The Seriousness of Scripture

"For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

1 Corinthians 1:18

Disclaimer: This is me sharing my heart.  This post is rather ... Honest? I humbly submit to you as the reader, praying that you will not be offended with the harshness of my words, but rather encouraged by the Truth of Scripture. 

For the past month or so, I have had a heavy awareness on my heart regarding the seriousness of Scripture.  [Perhaps that is why I have not written in over a month.] Realizing how sacred the Scripture of God is, I have found myself almost reluctant to speak Truth without significant prayer and study.  What I am not saying is that I have dismissed sharing the Word of God with others out of fear that I do not know it all.  Because after all, when will we ever know it all while on this sin-cursed world? 

1 Corinthians 2:11: "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God."

[Can you tell I've been studying 1 Corinthians??]   

What I am saying is that I have been overcome with an acute awareness of just how serious Scripture is, and just how often I am guilty of flippantly throwing passages and verses around without understanding the full knowledge behind those very words.

How very aware I have become that in our humanity we have the tendency to take a passage of Scripture and fashion it to our own circumstance, benefit, or liking, only to diminish the true meaning and seriousness of that particular word from the LORD.  I am in tears as I think of how self-absorbed I have become.  And at the demise of the seriousness of Scripture.  Ouch. 

Once again, I feel the need to defend my case here.  I am not saying that God does not use specific Scripture passages to teach us and to instruct us, to relate to our present circumstances - Of course He does!  I believe that God speaks to us primarily through His Word in this day, along with His Holy Spirit which resides in us through salvation.  But along those very same lines, I am suggesting that we must remain cautious, attentive, careful and reverent as we use His Word to relate to our circumstances. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

"All Scripture is inspired by God," as the New American Standard Bible puts it (emphasis mine).

Our actions and decisions MUST be in alignment with the Word of God in order for us to apply the Scripture directly to our circumstance.  Am I making sense??   Let me make an attempt at breaking this down.  

God is not OK [for lack of a better term] with us using His Word to justify our own self-made opinions or belief system.  Nor is God is OK with us using His Word to justify our personal sin or tolerance of evil.

These thoughts are all a work in progress, though a few recent happenings have spurred them:

Just yesterday I had a conversation with someone who was adamant in telling me that the writers of the Scripture -- the actual transcribers -- were mere humans and therefore Scripture is erred and is not the total inherent Word of God.  In that case, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is null and void.  Which needless to say, I do not believe is the case.  God's Word does not give us authority to pick and choose our Gospel.  God's Word is our Gospel as Christians.  Take it or leave it.  I'm annoyed with our own piousness. 

I have also been astonished by the number of believers who will justify one or another particular controversial action in the name of the Lord.  I'm talking stumbling block actions here, people.  I'm not divulging details.  Sorry.  What I will tell you however, is that I have personally been told that these actions are OK with God, as long as _____.  Newsflash: God's Word is not conditional.  If God's Word warns against a particular something, then it's not OK.  It's not just OK sometimes, or with some people.  It's not OK, ever.

To the first situation, my solution was for this particular individual to read the Bible.  All of it.  Then get back to me.  And to the latter, I called them out and told them they were wrong.  Probably not in the most merciful way possible, which I deeply regret. 

And as a caveat to that last comment ... I think it's important to note that I am fully aware that I have not always lived righteously, nor have I always had it all together.  Nor do I right now.  And perhaps that is why God's Word has become so very serious to me.  Because I have personally used God's Word to justify my own opinions and actions for far too long.  I have misinterpreted the Bible [at times, even purposely] to cater to my own benefit and comfortable lifestyle for far too long.  And it's the least freeing place to be.  

I want to know true freedom in Christ.  I want to die to myself and live for Him.  I want to know and love His Word.  His true Word.  With the best attempt I can make in my human flesh to put selfish ambition aside, I want to strive to know ...

The Seriousness of Scripture. 

Because in It's truest form, it really is ...

The Power of God.