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The supreme virtue in a culture devoid of conviction is tolerance. Tolerance used to mean putting up with someone or something that you do not like or agree with. This belief is consistent with what Paul said in Romans 15:7. The “new” tolerance is different—it tells us that what every individual believes is equally right or valid. In other words, all values, beliefs, lifestyles and truth claims are equally valid. One of the differences between prejudice and conviction is that preju­dice is based on ignorance and conviction is based on evidence. If morality is relative then the convictions that Christians espouse have no basis. If there is no absolute moral truth, then there is no basis for Christian convictions. True tolerance does not involve the watering down of our convictions to the lowest common denominator. True tolerance separates the person from the opinion. We commit to treat each other with respect even when we don’t agree with one another’s beliefs, values, practices or point of view. Political correctness is based on relative morality and seeks to put social pressure on Christians to conform to their secular humanistic point of view. It does not encourage people to think for themselves, nor does it accept those who subscribe to absolute moral truth. Those who espouse to relative truth are absolutely sure there is no absolute truth.

What can we do?

We can pray for godly wisdom (Jas. 1:5) and diligently heed the Scriptures that warn us of these dangers: the world, the flesh and the devil. We can seek to cultivate the character and conduct of Christ and follow the Biblical admonitions to model, train and teach our children to stand alone for God by developing godly convictions. We must develop convictions concerning how we should live to best please God and how we can successfully confront the dangers of this world—by learning to do God’s will, God’s way. In short, we can ask God to give us the knowledge, desire and power to live in a way that is pleasing to Him.

What are convictions?

The word “conviction” comes from “convictio.” Convictions are strong beliefs or truths that one is fully convinced of, having been persuaded by evidence or argument and not merely subjective feelings. We have a conviction when we are thoroughly convinced or fully persuaded that something is true. Convictions are more than personal preferences or subjective opinions; they involve strong beliefs that manifest themselves in actions. A conviction is a strong belief that we have obediently made a part of our life and practice. Having convictions is being so thoroughly convinced that something is absolutely true that you take a stand for it regardless of the consequences. Paul said that “the Gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction” (1 Thess.1: 5)

Next Week: How are convictions different from standards?