Our Convictions: Our Defense - Part 1

Welcome to the InTouch podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, March 10 extremely important that followers of Christ believe the right things based on God's word. Here's more on how your convictions work as your defense what beliefs you hold that you will not surrender anything in the world.

What beliefs you hold and comfort you when you go through great difficulty and hardship and pain. What beliefs do you have that you hold to the stand well for you and anchor you when the winds of change in public opinion are criticism or attitudes about you that hurt you deeply, but somehow you have those certain beliefs that hold you steady no matter what will we all have beliefs. The issue is how strongly do we hold these beliefs. Whether these beliefs come from a result of other people's opinions. Is it because of what we desire that we believe these things all can we say that our beliefs are the result of looking into studying the word of God, or what I want to talk about in this message is this. I want to talk about our convictions in the title of this message is simply this, our convictions, our defense and I want you to turn to Genesis chapter 39, a borosilicate one incident in the life of Joseph, a very very outstanding character. In the Old Testament whose life was certainly a beautiful example of steadfastness of conviction of the termination of faith and how God rewarded him as a result of that, but also look at just one incident in his life and just to give you little idea remind you of what's going on in the 39 chapter beginning in verse one. The Scripture says that Joseph had been taken down to Egypt and caught up on Egyptian office of payroll.

The captain of the bodyguard, bought him from the Israelites were taken down.

There you remember that his brothers were going to kill them, and they finally decided not to kill them, but the selling soul into a passing caravan went down to Egypt and now one of the Pharaoh's friends and one of his eye close companions was the one who bought him. So now he is a slave. Scripture says in verse four so Joseph found favor in the sight became his personal servant made him an overseer over his house and all that he owned.

He put in his charge, then the Scripture says in verse six so we left everything he owned, and Joseph charge and within there.

He did not concern himself with anything except the food which he ate that Joseph was handsome and form an appearance. It came about after these events that his master's wife looked with desired Joseph and she said lie with me, but he refused and said his master's wife, behold with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house and he is put all that he owns in my charge, there is no one greater in this house than and he is withheld nothing from me except you because you're his wife.

How then could I do this great evil and sin against God and you recall the day after day. She kept after he kept on resisting until finally she plotted against them accused him of molesting her, raping her ends up in prison, though he is innocent.

Now here is a perfect example of what real genuine conviction is all about.

Now the basis of all of our convictions are beliefs and the belief is something we hold to is true, something that we believe is actual and real. When it comes to meta-conviction. A conviction is a strong belief is a strong belief about something that we are absolutely convinced of having been persuaded either by evidence or by argument.

So it's more than just a believe.

It's a strong belief that we are convinced of having been persuaded by evidence and argument that this thing is true that today most people prefer to live by preferences than by convictions of preference is. This is what I choose to believe and I believe this based on certain conditions and circumstances. So where is the conviction which is based on absolute truth truth outside of ourselves. A preferences something that we choose to believe and we believe it. On the basis of whether it fits the circumstances not and so therefore people have strong convictions. They don't waiver people who live by preferences a wavering. They believe this today if it's convenient this today if they have the approval of others. They lay down what they believe, over here simply because of the criticism of other people and so their wishy-washy and if you ask them what they believe they can tell you what they believed today, but it may not necessarily be what they believed tomorrow. This does not mean that what you believe something you beliefs never change, I'm talking about beliefs that we come to based on what is absolute truth and oftentimes people are concerned about absolute truth.

They're just concerned about what satisfies them. What pleases them how it works in their life for the day and seven simply ask you this question. Would you be characterizes a person of conviction a person has strong convictions. A person who lives by their convictions. It doesn't mean that you're obnoxious and don't understand of the people doesn't mean that you don't give way for the people to express their opinions and that you certainly consider other people's right to have different opinion but would you be considered a person has strong convictions.

I would you be considered a person who lives by preferences you believe this today. Tomorrow you may believe that and the reason is because you operate in the basis of what's convenient to you what feels good to you, not on the basis of searching out to ask a question what is the absolute truth. What's actually what's real because the many things today that appear to be real.

