Living on Three Levels

This is the will of God that you abstain from immorality, 1 Corinthians 6.18.

You never have to pray about that. Have a thankful spirit, Philippians 4. Give financially with joy, 1 Corinthians 16. Don't be greedy, Ephesians 5. Walk honestly, Romans 13. Don't murmur, 1 Corinthians 10. Don't envy, Galatians 5. Don't be absent from the assembly of Hebrews 10. Love your enemies, Matthew 5.

Don't love the world, 1 John 2, and on and on and on and on. Perhaps if we spent more time obeying what the Bible clearly says, we would spend less time agonizing over things the Bible doesn't clearly say. Contrary to popular belief, Christian liberty doesn't mean that you have the freedom to do anything that makes your life better. Instead, Christian liberty says, I now have the freedom to do whatever Christ wants me to do. Now, certainly there are issues of life that are unclear morally, and you need to form convictions. But perhaps we should focus more on what's clear than on what isn't clear. Today, you're going to learn the three levels of conviction.

Here's Stephen Davey to teach you. Why do you do many of the things you do? Why do you not do things you do not do? I'm not suggesting that if you do things or don't do things, that you're just following the status quo, that now you ought to just tear all the fences down that you've built around your life. In fact, I think Mark Twain, who wasn't necessarily a very good theologian, but he wrote this interesting statement that a man should never take a fence away until he found out why it was put there in the first place.

But why do you believe what you believe? Why have you built the fences in the pasture land of your life at the places where you have built them? What promises do you keep and why? What vows have you made and why would you keep them? One author told of attending a wedding recently and hearing the vows, this couple had evidently rewritten them so that instead of saying, I will cherish you as long as life shall last, they said, I will cherish you as long as love shall last. That's reassuring, isn't it?

Is it any wonder then that in this country, you can now lease wedding rings one year at a time? What is it that you've promised? Is it a matter of principle, those things you do, or is it a matter of your past? Why is it that a large number of college students abandoned the faith of their fathers during their freshman year as soon as they get out of the family corral?

Could the answer be simply in my question that it was the faith of their fathers? Is your life based on conviction or conditioning? Is it personal? Stay alert. I think we have been learning as we go through Romans 14. Think things through. Keep your thoughts clear.

Go before God. You're driving into the fog of gray areas. Stay alert. I read just this past week, story of two elderly women who are out driving, cruising along. They came to an intersection. The light was red.

They just went right through the intersection, didn't even slow down. The passenger was alarmed. She thought maybe she was losing her mind. She was sure that light was red, but she didn't say anything. They came to another intersection and the light was red and they just cruised right through it.

Didn't even slow down. And then she really began to wonder about her own sanity. And she was getting rather nervous at the third intersection. Sure enough, it happened again. She couldn't let it go this time. And so she turned to her friend and said, Millie, did you know that we just ran three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both. And Millie said, oh my, am I driving? Have you done that yourself? Have you ever gone along? And then what was in the last two miles of that road?

Point is, wake up. You know, you're behind the wheel. You're about to drive in the deep fog of some area that is now intersected with your life. So far in Romans 14, we've uncovered several principles that help us through the gray areas of life. We've uncovered the principle of protection. That is, we ought to choose to accept and protect the weaker and younger brothers and sisters in the faith. We have uncovered the principle of reputation, that what others see in us should be nothing less than the stamp of Christ's holy character. We have discovered the principle of consideration. Paul encouraged us, as it were, not to be on a demolition team, but to be a member of a construction crew, building up the lives of our brothers and sisters in the household of faith.

Now Paul will bore a little deeper as he provides another insight in how to drive through the fog, alert and alive. It's the principle of conviction. Let's pick it up with verse 22, where we left off. The faith which you have, have is your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself and what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin. Now before we unpack what Paul is giving us in the idea of convictions, I want you to notice at the very beginning of verse 22, it's nothing less than a plea for humility and deference. The strong are not to go around setting right the weak.

Going around, as we've already talked about, looking for the speck, but to protect and care for and in fact, keep some things perhaps to yourself. The faith which you have, have is your own conviction before God. Now in Paul's day, the strong would have been considered to be the Pharisee, right? The strict observers of the law. The trouble is by the first century, public shows of religious piety by the Pharisees had turned into theatrical productions and there were benefit performances every single day in front of adoring, mesmerized crowds. Whether it was giving, fasting or praying, they had the performance down pat.

They never missed a line. The Lord in his Sermon on the Mount, he clearly warned the believer, and I'll paraphrase his words, to beware of practicing righteousness before men to be noticed by them. He said, when you give money in Matthew 6, don't do it to be seen by men. When you pray, don't pray like the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in order to be seen by men. When you fast, don't put on a gloomy face in order to be seen fasting by men. In other words, even though these things might be done publicly, don't do them with such a display that people will ooh and ah. That person's got holiness down pat.

