Conviction Over Compromise
One could easily argue that without conviction there would be no reformation. Martin Luther famously said:
Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason… I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.
Martin Luther was on the chopping block for his convictions, and he could have selfishly put them aside and lived a much more peaceful life. This is true of all reformers. Through reading God’s Word, the Holy Spirit illuminates God’s way, and therefore, man’s error. Once God’s way is known in a man’s conscience, he has two options: obey or compromise.
A foundational truth must be understood to move forward:
Fear of God produces conviction. Fear of man produces compromise.
When we do not have a fairly good grasp on what God actually says, we are much more prone to compromise on what we think He says. In the days of the reformers, most people knew God’s Word second hand through clergy, teachers, and tradition. This is not unlike our biblical knowledge today. Most of what we believe the Bible says comes from what we have learned from preachers, Bible study teachers, and traditions. The real tragedy today is that this is still true even though we have more access to the Bible than ever before.
It is when we study for ourselves what the Bible says that we will grow bold enough to stand on our convictions and begin reforming our own homes to be godly homes as Scripture defines. The more we study, the more we will recognize the philosophies that have become strongholds in our thinking and decision making.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ
2 Corinthians 10:5
Every decision we make is based off of some philosophy or belief system that has taken root in our decision making process. As we read Scripture, we should be allowing time to consider what philosophies we believe that relate to the passage. Does our thinking fall in line with God’s Word or does our thinking conflict with His Word? Likewise, as we go through the day, we will hear various thoughts and viewpoints. Before we let those views become our views, we must weigh them against the truth of the Bible. Do we then accept the view or reject it? This is a constant process.
I believe this process is a place where we will find that maturing Christians will do quite a bit of repenting. An action is something done. We may regret an action and it is relatively easy to say that we have repented of it - we just don’t do it again. However, personal philosophies are at the root of most actions. Actions that lead to regret or require repentance often mean that we have believed something that is in conflict with God. It is here that we must recognize our tendency to adopt worldly thinking. As we begin to sift through our thoughts we will see more and more how much we have compromised on being obedient to God.
Repent. Turn away from world philosophies. Do not let the world’s wisdom in your house. Make decisions for your family based on God’s wisdom and instruction. This is reformation!