Many deceptive ideas and philosophies that come along that sound good that feel good that fit into the lifestyle of a person who does not want to live obediently before God did in the lifestyle of a person who wants to just go from one idea to the other and live according the feeling, rather than truth which kind of person would you be characterized by the summarizes will I sent not want to be a person who mischaracterizes strong beliefs and characterizes personnel strong convictions because usually a person like that is very critical not necessarily you can have very strong convictions and every person ought to without being obnoxious without being critical of other people. You don't have to be that way.

But the issue is, have you thought about it enough it are your convictions and your beliefs important on the that you not only know what you believe you know why you believe it and what you believe and why you believe it is based on the absolute truth that agreed that absolute truth is not a very popular thing today but was looking for example, let's look at some examples of the Scripture about men and the many women not only in Scripture, but also in history who have had very strong convictions and let's go back to Joseph, her mama what I want you to see.

Here's this while he was given the awesome responsibility of overseeing the whole house solo part of the Scripture says there was one thing he was not given control of that was part of his wife is an interesting how the devil works in the garden of Eden, for example, God said all the trees of the garden you may freely accept this one. You must not eat, which is the one statement after the one that they couldn't touch so here he is in part of his house so he has control in the final decision-making process over every single thing in Papa's house. So except one thing his wife and so what is Satan saying marks on her. So she comes doing and attempts to seduce him and he says no doubt why, remember this now at this point in Scripture, the 10 Commandments never been given so we don't have thou shall not commit adultery. We have what shows it new in his heart was the truth of God the will of God in the way of God, that you should not commit adultery with somebody else's wife and so what happened, so she keeps coming doom in his answers this is no one greater in this house than I is withheld nothing for me except you because you're his wife. How then could I do this great evil medicine. What he didn't say he didn't say how can I do this right even set against your husband a sin against you. He said how can I do this right evil and sin against God chosen was a man of principle and conviction. His conviction was that the absolute, undeniable, unalterable, unchanging, divine truth is you do not go to bed with somebody else's wife, that is, you do not commit adultery. That was the purpose and plan of God.

He had a conviction about not a belief about not feeling about it or he could've said well you know he's put everything else under my control well or he's been gone a lot. Well which year there must be something about me.

She likes what it was he could rationalize all kind of things.

More than a belief system he had taken actions, convictions of right and wrong that the day you and I live in a society where people like that they don't like the right wrong attitude. They love the idea of preferences. Depending upon my circumstances and situation that I'm in. He was a man of conviction.

For example, think about Daniel here is Daniel and if you return to that book for a moment I want you to just notice several things. That's one of our profits. Ezekiel Daniel and that you will turn to the first and second chapters that you recall I what's going on Daniel's life.

He was a young Hebrew. When the Babylonians went to Jerusalem earned it distorted many of the young people away. And so the King's idea was to make them like the Babylonians third document of their culture and one of the ways he chose to do that was to give them a certain kind of food to eat wine to drink, he taught them the language of course and what they want to do was the D Hebrew as them and to make them like Babylonians well it came to Daniel at this point and when the the Kings man whom he sent to give instruction direction divine guidance to these young men.

What happened was, he said to me said we would like the privilege of an alternative instead of eating that Kings food and drinking his wine.

We don't want to do that if you allow us will just eat vegetables and then you compares with the rest. Well, by the grace of God. He allowed them to do that.

At issue is not what happened because we know what happened.

They turned out looking a whole lot better. What is it because Daniel to refuse the Kings food in the Kings meet Kings wine what caused him to refuse that Daniel had a very basic conviction that he was not to eat the meat offered to idols and knew he knew that that meet probably wasn't, so he said I'm not going to do that we not gonna doing that we not gonna do it no matter what the consequences are. But we not going to and we have an alternative. And this is our alternative in the Scripture says, of course, that there he found favor in the Lord is with them in whatever he did. The Lord made the prosper. Now I want you to notice that in Daniel's life he became a very important part in the whole government and he interpreted dreams and became a very important part in the life of that whole nation because God used him in a very special way. Why because the very beginning he was committed to his convictions.

