Responding to Poor Scripture Usage

Isn’t it interesting to see how Satan tempted Jesus?  The great deceiver used God’s own words. Amazing!  Imagine the audacity of Satan using God’s Word to tempt God Himself! 

Ironically, even more amazing is the response Jesus gives to Satan each time.  Envision yourself speaking with someone who is trying to tell you something unbiblical using the bible.  He says that Jesus is not God because Jesus submits to the Father.  Most likely the reaction would be, “No way!  You're completely off.  You’re taking that out of context.  You must read the bible as a whole, not just point to certain verses!”  We would refute the other by showing them how that certain verse is not to be taken that way.  However, Jesus had a quite different approach.  When Satan quoted Psalm 91, “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone,” Jesus responded by saying, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”  Jesus didn’t tell Satan that he took the verse out of context, Jesus knew that Psalm 91 was indeed true, but He said “it is also written.” 

 Too often we try to prove others wrong by showing them their error rather than clarifying God’s word by allowing the Bible to interpret itself.  If we learn to use Jesus’ technique of opening up Scripture in its truth, God will speak powerfully.  For example, someone says that because we are saved by God’s grace alone he can sin all he wants.  Following Jesus, we can say it is also written, “faith without works is dead.”  This would help clarify that we are saved by God’s grace alone but through faith, which will result in good works.  For more clarification we may say it is also written, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means!  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” 

et us follow the Master’s example and use God’s word as a sharp sword that can pierce any heart.

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Last modified: April 23, 2006