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19. Strong convictions that are an Inch Deep are Dumb and Dangerous
Forrest Gump and the Marine Rifle Creed
Voddie Baucham
Song I wrote: Fritz Erbe
Welcome to the Drafted Man podcast, a podcast by men and four men who know they have been
drafted into the army of the Lord Jesus Christ by the will and good pleasure of the Father and by the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit.
Unselfishly, these men seek the glory, honor, and immortality that can only be found in the one and only God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
We confess that indeed there are no mighty men of God, only drafted men who have been given the unmatched pleasure of knowing and serving a mighty God.
Hello, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Drafted Man.
It's been a little bit. The last episode I uploaded was just some music I made. I'm actually going to upload one more song at the end of this podcast as well of this episode.
And I'll talk about that a little bit when we get there. But yeah, just a little bit of update just on my life if you're interested at all.
Well, I just remembered I just realized I'm sitting here shirtless. That's the beauty of modern day times. I guess doing podcasts just through the voice and not video.
But if you're wondering, just think I guess Brad Pitt in Troy. Yeah, that's that's pretty much what I look like.
But yeah, a little bit update. We had our baby girl, little Ruby, beautiful little girl. She's growing super healthy.
We had definitely a real concern for scare Betsy, averaged really badly and they don't really know exactly everything that went on.
But we were definitely very close to losing Betsy. And so I was sitting like 10 feet from her and the doctor was telling me I should probably prepare myself for the worst while I'm holding my, you know, five minute old baby.
But I just started texting people. Please pray. This is serious. I was praying myself. And, man, those doctors just took over and did a wonderful job. And God healed Betsy through those doctors for sure, through those prayers.
And so, yeah, she's like almost six weeks old now. Just a beautiful little girl. She sleeps a lot on me. I have a little football hold that I just, that she loves and I love.
We spend a lot of time together while sleeping basically. If she's not sleeping, she's feeding with mom. If she wants to sleep. And it's during the day and whatnot, she's sleeping with me.
So it's pretty awesome that way. And Jerry's birthday is coming up. Our son is turning six. We're really looking forward to being done with winter.
I am done with winter, especially where we're living now. There's like, there was like nine winters this winter, I think. And so I'm just done with it.
I just want to start hunting bear again and getting out in the woods and not having to worry about digging my claw out of the snow and getting stock and all that stuff.
And I'd like to walk around my yard with my shirt off again and get a tan and all that stuff. But, yeah, so let's get into it though. This week is a subject. I'm going to, I'm not sure what I'm going to title this podcast or this episode yet.
It's a, it's a, it's a thing that's been coming up a lot recently in the church that I've just been noticing. And so basically my working title right now is that there's strong, strong convictions that are an inch deep are dumb and dangerous.
And so we are indeed called to have strong convictions and stand on them with a clear conscience. But they're not just supposed to be things where you just happen to think of and they're just on really weak defenses. And a lot of hurt in the church comes from this.
A lot of unneeded disunity comes from this. People who have super strong convictions, but they suck at defending those convictions. And so we kind of have this idea in the church today.
It's like, hey, let's, let's keep everything shallow. Don't challenge my convictions, my conclusions. But, but when I want to stand on something strong, you got to respect that.
It kind of sounds like the world, actually, I feel this way. So you should respect it. I feel really strongly about it, though.
So that's creeping into the church, obviously. So just a reminder here, I think I spoke about this in the episode of the most dangerous commentary. And this kind of will piggyback on that episode for sure.
But the main verse today is again, second Timothy, 215, it says, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved a worker who has no need to be ashamed rightly handling the word of God.
So how do I not be ashamed? I rightly handle the word of God. So I was thinking of like a analogy for this. And what kept popping into my mind was like forest gump when he joined the army. And they're, they're a task that taking their gun apart, they're rifle apart and pointed back together.
As quickly as they could. And so forest gump just like does it so fast and his drill sergeant comes up beside him. I think it was it's a big black dude. He's like, forest, why did you do that so quickly?
And forest gump says, cause you told me to drill sergeant or whatever, it's a horrible forest gump. And I don't have a better forest gump impersonation than that. But because you told me to drill sergeant.