Be careful. The problem with public piety is that it needs new rules added all the time to keep the expectations high of holiness and more complex rules to keep everyone convinced that you are holy. So by the time of Paul's writing of this letter, the Pharisees who studied the law of Moses had ended up tacking on hundreds of regulations for the faithful Jew to follow. The rabbis, in attempting to show that they were in fact not working on the Sabbath, allowed for man to ride a donkey on the Sabbath.

But if he took along with him a switch to speed the donkey up, that would be bearing a burden upon this donkey. A woman was not allowed on the Sabbath to look into a mirror, lest she be tempted upon seeing a gray hair to pluck it out. And that would be work on the Sabbath. They took the simple commandment to avoid adultery. And they added the specifications that you should never ever talk to a woman in public.

Or, if you could, not even look at one. So when the Pharisees went out in public they were probably at times almost comical to watch as they kept their heads down. Some of them came to be known affectionately as bleeding Pharisees because they kept their heads so lowered for fear of looking or even talking to a woman that they bumped their heads into walls and wagons and posts and they wore their bruises as badges of honor. Paul is saying to these Roman believers who want to be holy, you're looking at the wrong model. Yes, you will have convictions, but some perhaps are kept between you and the Lord. That's humility rather than having an opinion on everything for everything. Paul is reminding them then, don't press your heartfelt beliefs on others. Don't flaunt your piety, especially in matters of things that could be private discipline and personal holiness.

You could literally render the first phrase of verse 22, you, that's the emphasis in the Greek construction. You, I'm talking to you. You can't get away from that. You, the faith that you have, keep to yourself and God. Now that sounds odd, doesn't it?

We have to be careful here. Paul is not telling us never to share our faith with others. Faith is used rather, rather generously in the new Testament for a number of different things, depending on the context. He's already made it clear that we're to declare our faith. He said in Romans chapter 10, how are they going to call upon the name of the Lord if they've never heard of the Lord? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the what? By the word of God. So you have to understand Paul's statement there in the context of Romans 14, he's dealing with gray areas. He's dealing with things where the Bible isn't conclusive or clear. He says, be careful about your opinion, maybe even your conviction on those things.

Don't brag about it. Don't impose them on others. Don't hold them up as everybody else's standard and if they were only as holy as you, they'd do that or they'd not do that too. Unless you're asked about some of your personal convictions, you might even keep some of them to yourselves. Let me break down this idea of developing personal convictions. I think it'll help in clearing some of this up as we discover, as I present to you, there are three levels of personal belief, three ascending levels and each one of them a little bit more clear and with more biblical support. Number one or level number one is what we could call a personal preference.

I would define a personal preference as a choice based on personal feelings and background and tastes. Even though the word is silent, doesn't really address that issue. You're confident and you're comfortable as you talk with the Lord about it and you read the word.

You don't know of any scripture that forbids the thing that you're doing, but there isn't a verse that tells you to do it or not to do it. It's just your preference. You might even change your mind. You might feel strongly about it today and five years from now, you'll feel differently about it. That's the first level of developing convictions, the level of personal preference.

That's the easy part. The second level would be what we could call personal certainty. This could be defined as an application, not of your feelings or your background or your tastes, but an application of scripture to your walk with Christ.

But be careful. On the second level, the Bible still is not specifically addressing that issue. It's just as you study and believe the weight of biblical instruction and the nuance of some phrase or verse, it is in general in favor of what you're doing. You do know that it wouldn't be against what you are doing. So you become in your own heart certain about this decision.

This is to be applauded by the way. We have too many Christians that live in the arena of preference. Well, it's just what I like. I haven't thought about it. It's just me never ransacking the word to see if something could be applied that would relate to something you're struggling with as you develop those certainties of life.

Let me give you one illustration that is hand has for the last several years been growing. I've talked with many parents who use different parts of scripture, the application of scripture to defend their choice related to their children's education. Some go to the word of God and they say, I can apply that and prove my child should go to public school. Others go to the word of God and say, I can use that and prove my child ought to go to a Christian school. Others take a verse of scripture say, I can apply that and prove that I should teach my children at home. Three different camps within any given church, all three armed and dangerous.

We have our verse. My wife and I had the privilege of seeing our children in a public school setting. We saw them lead kids to faith in Christ in the first grade. In fact, one of our sons came home.

It was like three days in a row. I had somebody, a little Lord in the playground. We got a little suspicious. I finally asked him, what do you say? And he said, well, I go out there in the playground. I say to my friends, do you want to die and go to hell?

