A Persuasion or Three or More...

We all have convictions, persuasions, and opinions. Convictions are those things that we are willing to part company over. Persuasions are those things that we are convinced of and will argue but we are unwilling to break a relationship over. Opinions are things we think are true but will not argue for. When I was young I had many, many convictions. Now, many of my convictions have become persuasions and a number of persuasions have become opinions.

Ever since I hit publish on the previous post I have been wondering what my other convictions are. I have been asking myself about those other things about which I would break relationship over or that I would be willing to die for. As I worked through each belief that I thought would be a conviction I realized that each one was in some way derivative of the three convictions that I have already laid out (Resurrection, Trinity, Scriptures).

I have also been thinking about those things that I once held as convictions that have now become persuasions. I used to have so many convictions. I was willing to part ways over a great many things and I believed without a shadow of a doubt that I was correct about all of them. 

Here are some of my changes, beliefs that have moved from conviction to persuasion: 

• Women in ministry: I was at one time a strict complementarian (meaning no women should have an ministry roles where they have leadership over men). This caused a great deal of consternation for me as a staff person with Campus Crusade for Christ. My position is significantly more nuanced now. As with most of my persuasions it no longer fits neatly under a label. 
• Charismatic gifts: I used to be a cessationist (I believed that all miraculous giftings had ceased). My views are more in line with a general acceptance now that fits with the Reformed stream of thought. 
• Inerrancy: I am persuaded that the Scriptures are without error in the original manuscripts. I have no doubt that they are. None. However, I don't think that this is an issue that I am willing to die for. Authority is the bigger issue. To be very clear, I am a thoroughgoing inerrantist, I will argue until I am blue in the face that the Scriptures are without error in their original manuscripts.
• Christian Worldview is Necessary for Salvation: This sounds strange, I know. But, as I evaluate my walk with God I am confident that this was a conviction of mine. I had a list of things that people needed to believe beyond faith in Jesus. One had to be pro-life, a young earth creationist, and so many others or you couldn't be a follower of Jesus. 

This list is probably not exhaustive. However, these four things were pretty significant shifts for me. Each one holding with it a story and some tough wrestling with the Scriptures and with God.