He's like, that's incredible. That's outstanding. Forest gump. You're going to be a general one day and all this stuff. And he's like, do it again. And so, but that also reminded me of like, um,
the Marine Corps has this thing called the rifle creed. And there's like six or seven points to it. I'm not going to go through all of them. But just the first point says this. This is my rifle.
There are many like it. But this one is mine. So I'm going to explain that first. And so here's this guy sitting at a table probably or
standing with his rifle or who knows. And he says, this is my rifle. There are many like it. But this one is mine. So I'm going to explain that first.
And so here's this guy sitting at a table probably or standing with his rifle or who knows. And he says, this is my rifle. There are many like it. But this one is mine. And what makes that creed?
If you will, that point of that creed have weight is that we're hopefully assuming. And I know the Marine Corps does this. They assume that when you say, this is my rifle. There are many like it. But this one is mine. It means that you know that rifle.
Super intimately. Like you could get blindfolded. You could take it apart. You can oil up the parts. You could put it back together. You could load it.
Right?
You can put one on the chamber. And then put your safety on. Ready to fire. Right? So you're sick. So they can say, this is my rifle. There are many like it. But this one is mine.
I want to for our analogy sake for the sake of like strong conviction. In order to have a strong conviction, you should have a very strong conviction.
So they can say, this is my rifle. There are many like it. But this one is mine. I want to for our analogy sake for the sake of like strong conviction, in order to have a strong conviction, you should have a very defendable, consistently defended interpretation of scripture.
So that when you draw a conclusion from what you read in scriptures, a creed or a conviction, some conclusion you've drawn, you say, here's how we should be based on this conviction.
You say, you should say, this is my conviction. There are many like it. But this one is mine. And so it's important to have conviction. Absolutely.
But if you just went up to that guy who had the rifle, you just said, all right, what do you know about this rifle? Oh, nothing. I just know it's a, it's an, it's an M16 or whatever they use today.
I don't know why I always think the M16 from like norm or something. But I think they're using like ARs now or something like that. But yeah, you're just like, all you know is like the name.
Yeah, but this is my rifle. And it's like, well, do you not have to take it apart? No. Do you not put it back together? No. Okay. Well, you're not very dangerous.
You're not very useful in the army. You just have the rifle. And so when someone has an interpretation, and they draw a conclusion of how we are to act or how we should honor God based on their interpretation.
They should be able to take that thing down, take it apart, put it back together. Right. Like they should go to exegy that so well. This should be able to break it down and build it back up.
Here's why I stand on this. Here's what this is my interpretation. There are many like it. But this one is mine. Right. Now they, now they can be respected for their interpretation.
Because we know blindfolded, they could tear it down, put it back together, and expose it, exegy it, explain it with consistency. Right. The second part of that, that point one of that create is there are many like it. Now if you say there, this is my interpretation, but no one else has it.
You know what that is? That's an unproven rifle.
You know, it has not gone through the test of time. There are not many like it.
You're incredibly dangerous in warfare. And there's no greater war, but levied than the war of the kingdom of being a soldier for Christ.
So if you say there's not many like it, you are dangerous.
So you need to make sure that your conclusion off of your interpretation is not only a conclusion that many in Christendom have held before and have held the test stood the test of time.
But that you use consistent permanence and exegesis and the perpetative skills and methods to get to your conclusion.
If not, incredibly dangerous. You're going into battle with an untested rifle based on your findings. Right. I don't want you in my army. Right.
It's my rifle. There are many like it. That this one is mine, that last part is so important. This one is mine.
Many like it is it my rifle there many like it, but this one is mine. There are many interpretations, there are many like it.
Right there this is my interpretation. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
That is so important. What if the the soldier
just picked up a random rifle off the ground. Right? He can say there's many like it,
but he can't say this one's mine. He hasn't spent time with it. He hasn't, he hasn't,
like one of the ways I test if somebody has a true conviction is if that conviction has caused
them to lose something near and dear to their heart. It's causing them pain, real pain,
because they held to a conviction that they would not let go of no matter what's happening to them,
because they are convinced by the word of God that their conviction is indeed true. And it would be
better to burn. It would be better to die. It'd be better to be tortured than to give up that.
