Pastor Brendan Kelly - Conviction versus Tradition

The question 'What makes our church different from all the other churches?' can trigger a lot of thoughts.

The best approach to this kind of question is to consider it's not really about how we 'differ' but more about what we emphasise.

The thing we emphasise in this church ought to be conviction over tradition. 

Churches ought to be known for the convictions they hold to over the traditions they follow. We need to ask ourselves 'can others tell what I believe?'

UNBEARABLE TRADITIONS

• In Acts 15 we read about many 'Gentiles' becoming disciples (or Christians). These Gentiles did not know nor follow the 'customs and traditions' the Jewish Christians did.  As such, the Jewish Christians started to insist that for the Gentiles to be really saved they must pursue and maintain some of the Jewish customs (customs of Moses) such as circumcision. The topic of these 'traditions' caused dissension among some of them.

This is Paul's response:

'Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ[a] we shall be saved in the same manner as they.' Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. Acts 15:10-12

• The Jews expected people to come to salvation in the same manner they did.
• We don't want to be more concerned with our 'pentecostal-isms' (practices and traditions) above the simplicity of salvation.
• If we hold conditional customs above salvation, we test God.
• Our churches need to be places where our conviction outweighs our tradition. 
• To insist on customs and traditions is to put a 'yoke' or burden on people.

Many times, we can't even bear to follow these traditions perfectly ourselves. This is why so many see 'the church' as being full of hypocrites—people who insist on the following of traditions that they don't even follow perfectly themselves.

• In verse 11, we read the conviction that should outweigh the tradition: we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.
• Our heart would be to take our emphasis off our traditions and refocus it onto the conviction that it is all about grace.
• Talk and arguments about customs can go on forever, but we read in verse 12 that when we declare something from a place of conviction, we are sharp and to the point and the 'multitude' have nothing left to say.
• If you start talking about tradition over conviction, you set yourself up for arguments and opinions that get you nowhere. You get a lot farther with people when it’s conviction that speaks.
• Traditions are a burden; convictions are freeing.
• It’s not uncommon for people to consider the church as a mob of hypocrites because we can't even perfect our own traditions.

OUR CORE CONVICTION: We believe Jesus is the Christ and in Him we have the promise of eternal life because we know the love of the Father.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PREFERENCE AND CONVICTION

There is a difference between doing something because it is your preference and doing something out of conviction. 

After research and study into the difference between preference and conviction, the US Supreme Court concluded a conviction was:

1. Something you would stand alone for (even if it means you'd lose all your friends and family).
2. Something you'd refuse to negotiate a compromise for.
3. You don't need anyone else to keep reminding you/pushing you toward it.

They found conviction to be so strong that even the threat of a lawsuit or jail will not cause someone to falter on their conviction. Irrespective of facing harassment, duress, punishment, consequences—even if what they face is unjust, they will not negotiate on their conviction.

Confronting thought: If we consider what they describe to be a 'preference', most of us attend church as a preference. It suits us, but we wouldn't sacrifice anything for it. *

JESUS

Jesus understood the necessity of the cross because He had a conviction that it was the will of the Father.

• He went alone; His disciples failed to stand by Him.
• He did not negotiate on the fact He was the Son of God.
• He faced the most unjust circumstances—and it took His life.

Would Jesus be saying to us 'If you say Jesus is the Christ and the way to eternal life, would you be prepared to stand by that no matter what unjust things happened in your life? Even if you lost the lot? And even if no one else was standing there, except you? Even at the expense of your life?'

Are we people who follow the example of Jesus Christ?

JOB

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him. Job 13:15-16

• Our 'own ways' are our convictions.
• Our lives are His—we gave our lives to Him when we became a Christian; we need to be prepared to stand for Him and trust in Him.
• 'A hypocrite could not come before him': if we just keep talking about our practices and traditions, which we can’t even perfect, how could we possibly stand before God, based on the things we say we should do but don't?

CONCLUSION

From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Gal 6:17

• In this verse, Paul was saying that nothing else matters, except what happens in his life that was for the Lord Jesus Christ. 
• We want to simplify it all by continuing to emphasise and be known only for our convictions. The rest is superfluous.

The only way we are saved is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:6

If we say 'I am Christ's', then we should walk just as He walked.

*Source:  Conviction versus Preference by Attorney David C. Gibbs, Jr. Accelerated Christian Education.