Well let's take for example Peter turned to acts chapter 4. You recall that Peter and John and I would the temple heal this man and so stirred up all of this, the commotion and they got there brought before the Council and so here's what happens and they were summoning them, and said the that they commanded them not to teach in it and it is resurrection of Jesus, and so forth.

Peter and John 19 verses for chapter Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it's right in the sight of God, to give heed to you rather than to God. You be the judge. We cannot stop speaking about what we had seen and heard while they did get the other and have a lower confab and say well now you know what we could get in trouble. This is the truth is they were living by conviction they had seen the resurrected Christ.

They had hurt his commission to share the truth of the whole world beginning in Jerusalem. Remember what he said you shall receive power out of the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria.

The uttermost parts of their beverages and by conviction and then of course if you turn the fifth chapter so they got preaching. They Holloman again before the Council then what happens. Verse 20 in the picture we gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in his name and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us, so they didn't have another competency is what they said. The apostles answered, we must obey God rather than men, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus and you put to death by hanging on the cross. He is the one whom God exalted to his right hand as a prince of the Savior to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin and we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit whom God is given to those who obey him.

End of story. We are not going to recant and we are not going to stop preaching and teaching the word of God we have a conviction that we have been sent and we have the message and no matter what happens. That's what we gonna do, then go to the apostle Paul, I don't have to tell you about him. Apostle Paul, from the time he was saved that the Jews were after they imprisoned him. They beat him they stone him and left for dead. And did he say, well, I've had enough of this. Nowhere in the town that he say what you write and I should be on I'm stirring up too much trouble and I'm shouldn't be doing that. He knew that God called him and he called him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and Jews hated that and so what did he do no matter what they did to them how much they did to them how long they did to him whatever he had to suffer. He never stopped.

He never recanted.

He never changed.

He taught the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

No matter what it cost any cost him his life. But look what's happened 2000 years later we're still talking about the same theology was still talking with the same truth living with the same principles and this is being encouraged and strengthened by the very principles the apostle Paul. God thought he was a man of conviction infected best history written is the history written by those men and women who have lived their lives down through the years and live their lives with conviction, not by preference but conviction then I think about bringing closer to home.

I think about and I will make a couple quotes here, you know, back in 1999 the Columbine school listen, the morning of April 20, 1999. 16-year-old Cassie Renaud handed her friend Amanda Meyer a note that said honestly. I totally want to live my life completely for God. It's hard and scary, but totally worth later that day, somebody pointed a gun to her head and said you believe in God, yes, and they shot at the Rachel Scott was also among those killed one year earlier. She written in her diary. I'm not going to apologize for speaking in the name of Jesus. I'm not going to hide the light of God and he's putting me if I have to sacrifice everything. I will, and she did and it cost her her life is a teenagers do you have any convictions so strong that nothing will cause you to deviate from or do you happen to be one of those persons whose living preference is what I believe today because I think it's up it's a good thing in the Navy live by this tomorrow maybe I won't turn the first Peter chapter 3 from over the first Peter passed Hebrews James I Peter and Mikula third chapter. This is what he was referring to when he made the statements third chapter.

First Peter in verse 13.

Listen what he said and he was writing the people who were undergoing persecution because their faith, he said in verse 13.

The third chapter who is there to harm you if you prove zealous what is good, but even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you blast. Do not fear their intimidation and do not be trouble but sanctify that is set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. I wonder when somebody brings up some controversial subject and they start making criticisms about Jesus and about the Bible and about God and all the rest. What is your response. You still require you the kind of person says well you know I have my beliefs but I keep them to myself what you shouldn't be keeping them to yourself. They don't keep theirs of themselves. That's why you have conflict and so if you have deep abiding convictions that are based on absolute truth. The truth of the word of God you can stand very firm and no matter what the argument and what the so-called evidence may be the truth is if you standing on the solid rock of the living word of God you standing there in the very same thank you for listening to our convictions. Our defense if you know more about Charles Stanley in touch ministries that might enhance tantalizing this podcast is a presentation of in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia