The necessity of conviction...

t was about a month ago...

That two Mormon Missionaries entered into my life. After trying to meet up for breakfast for almost a month, we finally connected on Monday.

Throughout the almost 2 hours together I found out many things about their "missionary journey" that was unknown to me. For example, Mondays are there "preparation day", or when they are able to do their shopping and "prep" for the week ahead. Every six months they are moved to different locations, that are left undisclosed to them, until they receive the call. They do not watch TV and they begin each morning at 6:30 am.

What about their beliefs...

Well I shared my conviction based upon the word, motivated by the words of Paul in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" And what was the gospel Paul was preaching?

"1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,"

According to the Scriptures:
- Jesus is fully God and fully man. John 1 and Phil. 2
- Jesus death is sufficient payment for our sin. Romans 5:18-19 and Hebrews 10
- We are saved by faith alone. Ephesian 2:8-9 and Romans 5:1
- We have security in Christ. John 10:27-30

After I finished asking questions and sharing the faith based upon my conviction and scripture alone, they had to leave. I hope and pray that we do get to meet again! Why? For the purpose Paul speaks about his fellow Jews in Romans 9: 1-3.

The saddest part about the entire breakfast was the realizatoin God hit me with when I left the restaurant!

You see, as I sat and asked these guys some questions, they had answers but their answers were very weak, based upon man's knowledge and a regurgitation of what they have been fed. I had alot of questions that they could not answer or give reasoning to. As I walked out today, God showed me that many Christians today are like the two "missionaries" I was sitting across from and I represented the world without Christ.

Today, followers of THE WAY, lack answers the seeking world is longing for. We lack conviction upon our beliefs. And as the world sits in front of us seeking these answers all they see in response is a fidgety, insecure Christ follower, that shows no signs of the power and security Christ has offered in his conquering of death and sin!

We must begin to show conviction in that which we say we believe in.

I close with the words of Paul on his conviction:

For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day