supreme Court Justice case Wisconsin v. Yoder)
A belief system must be beyond simple preferences. There must be a plan to believe a certain way. What if you overheard your friend say, “I prefer to not to get drunk” or “I prefer not to drive recklessly and endanger myself”. There should be no PREFERENCE, but a PLAN to be vigilant and not do these – in other words, a determination and plan to strive for the actions they “prefer”. Acts 22:3-4; Romans 9:3-5; It is MORE THAN A PREFERENCE.
Paul was consumed by Jesus Christ! He lost friends and family when he believed in Christ. It was a conviction, not a preference! He could not have gone through the dramatic change in life that he did over simple preferences! It was definitely a determination and conviction – he went from legalism, hatred of Christians, and persecutor of Christians to lover of Christ and all others!
Do we prefer to believe what the Bible says or does it burn in soul, wanting to be fulfilled in our life?
A belief must be beyond personal philosophy. There must be a basis for what is believed. It is not what we know as “universalism” – there is a god for everyone. This is personal philosophy. The court looks beyond philosophy to something that has real live basis. Acts 24:13-16 – A spiritual basis for belief. Acts 26:7– The apostle is not coming up with a new way of thinking or philosophy – Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets!
Do we know what we believe? Could we say, in concrete terms, before a court of law, what we believe? Do we have a philosophy that has been handed down through our family or do we have beliefs that we know from our own study, based on own resources, that this is what we believe? (Romans 10:2 – zealous but not based on knowledge – that is not the criteria – it is dangerous.)
A belief system must stand the test of conviction, rather than preferences or philosophies. (Remember, this is a Supreme Court Case!) “not merely a matter of personal preference, but one of deep religious convictions” (exact quote from the Wis. V. Yoder).
True convictions are intimately related to daily living – “their belief pervades and determines their entire way of life” (exact quote from Wis. V. Yoder) – there is affected in everyway by their belief. The apostle was totally convicted by his belief – it was like an umbrella over all that he did. If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
True convictions have history – Acts 26:19-23; Romans 10:17; 14:1 This does not mean that information was learned and passed on – it means that there is a history of belief, using that belief and seeing the belief work in a person’s life. The history you have with God (all the times He was faithful, all the trials, tests, etc. that have had and God has seen you through) is what the Court is talking about having “a history”. Are you certain of your “history” with God to share it someone else? Do you have enough history to be confident in telling others about Him – or are you shaky in this area? Have you gone the faith route with God and had rich moments of “history” or have you panicked and gone the flesh route? Growth comes from hearing the Word and applying it. “Don’t fear tomorrow because there is bunch of yesterdays with God – the faithful One.”
True convictions are personal – 2 Timothy 4:16-17 Convictions are what we can hold onto even while living with unbelievers or carnal believers. Convictions are what we cannot compromise even when we are alone and no one cares.
True convictions are preserved against the pressure to conform. Romans 12:1-2; 14:2-3 – Paul’s passion is revealed urging the congregation at Rome to not conform to the world. He talks about the mercy that sees us getting into messes and begs us to sacrifice ourselves and commit to God to be transformed. We know God’s Will by renewing our mind – learning God’s Word. We are not bound up because we do not conform to the world, but we are freed by God’s Word and His bountiful blessings.
True convictions are unchanging regardless of circumstances. Acts 24:27 The same story over and over – never backing off from what we believe. You can judge what a person would live for by what that person would die for. Many have died for the sake of Christ. They never wavered because of their convictions.
God is asking us to live for Him, full of conviction, unstoppable, growing in faith. Convicted believers, that is a faith that stands up in court!
Labels: DS
posted by Buck at 6:21 AM 
1 Comments:
Thanks for the Bible study. I loved what you said, "If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" I want to be "convicted" of being a Christian. I want the evidence to be piled so high against me that there is no room for reasonable doubt. When the world and other Christians judge me and my motives, I want to be found guilty of living life for Christ.
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