No. I pray with me. He said, it works every time. We have homeschooled our children for many years. And I use the word we generously there.

And we've had them in Christian school for years. We tried all three and I can say with great authority, none of them work. I would add the word perfectly. And now that everyone's upset with me, what are we to do? Talk it out.

Pray it through. Discuss it as husbands and wives. Ask others their opinion and experience. Consider your own children and their particular bent and their needs.

Having four kids, we can say that each had different bends and needs. Are there verses of scripture that the Spirit of God is impressing on your heart related to this issue? And even though it doesn't specifically speak to that, that's how you're relating it. And that's how you feel the freedom of God to apply it. Then apply it.

Make it a level of certainty as you enter into that. It's an area of Christian liberty. I am deeply concerned, however, as I watch differing opinions stockpiling ammunition for future battles. And let me tell you, the world is watching.

In fact, they've already bought tickets for ringside and they love it. Paul says in the latter part of verse 22, happy is he who does not condemn himself. And what? He approves.

That word approve is already shown up. What he tests, you're thinking it through. And even though there is liberty, you're spending time testing it and reflecting on it and praying about it.

You could translate it this way. Happy is the believer who does not sense guilt in his conscience when he does something that he's thought through and judged to be right. Again, these are not doctrinal issues. They are not matters of heaven or hell. But don't misunderstand. This is not grounds for intellectual apathy. This is not grounds for sloppy thinking.

I'm never going to pray. No, Paul says, think. I call you to judge, to approve, to test.

Stay alert and awake behind the wheel. Gray matters, I believe, are intended by God to drive us to our knees. So if you're struggling with one of them, I applaud you for struggling. What you choose to do might be different than anybody else, but your sense of certainty and confidence in the Lord gives you the freedom to decide.

And you've arrived at the second level that I want to call personal certainty. Let me give you an illustration from a few years back. Hudson Taylor was the pioneer missionary that we all applaud and who really opened the land of China in a unique way. In fact, today, they're still expanding on the fruit that he initiated. After being there for some time, he realized that respect of him as a religious teacher among the people was what it ought to be.

It was impeded. And what he discovered it to be was the impediment of his Western clothing. And so he did something that no other missionary had ever dared to do. He decided to take on the customary robe of a teacher. And more dramatically, he chose to wear the pigtail or the cue of the Chinese teacher. He wrote his letter, a letter to his sister in these rather shocking details.

And I quote, I had better tell you at once that on Thursday last at 11 p.m., he's writing in the late 1800s here, I resigned my locks to the barber, dyed my hair a good black, and in the morning had a proper cue woven into the back of my own hair. Then in Chinese dress, I set out. You can imagine the reaction back home.

In fact, there was a scandal in England. He lost support without ever being contacted. He eventually began his own mission board calling it the China Inland Mission.

By the time Hudson Taylor passed away in 1905, there were 800 missionaries under his leadership, over 1,000 missionary posts throughout China, and 120,000 registered believers in churches. He had become convinced of an application of Paul's own personal testimony that he believed would be fitting to him, where Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9.22, I become all things to all men that I might win some. The first level in developing convictions is personal preferences by means of an application of feelings and background and tastes. The second level is personal certainty by means of an application of some passage of scripture that may address the issue.

The third level, which is the most astringent, it is the most supported, and the most clear, is what we would call personal commands. These are decisions based on the clear teachings of scripture. The Bible specifically addresses the issue, and there is no doubt, it isn't a matter of confusion, it becomes a matter of submission. This is the will of God that you abstain from immorality, 1 Corinthians 6.18. You never have to pray about that. Sexual relations outside of marriage, it isn't a matter of confusion, it's a matter of submission. In James 2.11, the writer says, do not murder someone. It's clear. You never have to ask the Lord during your devotions if you can kill your boss.

It's pretty clear in that text you're not supposed to do that. Have a thankful spirit, Philippians 4. Give financially with joy, 1 Corinthians 16. Don't be greedy, Ephesians 5. Walk honestly, Romans 13. Don't murmur, 1 Corinthians 10. Don't envy, Galatians 5. Don't be absent from the assembly of Hebrews 10. Love your enemies, Matthew 5. Don't love the world, 1 John 2, and on and on and on and on and on.

The implication, I think, would be obvious. Perhaps if we spent more time obeying what the Bible clearly says, we would spend less time agonizing over things the Bible doesn't clearly say. But maybe you're asking, does this mean I can do anything the Bible doesn't specifically address?

If it doesn't address it, then I guess you're telling me, whoo! Hold on. Verse 23. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin. Here's a simple rule of thumb.

As a believer, this is assuming that you're pursuing the Spirit of God for wisdom and you are in the Word of God. When in doubt, what? Don't.