That carries weight. Lost members in the church because the pastor wouldn't move on his conviction.
That carries weight. Yeah, that pastor's conviction better be right, those elders.
But that carries weight. This one is mine. This is mine. I'm intimate with it. I've spent time with it.
So my working conclusion or my working title still has strong convictions that are an
inch deep, are dumb, extremely dangerous. The title is kind of dumb, but you get the point.
So let me tell you something. I want to talk about unity a little bit, because this speaks so
much to unity in the church, because those soldiers, they have unity, don't they? Why do they have unity?
It's because they have the same rifle, and they're all incredibly intimate with it.
So there's some tribes out there in the church, right? That claim to have unity, and it looks
like they have unity from outside, and even when you're inside for a little bit, it looks like
they have unity, because they all have the same guns, right? They all carry the same guns.
So for the analogy sake, they all carry the same beliefs. They all have the same
conclusions, right? They can they can all recite, but you got a wonder. I don't really wonder
this much anymore. But if you haven't like looked into this, you have to wonder how many of them
can take their gun down and put it back together again from their own abiety. You come to them and
say, tell me your conclusion, tell me your belief, how we ought to act. Okay, now show me in scripture,
defend it consistently with proper exegesis, with consistent herminidics. Tell me what this has
cost to you. Could you do this blindfolded? Right? So they claim to have unity because they can
all recite the catechism or the creed. Right? They all have the gun. They've all been given the
gun. And these are powerful things, man. Like these guns, these creeds and these confessions,
these are powerful weapons. But do they do they honor them because they've spent time with them
and they could tell you why and how those creeds came to be. They can go to the scriptures and say,
this is why I recite this. This is where we get from scripture that are the chief end of man
is to glorify God and enjoy him forever, which is the point one of the West minister confession.
But that, how do I know that? Where in scripture am I taught that? So parents, if you're listening,
yes, catechize your children. Absolutely. Give them the the the the conclusions. Give them the
beliefs. Give them those holy creeds. But do not think that there is any sorts of unity between
your church because you all can say the same things. But that it shows that if it were to hit the
fan or if one rubber hits the road, these are their true and deep interpretations. But this one
is mine. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Now in other tribes and other circles,
some people claim to have unity for just as dangerous of a reason, maybe more dangerous.
But they'll say like, well, we're two or three are gathered. God is there and they're missed.
As if that, as if that verse has anything to do with justifying the unity of a church or a gathering,
if you're going to deal with Matthew 18, you better go to the fact that it deals with you know,
if you need to kick someone out of the church, then we're two or three are gathered there. I am
in your midst. So God's a green with their conclusion in church discipline. Anyway, go study it out.
But another thing, these type of tribes hold unity around. It's basically on, let's all be
ignorant, but they'll say, hey, as long as we agree on the essentials, we're good, right?
That's so unbiblical. We all need to be able to say this is my interpretation.
They're many like it, but this one is mine, right? So people without conviction,
so both are very dangerous. Having a strong conviction that is based on nothing,
you just have a strong opinion, right? It's very dangerous, but also not having a conviction is
very dangerous. I don't know, I should probably maybe meditate on a bit more or something like that,
but I don't know which one's more dangerous, not having a conviction or having a conviction that's
on sand, built on sand, but like no conviction. Josea 46 speaks to this. It says, my people perish
from a lack of knowledge. The church seems to hate this today at large. Like, so anti-intellectual,
it's crazy as if I'm not supposed to worship God with my mind as well as if I'm not accountable
for how I use my mind as if I could ever learn of God's specific knowledge without using my mind
or even natural knowledge. I like common knowledge by seeing the creation. I have to have my mind
in order to see creation or touch it or smell it or experience it. That all goes through the mind.
So that's the people without conviction, which they actually do have a conviction. Their conviction
is that they think ignorance is holy, right? We must not have that type of conviction. Ignorance is
not holy. In fact, God stopped allowing them to be as priest. Josea 46 because they were dumb,
big lack of knowledge. So that's dangerous, not having a conviction, but wrong conviction is the
opposite of 2nd Timothy 215. These are the people who don't handle the word of truth correctly.
They don't handle it rightly. That's wrong conviction. That's very dangerous as well.
