Imagine a fellowship hall on a Wednesday night. Someone brings up the church fall festival, and within a few minutes, two people are exchanging verses. One person leaves the room and the other has headed for the parking lot. Its sad because the conversation became more about being right and in control than answering the original question that no one even remembers.
Anyone who has spent significant time around church people has witnessed a similar scene. Here’s what I’ve learned to ask when it begins: “Can you show me where the Word says that?” If the answer is yes, we open the Bible and obey it. If the answer is no, then what we’re holding is a personal conviction, and a personal conviction is different from doctrine.
I’ve consistently told the people I pastor that if a particular topic is mentioned in the Bible, I’ll preach about it. However, if I can’t find any reference to it in the Bible, I won’t preach for or against it, regardless of the pressure I face. Over the years, some individuals have requested that I take a stand against things like Christmas trees, Easter Celebrations, and Fall Festivals. I’ve thoroughly searched the Bible and I couldn’t find any specific chapter or verse that denies these practices. Therefore, I don’t consider them to be unbiblical and feel they fall in the categories of personal preference or conviction.
That doesn’t mean your personal convictions are worthless. Romans chapter 14:5 states that each person should be fully convinced in their own mind of what is right or wrong. If God has addressed a matter to you, obey Him. However, don’t simply pass on your personal conviction to others as if it were divine revelation. Doctrine binds everyone because God has declared it. A conviction binds you because God has specifically spoken to you.
Acts chapter 17:11 reveals that the believers in Berea were genuinely enthusiastic about receiving Paul’s message. They diligently returned home and diligently examined the Scriptures daily to verify the accuracy of his teachings. It’s remarkable to consider that they were scrutinizing an Apostle, and Luke himself regarded them as more noble for their unwavering commitment to this process.
A truly effective pastor recognizes the importance of this process and is not threatened by questions. If anything I say fails to withstand the scrutiny of an open Bible and a cup of coffee at your kitchen table, it should not be embraced or accepted.
Jesus was straightforward about this in Mark chapter 7:8-9. He confronted the religious leaders, accusing them of abandoning God’s commandment in favor of human traditions. Contrary to their perception, they were not lazy individuals; they were devoted. However, this devotion to the wrong thing was deceptive because it felt just as genuine as devotion to the right one.
Let me be clear: embrace doctrine around the principles outlined in the Word and discard, as doctrine, those principles that are not mentioned there. Adhering to the Word is not a sign of weakness. It requires more courage to assert, “I don’t find that in Scripture” in a room that expects you to agree than it does to conform.
This is not an invitation to disregard anything that feels inconvenient. What Scripture identifies as sin remains sin, and the Word is not subject to my emotions or yours. The test applies equally to both sides.
Treating a personal preference (or conviction) like a commandment is where a lot of fault finding starts. I wrote about that in what Jesus actually condemned in Matthew chapter 7, and it connects here. It also drifts toward control, which is why a shepherd is never an owner, something I dug into in why you were never meant to own the people you lead.
And if you find yourself in that fellowship hall with a verse on the tip of your tongue, remember you do not have to win the moment. Defending what you believe without needing to win starts with gentleness and a clear reason, in that order.
Hold the Word tightly and hold your opinions with an open hand. Most of the heat in church life would cool off right there, and the people God sent us to reach would find a lot less to stumble over.
I wrote Presence Driven for people who want a faith built on Jesus Himself and not on borrowed rules. You can grab the free ebook at jonathanvorce.com and see for yourself.
Remember..."The Word Will Work, If You Work the Word."
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