It has been said, “The Word of God is the will of God.” While it is true His Word does reveal His will, it is even more vital to stay committed to His truth; otherwise, it would be possible to be overtaken by error and self-deception. Part of that commitment requires the submission of our will to God, and complete surrender to His will. If we were to confuse our will with His, especially if they were contrary to each other, there could develop a tendency to bend Scripture to our liking. It is a recipe for self-destruction on so many levels. Be sure of one thing, the time will come when each of us will give an account to the Lord (see Romans 14:10-12). One could mistake a certain “silence from heaven” for agreement from God. To be sure, He does seek course correction for us for those who may deviate in such fashion. He is faithful! Any course correction comes easier when we’re intentional with submission to His will.
Another aspect to consider with the Bible is our actual understanding of it. How much do we really know, and how much wisdom is attached to that knowledge? It is one thing to know a particular thing needs to be done. It is quite another to know how it is to be carried out, and even why it is necessary for it to be accomplished in that particular manner. Here’s a simple example in terms of our understanding truth: Scripture says, “Be ye holy for I am holy” (see Leviticus 11:44-45;1 Peter 1:15-16) We know we’re supposed to be holy, but what does that look like? How do we be holy? Perhaps, it is something to study for yourself. We need wisdom to properly apply knowledge. It is part of having the complete truth.
Ephesians 4:2-3 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. As the Body of Christ, we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit, which also means love has to be at the forefront in the way we interact with one another. Numerous believers means numerous perceptions of God’s Word. Some have a deeper grasp on it than others, while some are relatively new to the Scriptures. That means it is imperative to be gracious with each other. Some will respond to the Word differently than others. What’s okay for one, may not be okay for another (see Romans 14:10-23). By the way, this is not some backhanded endorsement of error, heresy or bad behavior. The point is not to be quick to judge someone who views things or walks differently than the way we think he or she should. Everyone is wired differently, and not everyone is going to think the same way. At the same time, we can seek the true Doctrine of Christ together with the end goal of obtaining the truth as God sees it. No debate or bickering; just love, patience and complete submission to Holy Spirit. Let’s give one another room to grow!
Finally, beware of romanticizing the truth. It can create a wrong filter in the way we view it. We can actually attempt to conform what we read, study and hear to our ideology. This sort of thing leads to error, false doctrine and the like. We’ve all had those “way things should be” type of thoughts. Sometimes the way things should be don’t correlate to God’s reality, and then some will. Again, the bottom line is get God’s take on things.
2 Peter 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