Simple rule of thumb. If your conscience nibbles away at you with guilt, stop. Don't go there. When doubtful to you as to whether or not it will uphold your faith in the glory of Christ's character and the righteousness of God's name, stop. It's far better to err on stopping than continuing on with your conscience troubled within you. Don't allow, then, Paul is saying, your liberty to drag your conscience through the mud of doubt and guilt. But I have had some say to me, in fact, many, Stephen, you sound like a legalist. If you feel guilty about doing something that the Bible doesn't say you're not supposed to do, then you ought to just get over it. If you're not doing something the Bible doesn't command you not to do, just get past it.

You must be a legalist. Well, let me give you three very important words as you pursue balance in this area of gray issues. Number one would be the word liberty. And I have defined Christian liberty this way, choosing to make lifestyle choices out of love for Christ and others.

You have the liberty to make choices in life. What are you going to do about your children? What are you going to let them wear? What are you wearing?

Have you ever thought about it? What are you going to do for entertainment? What are you reading?

What's your leisure like? Or diet? Liberty does not say, I now have the freedom to do whatever I want to do. No, liberty says, I now have the freedom to do whatever Jesus Christ wants me to do. Liberty does not say, I have the freedom to do anything that makes my life better. No, Christian liberty says, I have now the right and liberty to make my brother and sister's life better.

It's a higher standard. That's true Christian liberty. Now there are two extremes to this one word.

Let me give them to you one at a time. One extreme would be known as legalism. And this word is used way more than it ought to be used, especially in the evangelical church. Mention a rule and you're a legalist.

Well, let's think about it for a moment. I would define legalism as the belief that by choosing to mimic external codes, you earn the favor of God. Now the tragic flaw in legalism is the belief that we must win God's approval by following a list of rules in areas where he's never clearly spoken at all about. You don't understand that what makes legalism wrong is not a set of rules.

You're not a legalist because you follow rules. In fact, all of you follow rules. You go to your job tomorrow and there are rules that you'll follow. They tell you when to show up. They even have a dress code. They tell you how many vacation days you can take and how much time you can spend on the phone.

And maybe you have to log with them how often you're on the computer and where. All those rules. That's not legalism. It isn't rules. It's the belief that rules are tantamount to righteousness.

So the Jewish man in an Israeli hotel yesterday got on the special Shabbat elevator that's sort of planned and programmed to stop at every floor so that he does not have to work by pushing a button. The young believer in South Africa will do as he is told that it's wrong to pray with his hands in his pockets. God isn't listening then. All these have this in common, legalism, the belief that God and his grace and his attention and love is earned because you didn't put your hands in your pockets. Liberty, legalism, there's another extreme to avoid and that is libertinism. The old King James would use the word licentiousness.

Libertinism is when a person chooses to manipulate whatever necessary to please himself regardless of God and regardless of other people. That also has crept into the church. It's nothing less than a license to sin.

I have liberty. I will sin. And Paul dealt with this with the Romans. Shall we sin and shall that sin abound so that grace can abound? In other words, God's forgiven you so can you just do anything you want? God forbid, he said. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2 16, don't use your liberty as a covering for evil. To the Galatians, Paul warned, don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.

We can do that, can't we? It is the height of arrogance and pride. Libertinism will destroy your life and destroy lives around you. It will hinder the testimony of Christ.

It can ruin the purity and testimony of a church as the church simply takes on the appearance and the behavior of a pagan world. I read recently the story of a missionary who had served in Laos a number of years ago before the national boundaries were set between Laos and Vietnam. There was confusion along the border areas of which country could tax the people. Where were they exactly? Which country did they belong to? Which kingdom did they follow? Actually, the choices the people made were able to give discernment and make the decision easy. The Laotians ate short grain rice, built their houses on stilts and decorated them with Indian style serpents.

The Vietnamese, on the other hand, ate long grain rice, built their houses directly on the ground and decorated their homes with Chinese style dragons. So for taxation purposes, the location of a person's house was not what determined their nationality. Instead, each person was taxed by the country whose values they had adopted as a way of life. It's true for us as well. Our choices reflect the values we have adopted.

So stay alert at the wheel. This principle of conviction happens to be revealing the kingdom to which our hearts truly belong. As you're forming your personal convictions, keeping in mind the three principles you've learned today will really help you. Some of your convictions are a personal preference, some are a personal certainty, and some are based on personal commands. Knowing the difference helps you live as God commands and walk wisely through life. Stephen called this lesson living on three levels. If you want to listen again or share this lesson with a friend, you'll find it on our website, wisdomonline.org or on the Wisdom International smartphone app. I'm Scott Wiley. We'll continue through this series next time here on Wisdom for the Heart.