So a person who doesn't know his rifle or doesn't have a rifle, very dangerous person when it comes
to war and we're in a war. So if you don't even have a rifle, anyway, but if you have a rifle and
you don't know how to use it, you don't respect it, just as dangerous. If not more, I should
lean that way more that people with bad convictions, wrong convictions, untrue convictions based on
falsehood are actually more dangerous because they can hurt a lot more people with a gun than the people
who don't even have a gun. That's right, lean anyway right now, but I know they're both extremely
dangerous. So many who have strong convictions that are an inch deep, what I mean by that is they
have a weak defenses of their convictions. But these people tend to try and pull the conscience
card. This will come up all the time with people who have strong convictions that they can't defend
bitically as if they have like some right to that or something. It's like showing like I use
this analogy before, but showing up to the job site and being like, I have real strong opinions
about how we should do this, but I've never done this before. I suck at it, but here's my strong
convictions and you're like, don't do it that way. And he goes, I already my feelings.
I thought you would not let me do that. I don't care about your how you feel about this,
you're wrong and you have no experience. But anyway, so basically they're saying their conscience
is the end all be all. And we kind of like allow this in the church. Like if they don't feel like
they're wrong, there's nothing anyone can do to change their mind. Because right, they don't
they don't feel like it. But however, our conscience is also supposed to be continually sanctified,
isn't it? Like doesn't your conscience grow stronger? Like shouldn't it grow more holy? Or you
just like allowed to have whatever conscience you have in that moment. And that's what that's
the that's the measure of truth. So how does Jesus say we get sanctified? He says in John 17
17. He says he's praying to his father about his disciples. He says sanctify them in the truth.
Your word is truth. So conscience, what is your conscience based on?
Right, it should be based on truth and not just truth you deem to be true because you said
it's truth and you feel it's truthful. But because it's been proven to be true.
It's because you can take it apart and put it back together. Right? And there's many like it.
But that one's yours. Great website. I think I brought it up on here before.
ScottQuestions.org. You can literally ask any question, I think. Well, probably not,
but you know what I mean? A lot of questions. And just write got like just type into Google your
question and then write got questions at the end of it. And it'll bring up gotquestions.org. But
conscience. This is what they write here. The New Testament concept of conscience is more
individual in nature and involves three major truths. First, conscience is a God-given capacity
for human beings to exercise self-evaluation. Conscience is a God-given capacity for humans to
exercise self-evaluation. See, animals can't do that. They can't think of themselves
in an evaluative way. They can't be like, how am I doing here?
Is this right? Am I am I supposed to be feeling this way about that? Right? Am I supposed to be
thinking about this that way? Paul refers continuing here. Paul refers several times to his own
conscience being good or clear in acts and Corinthians. Paul examined his own words and deeds and
found them to be in accordance with his morals and value system. So we didn't just say
because I feel these words are right and these deeds are right, they must be right. No.
He saw if they were in accordance with his morals and value system, which were of course based
on God's standards. His conscience verified the integrity of his heart. Second,
the New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness to something. Paul says the Gentiles have
consciences that bear witness to the presence of the law of God written on their hearts. Even though
they did not have the mosaic law in Romans 2 here, he also appeals to his own conscience as a witness
that he speaks. The truth that he is conducting himself in holiness and sincerity in dealings with
men. He also says that his conscience tells them his actions are apparent to both God and the
witnesses of other men's consciences. Right? So he checks it with other people as well, not just
himself or those in his little circle huddle. Right? But third, the conscience is a servant of the
individual's value system. So an immature or weak value system produces a weak conscience.
While a fully informed value system produces a strong sense of right and wrong. In the Christian
life, here it is, get this. In the Christian life, one's conscience can be driven by inadequates
understanding of scriptural truths and can produce feelings of guilt and shame, disproportionate
to the issues at hand. So I could be feeling wrong about something, feeling shameful about something
that I shouldn't be feeling shameful about. Why? Because I'm believing a lie. Instead of the truth
in that matter. So I'm maturing in the faith strengthens the conscience. Okay? So the question might
arise when especially when it comes to church life, which is if you're a Christian, big party of
life, is the authority in the church and the local church. See, I go to a local church right now,
where I'm not the pastor. And there are things in this church that I disagree with. They're not
primary things. They're secondary and tertiary. I think that's how you say it. Tertiary, which means
secondary is second importance, tertiary is thirdly importance. So now it is important as
secondary and definitely not as important as primary. And so they run things differently than I would
in many, many areas. People should pat me on the back all the time, I feel, because of what I put
up with in regards to my conscience, right? And people are like, well, you're a hypocrite for going
there. No, because I can differentiate between primary, secondary, tertiary issues. And not just
that, but I know how authority works, not perfectly, but according to scripture, here's a crazy story.
