The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Conviction and Humility"
"I am right! And everybody else is wrong!"
It may be that some have thought this at points in human history and been correct in their assessment. But rarely, and perhaps never.
"And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know" (I Corinthians 8:2).
Confidence of conviction is a fine and good thing when one has spent the time and attention to consider a matter enough to have an opinion. It remains true, however, that humility must accompany every view we hold about every issue. Consider perhaps the simplest truth the Bible affirms…
"There is one God" (I Timothy 2:5).
Nothing could seem more basic and to the point regarding the truth of all truths… unless the one God of Scripture happens to be triune.
"Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation" (Psalm 89:26).
"Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever" (Hebrews 1:8).
"But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?... Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 2:4-5).
In this sublime and unfathomable light of the Bible's plainly declared Trinity, simplicity does not vanish. It remains true that we can confidently consider and affirm the elementary fact of God as one. However, we must also fall before Him in the wonder of three glorious Persons dwelling as a triunity in the unity. Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ confess without compromise that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist as distinct entities of divinity, even as we maintain the strongest monotheistic position. Scripture demands bold belief and confession of both the One and the Three. However, our confident boldness proceeds from a position not of arrogance, but from the humility that speaks on this wise…
"I believe, and I have much confidence in my position based on the revelation of Scripture. God is both one and triune. However, to whatever degree I understand this truth, I also realize I do not begin to fully know what this means. Nor will I ever."
Regarding the matter of being right and wrong, if the foundational truth of God's existence leads us to both confidence and humility, all other truths will surely follow suit. We may indeed be correct and many others incorrect regarding a matter. If, however, we dwell too much on the perceived supremacy of our conviction, failing to remember we know nothing perfectly or completely, we declare our opinion from a crumbling foundation of pride. True conviction resides both now and forever in human hearts with its companion of humility. Never will one be found without the other, and never will true belief be found anywhere in the vicinity of pride.
"I am right and everybody else is wrong!" Maybe. But highly doubtful. And absolutely certain that the accompanying attitude will not be found anywhere close to truth as the Bible reveals and defines. True conviction ventures nowhere without humility, nor does genuine humility reside in our hearts apart from the truth as known in the Lord Jesus. Through Him, we may certainly walk in confident faith, and through Him we will no less walk in proper humility.
"When pride cometh, then cometh shame, but with the lowly is wisdom."
(Proverb 11:2)
Weekly Memory Verse
"This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
(I John 5:4)
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