2 Peter 1:20-21
For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One morning as the second graders in Timothy’s class lined up for lunch, another student and my nephew had an interesting conversation about the presidential election – and who was “the best.” They waffled back and forth as they debated all of this…and clearly, both were parroting what they had heard at home - and in the media. But in their 7-year-old minds, these ideas and opinions were totally “theirs!”
On one level, this was cute. On another, it was rather disturbing…because these children were forming opinions and spouting “facts” that were based completely on hearsay. And yet, they claimed these thoughts as their own original ideas. Or…they adamantly stated that someone in authority had told them these things – so they must be true!
Far too many Christians give themselves too much credit. They play “judge and jury” based on their personal interpretation of God’s word. They try to scare the pants off of others with their predictions that “based on Scripture…this or that is about to happen.” Do you realize that the imminence of “end times” has been predicted for thousands of years? Do not misunderstand me…I believe Jesus will return again for His church. But we truly don’t know when…and living in fear of this is 1) disrespectful to our Christian faith; and 2) a scare tactic to try to manipulate others into giving their hearts to Jesus. Attempts to interpret scripture to try to predict when the “end of the world” will happen are not our job as Christian disciples.
By the same token, we do not have God’s authority to interpret countless other prophecies and messages in scripture. Yes, God speaks to us through His Holy Word. And quite frankly, He might use the same verse to guide us in one manner today…and in a totally different way tomorrow. This is God’s prerogative. But it is not our job to judge others and declare certain “truths” based on personal interpretation of scripture.
The bottom line is this…study God’s word and let Him use the scriptures to speak to you and guide you through your day. Share YOUR experiences with others about how God has spoken and directed you. But do not declare yourself to be an authority…or your “ways” and interpretations to be infallible. Prayerfully petition God to always guide your words and actions…and to enable you to represent Him in the manner that is pleasing to Him and furthers His kingdom.
In essence, don’t use your Christian discipleship as a “license” to dictate God’s directives to others. God is looking for humble servants and disciples…not know-it-alls and fear mongers. What does your faith and discipleship demonstrate?
©2017 Debbie Robus
For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
One morning as the second graders in Timothy’s class lined up for lunch, another student and my nephew had an interesting conversation about the presidential election – and who was “the best.” They waffled back and forth as they debated all of this…and clearly, both were parroting what they had heard at home - and in the media. But in their 7-year-old minds, these ideas and opinions were totally “theirs!”
On one level, this was cute. On another, it was rather disturbing…because these children were forming opinions and spouting “facts” that were based completely on hearsay. And yet, they claimed these thoughts as their own original ideas. Or…they adamantly stated that someone in authority had told them these things – so they must be true!
Far too many Christians give themselves too much credit. They play “judge and jury” based on their personal interpretation of God’s word. They try to scare the pants off of others with their predictions that “based on Scripture…this or that is about to happen.” Do you realize that the imminence of “end times” has been predicted for thousands of years? Do not misunderstand me…I believe Jesus will return again for His church. But we truly don’t know when…and living in fear of this is 1) disrespectful to our Christian faith; and 2) a scare tactic to try to manipulate others into giving their hearts to Jesus. Attempts to interpret scripture to try to predict when the “end of the world” will happen are not our job as Christian disciples.
By the same token, we do not have God’s authority to interpret countless other prophecies and messages in scripture. Yes, God speaks to us through His Holy Word. And quite frankly, He might use the same verse to guide us in one manner today…and in a totally different way tomorrow. This is God’s prerogative. But it is not our job to judge others and declare certain “truths” based on personal interpretation of scripture.
The bottom line is this…study God’s word and let Him use the scriptures to speak to you and guide you through your day. Share YOUR experiences with others about how God has spoken and directed you. But do not declare yourself to be an authority…or your “ways” and interpretations to be infallible. Prayerfully petition God to always guide your words and actions…and to enable you to represent Him in the manner that is pleasing to Him and furthers His kingdom.
In essence, don’t use your Christian discipleship as a “license” to dictate God’s directives to others. God is looking for humble servants and disciples…not know-it-alls and fear mongers. What does your faith and discipleship demonstrate?
©2017 Debbie Robus
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