Belief or Conviction?

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1

We often use words in the English language interchangeably. Sometimes that’s okay. For instance I could say, “It’s time to eat our meal.” Or I could say, “It’s time to eat our food.” Both words work, and the importance of the message is conveyed–food!

Two words we often interchange are “belief” and “conviction.” They are not actually the same. Belief means a trust in a person or thing. I could say, “I believe the Patriots will win their 7th Super Bowl next year.” That’s belief. Conviction means to be absolutely convinced something is true beyond doubt. I could say, “Tom Brady is the greatest of all time.” Do you see the difference? A belief, we can debate. A conviction is unquestionable!

Your convictions drive your decisions and your actions. When you are convinced of something, it will change your life. Paul encouraged the Romans to consider the mercy of God in their lives. It would have been easy for them to say, “I believe God has shown me mercy.” But Paul challenged them to go from belief to conviction. He challenged them to move beyond spiritual sounding words into definitive action. He said, “If you truly are convinced of God’s mercy in your lives, you should offer your entire self to Him every day.”

How convinced are you that God’s mercy and grace are all that stands between you and hell? You may be quick to say that you believe it, but is that belief born out in your actions? Are you living your life in complete sacrifice? Move from belief to conviction.

-Pastor Mike