There are as many religious convictions as there are souls accountable before God.
One of the things that holds us back from evangelism is our fear of offending others. Not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings, we either stick to points of agreement or stay silent all together. Of course, our reluctance to let the Gospel move the emotions of the sinner as God sees fit, says a lot about us. It indicates that our convictions are probably not as strong as they should be.
But it is not just the strength of our convictions that matter. For if the strength of our convictions is not matched by the quality of our convictions, it is doubtful that we will have much impact on anyone for Jesus. The proof of this is easily seen in the religious world around us. Though many propagate their doctrines with zeal to spare, their teachings have no saving-value at all.
The apostle Paul, who himself had been full of “zeal without knowledge,” had all his senses confronted—all at once—on the Road to Damascus. Up until meeting Jesus, it was his conviction that Jesus and his church were not of God; and thus, to be destroyed. If anyone understood what it meant to “be transformed by the renewing of the mind,” it was Paul.
It is true that part of the transformation of our minds is achieved by avoiding worldly behaviours and practising acts of kindness. But it is the presence and will of the Holy Spirit who is at the heart of transformation. Paul says,
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Romans 8:5NIV).
John Staiger
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