God Is Not Talking To You!

"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." 2 Timothy 2:15

Christians are all too familiar with with unbelievers who use Bible passages, they do not correctly understand, in order to justify their wickedness and sinful acts. However, Christian pastors, teachers and laymen can be just as guilty of misusing scriptures in order to support poor teaching and evangelism. At the root of the error within the church is the inability or unwillingness to acknowledge who a particular verse or passage of scripture was meant for when it was written. Below are a few of the more popular verses and passages of scripture that I believe are grossly misapplied in the body of Christ today.

Who is "you"?

Christians love to play what I like to call "scriptural hopscotch." By that, I mean you will often see pastors, teachers and layman take scriptures out of context in order to make themselves and others feel good. It can lead to a misconception about the promises of God and, sadly, call into question His love and faithfulness for His children.  Take for example the following statement meant to encourage believers:  "Today you may be feeling like there is no "hope" or "future" for your life...Let me tell you what God says about "you"..He says I know the plans that I have for you,to give you a "hope" and a "future"..That means your hope and future awaits you..." This statement is based off of Jeremiah 29:11, which states, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The question to ask ourselves is who is the "you" being referred to in this verse? Is it referring to Christians or somebody else? The answer is somebody else. The prophet Jeremiah reveals who this particular passage of scripture is meant for earlier in the chapter. "This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1)." Jeremiah was writing to Jews not to Christians. Therefore, to take Jeremiah 29:11 and apply it to Christians in order to give us hope, is actually taking scripture out of context. By doing so, we risk putting hope in a promise that was not meant for us and missing out on the promises we already have through our faith in Jesus Christ.

My People

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Every year, during the National Day of Prayer, this verse is pulled out as Christians all over the United States pray for the country.While there is nothing wrong to pray for the country, to use this verse as if it applies to modern day Christians living in the United States is another misapplication of the scriptures. Again, we must ask ourselves, who are "my people"? The people God was referring to were the Jews. God said this to Solomon in the midst of him building the temple. It was a warning and a command given to the Jews because God would later say, "I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name (2 Chronicles 7:20)," to describe what would happen if they did not obey His command given in 2 Chronicles 7:14. Furthermore, we cannot overlook the subject of forgiveness. As Christians, our forgiveness is not conditional on our ability to humble ourselves, seek God's face and turn from our wicked ways. As Christians we are forgiven already because of our faith in Jesus Christ. God is no longer counting our sins against us because in Christ, "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7)." Therefore, to take 2 Chronicles 7:14 and apply it to our lives as Christians is another way we can take scripture out of context and nullify the truth of who we are under the New Covenant.

Opening the "Floodgates"

One of the most controversial subjects in Christianity today is the subject of tithing. How often has "tithing" been used as leverage to drive building funds, as a measure of a persons faith or as a way to earn the blessings of God? The passage at the foundation of all of it is Malachi 3:8-10. "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.“But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Nobody wants to be accused of robbing God, right? Therefore, the guilt and fear that is conjured up can be overwhelming. Honestly, it is a form of extortion to hang "tithing" over the head of people. When I was under this type of teaching I had only two motivations. One, I wanted to get God's blessings, which were nothing more than hoping that God would bless my flesh. Secondly, I wanted to avoid the condemnation of God and other believers if I wasn't tithing. However, there were two things I did not know. One, tithing is not commanded in the New Covenant. Two, no matter how hard I tried, I cannot tithe anyhow. The New Covenant says, "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7)." Christians are not under Old Covenant law. This is made clear when Paul says that each man should give what "he has decided to give," not what God has commanded he give. Besides, tithing was for Jews under the Levitical Priesthood. Christians are not Jews and the Levitical Priesthood no longer exists. Therefore, we cannot tithe if we wanted to. And, of course, the Malachi passage is yet one more example of taking scriptures meant for Jews and misapplying them to Christians. After all, Malachi 3:6 tells us that God is talking to "descendants of Jacob." I am not a descendant of Jacob.

My prayer is that Christians will depend on God to properly discern the scriptures, test the spirits teaching them and be bold enough to step out in faith and trust the Lord Jesus Christ to guide you into all understanding. It may be difficult to trust the Lord, but it is definitely what we are encouraged to do.When He is teaching us we can be assured that we will correctly handle His Word. Grace and Peace.