Learning to Cut Straight

When reading the Bible, prior knowledge, commentaries, and personal notes can be an obstacle to learning.  We can easily gloss over basic observations which have obscured by our familiarity with a passage.  People (myself included) can limit the observations, interpretations, and applications of scripture to our prior understanding instead of considering the text as if we have never read it before.

I am convinced the most important step in studying the Bible may be the most simple one:  the step of observation, gleaning facts from the scripture.  Just like a detective meticulously inspects a crime scene, we must leave the passage undisturbed by our personal bias or experience.  We must not allow a sermon we heard years ago (true and meaningful as it was) to derail thorough observation today. We should never assume we already know all God intends to reveal to us, no matter how much knowledge we possess.  God's Word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks rock in pieces.  It can burn within us like the disciples Jesus taught on the road to Emmaus, and it can pulverise our hard hearts like the convicted people who earnestly said in light of their sin, "What shall we do?"

No matter how much we study the Bible, one error all can fall into is to insert ourselves into the text whilst observing it.  If we place ourselves into the text in the observation phase, our interpretation will be skewed and fall short of the meaning of the passage.  Understand the Bible is divinely inspired and written by human authors in various formats such as historical narrative, poetry, prophecy, instructive letters, and parables.  The Bible is God's Word to us, yet it was given to others before us.  We must consider the context.  On our quest for divine truth, the path, process, and destination are all important.  In physics class it was impressed upon me the correct process was of greater importance than the "right" answer.  Being able to explain why we have arrived at a conclusion and being able to replicate it is superior to copy the right answer without showing your work.

I encourage you, brothers and sisters in Christ, be willing to take time to cultivate the skill of solid Bible study with interpretation and personal application.  Paul's exhortation in 2 Timothy 2:15 is fitting for every child of God to apply personally: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."  The word for "dividing" means to "cut straight, to dissect correctly."  Having worked in a trade with my hands for over a decade, I can affirm learning to cut straight is a skill developed by practice.  Just because a perfectly straight line is marked on a sheet of stainless steel does not mean a person can cut perfectly on that line.  Manual dexterity and strength is important to complete the job.  Using the right tool is only part of the process, for we need the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.  Knowing what you believe is good, but can you explain the basis of your belief and corresponding actions from scripture?  Understanding how we arrived at a particular destination will help us navigate even difficult passages in the future.

When Liberty is Beside the Point

A born-again follower of Jesus has been freed from the penalty and power of sin by the Gospel.  The freedom and liberty from sin we have in Christ is not license to sin.  Many who tout their "liberty" as a Christian approach it as a "right" we have as children of God - usually to justify themselves.  This assertion of "liberty" effectively ends any conversation about sinful behaviour or potentially stumbling others.  While it is true a Christian is not under the Mosaic Law and all things are lawful, Paul affirmed not all things are good for me or others (1 Cor. 6:12).  It is in this case liberty is beside the point.

Perhaps an illustration would be beneficial.  I knew a man who was diagnosed with diabetes, a serious condition which effects the entire body.  Complications of diabetes can significantly impact the quality and length of life.  There is no cure for diabetes, but it can be managed through medication, diet, exercise, and monitoring glucose levels.  Unhealthy activities like smoking cigarettes should be avoided, as it negatively affects blood circulation.  I am sad to say the life of my friend was cut short because he did not take seriously the impact of his lifestyle on his illness.  He was a heavy smoker and from what I remember he ate what he wanted when he wanted.  Even after he lost his foot and leg to gangrene, he kept on smoking.

Now my friend was a Christian and did not practice anything immoral or illegal (to my knowledge).  He was a man who enjoyed milkshakes, cheeseburgers, and cigarettes, and he was at liberty to do all of the above.  But these choices proved to be damaging to his body and prematurely left his wife without a husband and his young children without a dad.  Because we live in a body of flesh in a world steeped in sin, there are temptations which will stir up our desires to sin.  Many things are not evil in themselves, but they do us no good.  There are things we can take in through our eyes, ears, and mouths which are legal but are not helpful; we have freedom and liberty to watch what we want without condemnation yet we wound our souls.  I am sure my friend's life would have been prolonged had he established some clear boundaries in his life according to his doctor's orders, and many people's spiritual well-being has been compromised because under the guise of liberty in Christ they slowly are poisoning and killing themselves with practices which lead to sin.  We must be led by the Spirit, and He will lead us to do what is righteous.

When it comes to our decisions, we make a mistake to limit the impact of our choices to ourselves.  It is helpful for us to consider how our decisions could impact others negatively.  I wonder:  if my friend could have seen into the future and knew foods he ate and cigarettes he smoked would have ended his life so soon, would he have made radical changes?  What if that was you?  Paul was willing to forgo liberties to avoid even the potential of stumbling others because he loved God and others.  Rather than toeing the line or dancing around sin, it would be better for us to answer these questions honestly:  is this good for me?  Is it helpful for my walk with Jesus?  Does it provide any occasion to stumble one who is a young Christian?  Is this thing bringing me or my thoughts under its power?  Are my decisions based on love for others?  All sacrifices we make for Christ because we love Him and others will only enrich us and provide greater freedom.

