Misusing God's Word
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorized
Despite our best efforts to write clearly, sometimes we’re misunderstood. For example, on the social network called Facebook, some readers take the words of an author’s posting out of context or read into them something that bears no resemblance to the intended meaning.
This brings to my mind a much more serious offense — and that is misusing the words of the Lord. The prophets in Jeremiah’s day did this. They put their own words into God’s mouth by claiming He said things they wanted to be true but that God had never said (Jeremiah 23:17).
So the Lord told His people, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you …. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:16). Then the Lord warned the people that He would forsake those who pervert His words and cast them from His presence (Jeremiah 23:36,39).
In contrast, the apostle Paul explained to the brethren at Corinth, that he did not handle the Word of God deceitfully (2 Corinthians 4:2), for he knew the danger of preaching his own ideas rather than God’s.
Brethren, all of us need to be careful to use God’s Word for His purpose, rather than for our own agenda.