Four Types of Biblical Convictions
By Sam Gipp

 

There are only four convictions found in Scripture. Before I point out what a Scriptural conviction is, I will explain what a Scriptural conviction is not.

First, a conviction is not some rule for Christian living that you subscribe to. Secondly, a conviction is not necessarily something that you will die for. It has been falsely taught for years that a "conviction" in something that you will die for, but a "preference" you won't. This might be someone's "courtroom" definition, but it is not a Scriptural definition. Look at Matthew 16:

 Peter definitely has a "conviction" about who Jesus Christ is. Yet in Matthew 26:56 Peter was "jumping bushes" to keep from dying for his conviction.

 As previously stated, there are only four convictions found in Scripture.

A BIBLICAL conviction. This type of conviction can best be defined as follows: "I didn't believe a certain Bible truth until I saw it in the Bible and then I changed and now I believe it." This type of conviction is illustrated in Acts 8:36-38. In the passage, the Ethiopian eunuch, who is a Jewish proselyte, didn't believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. But when he sees from Isaiah 53 that Jesus is Christ, He changes what he believed and confesses Christ as Saviour. Basically our Bible doctrines are biblical convictions.

A SPIRITUAL conviction. These are things that the Holy Spirit deals with us about which are not necessarily Scriptural directives. This type of conviction is found here in Acts 16:6-7. There is no Scripture that states that it is a sin to preach in Asia or Bithynia. A Scriptural conviction is when the Holy Spirit either makes you do something that you didn't want to do, or stops you from doing something that you wanted to do.

Paul wanted to go to into Asia but he was convicted by the Holy Spirit not to go in. You may make plans to do something, but the Holy Spirit intercepts you and changes your plans. The thing to remember is that God may deal with one Christian in a different manner than He does with another. Just because Paul was forbidden to go into Asia does not mean that this was the will of God for all other Ch! ristians. In fact, Paul was only forbidden from entering Asia because God wanted him to go to Mecedonia. Once he had fulfilled God directive, he was free to enter Asia. (Acts 19:1).

A NATURAL conviction. This is something that man knows to be right or wrong without need of the Holy Spirit. This type of conviction is found illustrated in 1 Cor. 11:14. "Doeth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" No man who has long hair needs the Holy Spirit to tell him that it is wrong. His own human nature reveals this to him. The problem is that natural conviction can be educated out of you. This is the exact goal of public education in this country today (1 Cor. 11:14).

An INTELLECTUAL conviction. This type of conviction is best illustrated in John 12:4-5, "Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?"

Judas didn't care about the poor. Although I'm certain that it sounded like he did to those standing nearby. But his "conviction" was an intellectual one. These are not always bad or self serving as this one was. Every Christian has some intellectual convictions in their life. The problem is that most Christians claim that they are "Spiritual" convictions and then break fellowship or back bite any other Christian who doesn't subscribe to the same list of "convictions." This spirit has caused untolled damage to the cause of Christ.

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