Handling God's Word

As Christians we often feel wise and secure because we are familiar with God’s word. We acquire a sense of empowerment and feel justified in our actions because we have confidently applied this verse or that to the decisions we have made. However, God warns us that we must use the utmost care in how we handle the Scriptures. We cannot selectively quote one text and ignore another. We must always consider the context and the original intent of every verse we consult. We must not allow preachers, counselors and Bible study leaders to sanction our behavior with carelessly handled texts. God poignantly asks, “How can you say ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jer.8:8)  So it should be your ever-present concern to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2Tim.2:15).

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Truth and Tolerance

The Bible, unlike some religious texts, calls its individual adherents to battle for truth with theology, not swords. In our daily lives Christians are called to fight ideas, not people. This proper understanding of New Testament Christianity has historically allowed for the tolerant coexistence of people with conflicting ideologies. But this is not what people today mean when they speak of “tolerance.” Moderns understand “tolerance” as agreement or an endorsement. It is true that the Bible calls individual Christians to love their enemies, but that includes a love that will contend with their misunderstandings about God. We can never approve or endorse philosophies and lifestyles that oppose the truth, instead, like the Apostle Paul, we must be willing to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” (2Cor.10:5). But this can never be without the presupposition that “the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world” (v.4).

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Jealousy of God

Jealousy is generally perceived as a human weakness. Few would want to be described as “the jealous type.”  Perhaps that’s why many choose to ignore the fact that our perfect God has revealed himself to be perfectly jealous. Consider Exodus 34 where we are told, “Yahweh, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (v.14). While our human jealously is often unfounded, God’s never is. As our Maker and our Redeemer, we are doubly his. He rightly deserves our full attention, our ardent love, and our fiercest loyalty. When the One who loves us more than we can know sees us flirting with the seductive distractions of our culture, we should pause to consider that our God, who has purchased us for himself, is undoubtedly provoked to a righteous jealously. Therefore, in the words of the Apostle John, do all you can to “keep yourself from idols” (1Jn.5:21)

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Injustice and Vindication

The world is filled with injustice. Our lives at times seem to be filled with it too. While we should always seek to pursue justice for the sake of the One who embodies it (Ps.97:2), there are many times when equitable solutions are not attainable this side of heaven. Thankfully, God has promised that every wrong will one day be made right (Lk.18:8). In the meantime, amid the difficult and painfully “unfair” situations we experience, our challenge is to live out the directives found in 1 Peter 4. God’s word says: “don’t be surprised” (v.12), “rejoice” in the future vindication that is ours at Christ’s return (v.13), “don’t be ashamed” of being unjustly treated (v.16), “commit yourself to your faithful Creator” knowing he sees all and will one day hold everyone accountable for their actions (v.19a), and purpose to “continue to do good” (v.19b).  This may seem to be a hard string of imperatives to follow in the midst of our pain, but at least we know the target and we can be assured that God is ready to empower those who resolve to obey his word.  So when it seems “all wrong” don’t lose heart, follow God’s instructions and one day God will vindicate his children.

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Bible Study

Second Timothy 2:15 records God’s call to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” This well-needed reminder shows us that accurately assessing God’s direction from the Bible won’t always be easy. It is open to shameful mishandling. It will require our best efforts. It will often feel like hard work. But the good news is the payoff is always well worth the effort. Proverbs tells us that mining God’s words will be like extracting silver and taking possession of a once hidden treasure (2:1-7). The result of thoughtful, diligent and sound Bible study will end up being for you “sweeter than honey” and “more precious than gold” (Ps.19:10). So don’t believe the myth that acquiring God’s mind on the issues of your life will only require a few snippets of time and effort. Instead, get excited about rolling up your sleeves and pulling up a chair to fully engage your faculties in the rewarding work of biblical research.

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