In the beginning, God made this man and this woman. Right, Adam and Eve, our first parents.
And the woman goes and sins first, right? And then the man sins.
And then God comes into the garden afterwards and God does something.
He doesn't go to the person who's sinned first. He goes to the person who's responsible for the
family. He goes to the leader and he says, Adam, what's going on? And he calls Adam to account first.
Go read it. Right? But then the church, James 3.1 says this, not many of you should become teachers,
my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
So in the local church, in this church that I go to, there's certain things that happen where I go,
yeah, I don't think that's right. It's not like a primary issue. I don't think I would do it that way.
Um, but I'm not going to stand before God because this church decided to do it that way. You know who
will? The leaders, right? And if those leaders are wise, when those subjects come up, I'll say,
hey, this goes against what I believe to be true. So I'm not going to partake in this specifically.
Like if someone's up front and they're praying for something I don't agree with, I'm not going to
pray. That's okay. Welcome to the world. And so, um, because this church is not, um, heaven. Right?
And so, um, we are not to bind each other's consciences, but we also have to give way for authority
that the elders of this church will stand before God for these things. I will not. I will stand before
God for who I'm a leader over and what I do. And so not many of you should become teachers,
because you'll be judged way more strict. Um, but also, I think we, we also, as usual,
when studying scripture, we need like humility. We need to produce humility. If it's not producing
humility, you're not having, you're not abiding with God. I guess. Um, but, uh, one of my favorite
preachers, um, Lodi Bachum, he just passed away on my birthday last year, actually, September 25th.
But one of my favorite sermons, if you, okay, wait, you do have time. If, uh, if you want to be blessed,
you need to go listen to sermons called the supremacy of Christ,
in truth, in a postmodern world. His, his title, even worse, crazier than mine. Mine's strong
convictions are an inch deep or dumb and dangerous, but his title is the supremacy of Christ,
in truth, in a postmodern world. So this one talks about humility, okay?
He, I'll just read it, and I'll explain that afterwards a little bit. So he says,
students come up to me all the time, and so he's on like campuses, talking to his kids,
um, at like universities and stuff.
Ah, he's having a trick here. So students come up to me all the time after taking a semester
in philosophy. He said, there ought to be a rule. You should not be able to talk about philosophy,
unless you've had more than a semester of philosophy. If you haven't had any, that's fine.
Talk away, but if you've had a semester, you are messed up. And that's like kind of how I feel
about many of us, many, many young Christians, when we first come into the faith,
we start learning all this truth that we've never learned before and we're trying to add it to
our life and adjust your life and think about it and all this stuff. Man, you are messed up. Yes,
when you first become a Christian, you're saved, but you are messed up. You better be off,
you better, you'd be better off just not taking it at all. And they come up and they say these things
to me and they thought these things out. And I'm on campus to talk about these issues and dealing
with apologetics and they want to catch me alone asking these questions and then look at me and ask
me these questions and say, I just wanted to ask you. If you believe in a God that is omnipotent to
nominee, benevolent omnipotent, then how do you reconcile the issue of the odyssey to which I
respond took a semester of philosophy, right? Oh yes, how did you know? Because if you hadn't,
you would have just said, listen, God's so powerful and so good, how come bad stuff happens.
But I'm not going to enter answer the question, tell you ask it correctly.
You worked on that all week. What do you mean? Ask it correctly. You're not asking the question
properly. What do you mean? I'm not asking the question properly. It's my question, right?
It's his conviction. You can't tell me how to ask my question. I'll answer your question.
