Preferences, Convictions, Absolutes

“Therefore, do not let your good be slandered, for the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17

Yesterday our Pastor gave a really cool exposition from Romans 14. He reminded us that as believers we need to be NUTS! The church ought to be filled with NUTS! Imagine your church sign reading: NUTS RESIDE HERE!

His acronym for NUTS = Never underestimate the Spirit! I like that. That is the way we should live our lives. But we do get hung up on some pretty weird stuff. You’ve heard this quote: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials liberty; in all things, love.” It’s true. Except that for many of us we have it all backwards.

We tend to make our PREFERENCES our CONVICTIONS and our CONVICTIONS our ABSOLUTES. That isn’t biblical Christianity. Let me illustrate what I believe to be ABSOLUTES: the inerrancy of Scripture, the virgin birth, salvation through Christ and His finished work on the cross. Those are just a few of the many ABSOLUTES (essentials) of the Christian life.

CONVICTIONS: Water-baptism by immersion vs. sprinkling and differing views on eschatology (End times theology) are just two examples. There have been great scholars on both sides of these issues. Based on your convictions (non-essentials) is how you interpret positions like this.

PREFERENCES (non-essesentials): Styles of worship. Dress style for church. Translations. Those are just a few to get your juices flowing.

The first church I served in as a Worship Leader (Choir Director), I also served as a Deacon. We had to take turns preparing communion. My first Sunday to serve communion, I came wearing a blue sport coat and tan slacks. I used store brand grape juice and matzo. I found out very quickly that you can only serve communion if you were a black suit, white shirt and red tie. I committed the unpardonable sin by not using Welch’s grape juice!

There is NOTHING in the Bible that says what you are to wear to serve communion, and certainly nothing that sets Welch’s grape juice as the authorized version of communion juice … in fact, the founder didn’t start making his product until 1869! Somehow he missed the Last Supper! This church tried to make an absolute out of a preference. Preference? Absolutely!  Conviction? If that is what they wanted to set as their standard, I’ll buy that. But certainly not an ABSOLUTE.

Pastor Dave reminded us that I can certainly have fellowship with those who don’t hold to my convictions and preferences. They are non-essentials, and in all things, we are reminded to have love, even for those with whom we have disagreement.

What are those areas of your thinking that you have turned preferences into convictions and convictions into absolutes? Take some time today and work through Romans 14. It will be good for you and for me to help us understand how we should be living today. – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

GPS – God’s Positioning System: Exodus 25-27; Psalm 35; Proverbs 7

Compass Pointers: Christianity is the total commitment of all I know of me to all I know of Jesus Christ. William Temple

Navigation Rules: Level 1: Proverbs 6:23; Level 2: Proverbs 6:12-19

Anchored to the Rock: Cold prayers, like cold suitors, are seldom effective in their aims. Jim Elliot