The Benefit of Failure

Our mistakes have the ability to teach us things instant success never could.  Sinful choices reveal our limitations, short-sightedness, bankruptcy of good character, and an abundance of wickedness.  It is only God's grace which can take a failure and make it the impetus to positive, lasting change.  Our mistakes can produce sorrowful repentance not to be repented of (2 Cor. 7:10).  Peter said he would never deny Jesus, and three times the same night he did.  When he realised what he had done and remembered what Jesus had said, he wept bitterly.  That was the last time recorded in scripture Peter ever wavered concerning his absolute loyalty and public commitment to Jesus.  His failure was the path to redemption, for he had a Redeemer in Christ.

I don't know anyone who enjoys admitting they have made a mistake or have done wrong, but sorrow over sin is helpful to promote spiritual maturity.  Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3-5, "Sorrow is better than laughter, for by a sad countenance the heart is made better. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools."  It is important to recognise the biblical definition of the wise and fools has all to do with a person's perspective of God.  The wise man hears the words of Jesus and practices them, but the fool lives as if there is no God besides self.  In theatre or film most prefer comedies over tragedies, but there is value in considering the sober consequences of sinful decisions.  We learn more about life through tragedy than jokes.  Solomon said it is better to be rebuked by a wise man than to hear the song of fools.  Better to see the error of our ways in the light of scripture and take intentional steps to change than to try to drink and sing our troubles away.

It is wonderful when we are wise to learn from the tragedies of others rather than blazing sinful trails ourselves.  As long as we live in these bodies of flesh sin is inevitable, but we ought to take steps to avoid it and practice righteousness.  God has given us the Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide us, and when we sin and fail we can warn others of the undeniably awful consequences of that lifestyle.  Things which soil our minds and wound our souls ought to be put far from us.  It is good to have a long memory of the disastrous results of sin, the bitterness of guilt, and retain the sense of shame and horror of transgression so we will not persist in evil.  At the same time, Christians are to live in the light without condemnation for our past, washed clean and pure by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Humbled by God's pardon and deemed righteous by grace, our joy is full as we have fellowship with God and walk in obedience to Him.

Proverbs 9:8-10 says, "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. ⁹ Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. ¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  These verses prompt two questions we should ask ourselves:  how do I respond to rebuke, and do I fear God and love men enough to rebuke others?  A wise man walks in God's ways and gently rebukes those who wander into or persist in sin.  If we resent those who correct us, we play the fool.  Even if people are harsh and unfair in their judgment of us, let us determine to love and pray for them.  It is fitting we should sorrow over our sins, and godly sorrow produces repentance and a new beginning.  We will fail, but our gracious Saviour who makes all things new will never fail us.

As the LORD Has Said

"Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."

Joshua 14:12

When I read Joshua 14 this morning I was reminded of the importance of hearing, believing, and remembering what God has said.  We often "have not because we ask not," and we may not ask because we have forgotten.  It had been 45 years since Caleb walked through Canaan as a spy sent by Moses, but he had not forgotten the promise God made to him through Moses.  Verse 12 begins with "now therefore" because Caleb's request was based upon the premise provided in the prior verses.

Caleb said in Joshua 14:7-11, "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. ⁸ Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. ⁹ So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' ¹⁰ And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. ¹¹ As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in."

At eighty-five Caleb asked for the inheritance of land where his feet had walked decades before:  it was a mountainous land inhabited by giants who dwelt in fortified strongholds.  Though his natural strength and ability to fight remained as a man in his prime of life, it was not his own strength Caleb relied upon.  He knew if God went with him he would be able to drive out the inhabitants "as the LORD said."  Is there found in us a heart of humility, faith, and recall as in Caleb concerning God's Word?  Is there in us a boldness to lay claim of our inheritance God has offered by His grace?  The God who kept Caleb alive enabled him to be victorious and dwell peacefully in land others would have been fearful to enter as a tourist.

For me Caleb's request and God's fulfilment illustrates the power of faith in the life of a believer.  When Caleb reported back to Moses and the people concerning the land, it was not like the area he explored was an idyllic paradise of quiet streams and fruit trees without mountains, giants, and fortified cities.  Caleb had boldly walked up the mountain and saw their strongholds with his own eyes.  Perhaps he even walked right up to the fortress and placed his hand on it thinking, "One day God is going to throw this down and I will be there to see it according to His Word."  Instead of being intimidated by the apparent strength of the inhabitants of the land, Caleb and Joshua said in Numbers 14:8-9, "If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, 'a land which flows with milk and honey.' ⁹ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them."

Have you ever been intimidated by a piece of bread?  Probably not!  Yet we likely have all been afraid of circumstances or future threats and by our unbelief denied the One who has promised to defend and fight for us.  Whilst those who did not believe God wept at the prospect of facing giants, Caleb saw the inhabitants of the land as bread easily consumed because the LORD was with him.  May we also demonstrate such conviction and boldness to believe and remember all God has said, laying claim to what He has freely offered us of His goodness.