Three Types of Convictions

And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 13:3-9 ESV)

How convinced are we of the Bible and its teaching? This morning at JSM Sunday Service, Rev Gerard spoke of three types of conviction:

Public Conviction
King Herod asked the wise men to go to Bethlehem to search for the child Jesus and tell him where Jesus was found so that he could also go and worship him (Matthew 2:8). Herod publicly confessed his conviction, but his real intention was to kill Jesus.

Private Conviction
Peter told Jesus that even if everyone ran away, he would never run away (Matthew 26:33), even if he has to die (Matthew 26:35). This was Peter's conviction but it could not withstood the test of reality. In the end, he denied his Lord three time (Mark 14:66-72).

Core Conviction
Finally, there is a conviction in us where we know that it is true. For example, the Law of Gravity. We would never walk at the edge of a high building if there are no railings. We know we may fall and kill ourselves.

Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:5-8 ESV)

It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, even though God had told him, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted." Abraham reasoned (λογισάμενος) that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead. (Hebrews 11:17-19 NLT)

Abraham believed that God is true (like the Law of Gravity) and truth never contradict. Based on this conviction, Abraham was able to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice. Now, this is what I would call hard core conviction.

It is an irony that we have such strong convictions about the Law of Gravity, which will pass away when this current creation passes away (Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1), but less conviction in the Word of God, which shall never pass away (Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33).

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35 ESV)

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelation 21:1 ESV)