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CONVICTION—THE MISSING INGREDIENT

Moral erosion continues all across America. I have a theory as to why, and my theory can be summed up using one word – CONVICTION! Too many people have too little conviction about right and wrong and absolute truth.

In their book, The Day America Told the Truth, authors James Patterson and Peter Kim report that 74% of Americans will steal from those who “won’t miss it” and 64% will lie for convenience as long as “no one gets hurt.” They also state that 84% of Americans would break the rules of their religion and 81% have violated a law they felt to be

“inappropriate.” Only 30% say they would be willing to die for their religious “convictions” or for God. Most Americans (93%) say they alone decide what is right or wrong on moral issues, basing their decisions on their own experiences or whims.

The percentage of people who say they make moral judgments based on what God or Scripture tells them is only a mere 16%.

I don’t know what these statistics say to you, but they tell me that the missing ingredient in modern-day morality is—CONVICTION! It is one thing to talk about your religion, but it’s an entirely different thing to live it. A life without conviction concerning right and wrong leads to a life of moral compromise.

Convictions must be built according to a standard that is absolute--one that will not change with the cultural, mores, or whims of a society. God and God’s word does not change to accommodate the times.

Convictions must be rooted deep within the heart or they will be uprooted by the contamination of the culture one lives in. Convictions must be modeled in the church and in the home, or they will be compromised in the streets. Convictions must be owned

personally, or they will be disowned publicly. Hand-me-down convictions may look and sound good, but they will not sustain one during times of testing.

The person of conviction will pray as the Psalmist prayed as recorded in Psalm 119:9-10 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

I like how Abraham Kuyper put it years ago, “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith.” Country music singer, Aaron Tippin, says it this one of his songs, “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything,” so stand firmly on the word of God, regardless of the cultural winds that blow against you.  --Steve


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