What do you ask it properly? And then the student with a humble convoy says, how do I ask it
properly? Here's how you ask that question properly. You look me in my eyes and you ask me this,
how on earth can a holy and righteous God know what I did and thought and said on yesterday
and not kill me in my sleep last night? You ask it that way, we could talk. But until you answer
the question that way, you don't understand the issue. Until you ask the question that way,
you believe the problem is out there. And tell you ask the question that way, you believe that
there are somehow some individuals who in and of themselves deserve something other than the wrath
of Almighty God. And tell you ask me the question that way, tell you flip the script and ask the
question this way and say, why is it that we are here today? Why has he not consumed and devoured
each and every one of us? Why? Why oh God, does your judgment and your wrath tarry? When you ask
it that way, you understand the issue. When you ask it the other way, you believe in the supremacy
of man. How dare God not employ his power on behalf of Almighty Man? You flip the question around.
You believe in the supremacy of Christ? How dare I steal his air? Because the last breath I took,
I borrowed it from him. And I'm never going to give it back. And when you borrow something and
never give it back, you're stealing. And he says to his audience that he's preaching to, some of
you need to take a moment and get right right now. The problem is, the problem is me. The problem is
the fact that I do not acknowledge the supremacy of Christ in truth. The problem is I start with
me as the measure of all things. The problem is I judge God's based on how well he carries out my
agenda for the world. And I believe on the supremacy of me in truth. And as a result, I want a God
who is omnipotent but not sovereign. Because if I have a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign,
I can wield his power. But if my God is both omnipotent and sovereign, I am at his mercy. End quote.
So here is somebody who comes with a question who doesn't understand the world,
doesn't understand the gospel, who doesn't understand morality, who doesn't understand the law,
doesn't understand justification and damnation. This is what happens when you have convictions
that are an inch deep. You don't even know the question you should be asking.
You need to do what that student did and come with a humble, calm voice. How do I hold this conviction
properly? How this doesn't seem to fit with what I think is right?
How do I hold this conviction properly? So there's three things that I believe that can help you
have convictions that have a deep and strong foundation. These are humble convictions.
These are Godly convictions based on the Word of God, right? So point one, you have a known record
of abiding in the Lord. You are known for knowing your Bible and handling it in a consistent way
and you're affirmed by those who are mature in the faith, who are affirmed by others who are
known for being mature in the faith. If that is not you, your conviction is dumb and dangerous.
Your conviction isn't on an island historically, right? If you can't say there are many like it,
your conviction is dumb and dangerous. Most convictions today in the church have formed
through consensus of cliché click theology means in the last 40 years. Well, I guess
me and started later than that. Well, let me tell you, let me say that again. Most convictions in
the church today were created in the last like 40 years in Herr Held to because we hold to it because
we all have agreed to hold to it. It's called consensus theology. I don't know if anyone
else has said that. I'm going to coin it. Consensus theology, right? Most like science in the media's
consensus science is because a lot of scientists agree with it. So it must be true. No, let's not
how we find true. That's not how we deal with epistemology, how we know what we know. It's not
through consensus, right? Point three, you are able to differentiate between primary, secondary,
and tertiary subjects and tie it into that. You know what elders are going to be held responsible
and what you're going to be held responsible for in the local church. I tell my pastor all the time,
dude, I disagree with that. But I'm not going to stand before God for that. That's you.
You know? So I'm going to pray for you that you know that you continue to be in your word.
I'm going to encourage you and you know, let's keep going. Let's worship our God together, right?
So second time with the two 15, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of God, a worker this takes work.
Tell you can get blindfolded and break it down and put it back together better than you broke it
down because you have to whale it and all that stuff. And you know, put one on the chamber.
Tell you can do that blindfolded. Do not have strong convictions, have humble convictions.
You can always have a humble conviction, even if you were born yesterday spiritually.
But you can't have a strong conviction. You can't have a tried and true,
untested conviction, right? So speaking of strong conviction to close here, I'm going to upload another
song to my podcast here just after I'm done this little spiel. But this song is about a man with a
strong conviction. He was just a farmer in the 16th century. You know, no one's special.
His name is Fritz Erb and this is Protestant history. This is even Catholic history.
