Recently, I found myself needing to explain a conviction in my life – based on a principle that is rooted in Scripture. I was ashamed to find myself unable to articulate why I have chosen to wholly follow Scripture in the decision being discussed beyond saying, “because the Bible says so.” After that conversation, I found myself unable to sleep. I tossed and turned, and within my heart a fire burned. I want to be Christ-honoring in my life, my decisions, and my actions. Sometimes I find myself at a loss for articulating why a certain conviction or standard is so important that I will not waiver from it. When I am unsure of how to articulate a conviction, I find it is best to visit the roots of my faith – give my heart and soul a reminder of where the conviction came from in the first place. The root of the matter is whether or not I believe in the Bible and in its absolute Truth and authority. From this one point, all other principles, convictions, standards, and decisions flow.
- I believe the Bible is eternal Truth and our absolute authority in life.
- I believe my life has a purpose bigger than myself and my heart desires.
- I believe I represent Christ, my Savior, all day, every day, everywhere I go.
- I fear and love the Lord and in that my principles, convictions, and standards are rooted.
- I believe it is my responsibility as a Christian to do my best to maintain my conscience void of offence toward God.
One of my favorite things about the Bible is that it is not filled with opinions from people. The Bible is literally filled with God’s words, not men’s. Part of being the literal Word of God is being inspired. Inspiration is defined as God-breathed. Every time I read the Bible; God is speaking directly to me through it.
Sometimes it is difficult to wrap my head around how words written thousands of years ago, even inspired words, could still be accurate and true today. Thankfully, the Bible has been divinely preserved from the first words penned to today and will continue to be preserved until the Lord returns.
As if being God-breathed and divinely preserved isn’t awe-inspiring enough, the Bible is also absolute Truth. Given from God, to Jesus and the men who penned it.
Because of this evidence, I choose to have faith in the Truth of God’s Word and make it the absolute authority in my life. Hebrews 11:1 comes to mind: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
There is one important follow-up point to make:
It is good and well to say that I believe God’s Word is True, but how does that faith apply to our daily life?
God did not create me to live for my own purposes. He created me for a purpose bigger than myself – to please Him.
We, like every other creature, were created to please the Lord. It is the only purpose for which we were made.
The least I can do for my Creator is fulfill the purpose for which He made me. More than that, as a Christian who has accepted Christ’s gift of salvation, I am His.
Where do these realities lead? Hopefully to living a life with a clean and clear conscience before the Lord. Believing the Bible is absolute Truth and authority, knowing that I was created to please God, I conclude that if I am made aware of a verse in the Bible that says I should or should not do something – then to keep my conscious clean before the Lord I must follow what Scripture says. I have said the Bible is my authority, I have examined evidence validating it as absolute Truth, now I must choose to have faith, trust the Lord, and follow it.
My life principles, convictions, and standards are rooted in Scripture. When I find myself unable to call to mind why I believe a certain Truth, or how I should be responding, the answer is to go back to my roots and find it in the Bible – and then go searching until I learn what the Bible says and obey what I find. Although not always easy, it is as simple as that.