So brace yourself. But he had a strong conviction based on the word of God
where he saw that he would not baptize his children as infants. But he would wait until a
profession of faith. And because of that, people who were Protestants threw him into a pit,
30 feet deep down, Hallberg's tower or whole of tower. That was after seven years in a regular
prison at another tower, nicknamed the Stork. And he died in that hole, 30 feet deep, four feet wide.
They preached to him all the time that he would change his conviction and he wouldn't do it.
And he died because of that conviction. And some people might be asked, not worth it man, you should have
known. It was the word that made him tough that could not call his bluff.
When people say, maybe that's not important or that's not a big enough deal to give your life for.
But here's the thing. If you're convinced by the word of God, maybe something even foolish like
in our mind, like say you're like studying one day and you're using a blue pen.
God comes down. Let's just say this is how God communicates or something. He comes down and says,
I am God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And he proves to you that he's God by miracles and all these
things. And let's just say it's God. And he says, stop using the blue pen. Use the red pen.
And you're like, okay. And then someone comes to you the next day. It says, use the blue pen.
And they're like, no, I'd rather die because God told me. Right. So that's a strong conviction.
But not just because God came and told you something one day while you're studying, but because
you know, because you are known for abiding the word, your conviction isn't an island historically.
You know, it's not all quiet, all by itself. There are many like it. You can differentiate between
the primary, secondary, and tertiary subjects. You know, how to abide in the Lord, in the word,
you know, how to exegete. You know, how to apply hermanauticals.
And you go, no, I'm not using the blue pen. Someone said, how would a stupid thing to die over?
Yeah, but God told me. God says so in his word.
It might be a stupid analogy, but I'm just trying to get the point across. It doesn't matter how small we
think it is. Or other people think it is, because this baptism thing isn't a small thing. A lot of
people seem to think it is, especially where I'm at. Like, oh, it's just one of those things we
disagree on. No, I'm going to say this. I hate and despise infant baptism.
All right. Hate it and despise it for many reasons.
But hopefully I'm known for abiding in the Lord. Hopefully I'm known for handling
that consistently and affirmed by others who are mature in the faith, who are also affirmed by
others mature in the faith. Hopefully my that conviction, and I know it's not, isn't an
island historically. There are many like it. And I'm also able to differentiate between primary,
secondary, tertiary subjects. And that to me is a secondary subject. And so I don't hate it as
much as I hate someone who or some truth that doesn't preach justification by faith alone.
That's a whole level of hate. This is a secondary level of hate. I hate it on a secondary level.
So I hope the song blesses you. And I hope you leave in humility and desiring it to be a worker
and you'd not to be a shant because you rightly handle the word of truth.
The 16th century bore a farmer who feared God more than man.
Conviction held is a heavy, trying thing. But to let it slip is far more dangerous.
With faiths turned to truth, one must make peace with suffering.
From Luther's translation, his creed was spoken with credence. Faith comes before the water.
His children will learn fear before assurance.
The reformation had stains. The fauna is like Fritz glory just to fast the pains.
To bring about his ends. God chose to use. Those with unclean lips living along.
People of unclean lips, for what else is there? To bring glory to himself. God touched them with a cold.
Sacrifice their lordnate forged a conviction that couldn't do or any hope.
Seven years in the stork, then lowered to warburg's hole of terror.
Thirty feet down in the earth's belly, he could not preach.
Yet his conviction cried, you'll have to kill me.
Seven years in the dark, they could not call his bluff.
The word was what made him tough. The translator knew he was there.
Silent as the stone walls, where the swan once hid from the beast.
This time he would not break free from sacrilege.
For Luther Fritz did not become the least.
The reformation had stains. But fauna is like Fritz glory just to fast the pains.
To bring about his ends. God chose to use. Those with unclean lips living along.
People of unclean lips, for what else is there? To bring glory to himself. God touched them with a cold.
Sacrifice their lordnate forged a conviction that couldn't do or any hope.
The farmer's fate was finally sealed. In 1548 he left this world without appeal.
His conscience was clear counting his sufferings. Nothing next to see him. His master's face so near.
We all in do stains, for we are people of unclean lips. But God's glory overcomes the pains. God's glory overcomes the pains.
We are people of unclean lips. God's glory overcomes the pains.
