Thinking Out Loud with Alan Shlemon - Scripture vs. Self

Episode Date: August 1, 2018

What do you do when you are tempted to make scripture submit to your own thinking? Do you try to find someone who has provided a possible interpretation that neutralizes the teaching you don’t like? Alan discusses this temptation and offers three tips to help you overcome this challenge. Download the mp3...

Is the Bible your authority? Well, most Christians, of course, would claim that it is, right? I mean, that's, after all, what we're supposed to say, right? We love the Bible. It's God's Word. We're supposed to uphold it. But is it really an authority over you? Or are you an authority over it? So what do you do, for example,

when you've done something that scripture forbids? Or what if you've advocated something the Bible prohibits? Is your first inclination to correct your own thinking? Or is it to try to change the Bible's meaning? Now, I, of course, realize that very few people would say, yeah, I don't agree with the Bible on this point, so I'm going to do a line item veto on this verse. Okay. yeah, I don't agree with the Bible on this point, so I'm going to do a line item veto on this verse. Okay, obviously most people aren't going to say that because that would make our rebellion seem too obvious. In fact, I know I'm more subtle about my sin than that. Rather, often when we come

across a teaching we don't like, we think to ourselves, I wonder if there's a different way to understand this passage. And then we start to dig around to see if someone has provided a possible interpretation that neutralizes the teaching we don't like. This impulse, though, might reveal something about our own heart. It could be that we're unwilling to submit to Scripture's authority when it's not convenient. And I think the most obvious example of this is when scripture addresses sexual ethics, right? Because God has made his intentions perfectly clear on the subject, right?

Sexual activity is reserved for a married man and a woman, period. So that means no sex before marriage. We call that fornication. No sex outside of marriage. We call that fornication. No sex outside of marriage. We call that adultery. No sex with people of the same sex. We call that homosexuality.

No sexual fantasy about people you're not married to. That's lust. No sex with animals. Bestiality. No sex with close relatives. We call it incest, right? Point is, is God's design for sex is clear. His boundaries are clear.

His word is clear. His boundaries are clear. His word is clear. Yet, sexual urges are powerful and can feel overwhelming when unfulfilled. And that's why the temptation to find an alternative interpretation to biblical guidelines for sex is so strong. Of course, sexual ethics is not the only area where we are tempted to disobey, right? I mean, there's, of course, many others. Do we submit to God with our finances? If we're married, do we obey Scripture's commands on how to treat our spouse? Do we follow the Bible's admonition on loving our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Okay. Now, don't get me wrong. I realize there are verses in Scripture where Christians genuinely disagree on interpretation, right? Do we have free will to choose God or does he unilaterally elect us for salvation? Is Lord's Supper symbolic or something more? How will the end times unfold? And of course, I could name a bunch of others. But what I'm talking about here, though, are matters that the church has been unified on for thousands of years. Are we yielding to scripture on those issues or are we subjecting scripture to us? This is a matter really of the heart.

And so I wanted to offer three quick suggestions that I think might help you if you find yourself tempted to make the wrong choice. Okay. And although there are, of course, obviously more than these, just, these are just a few quick suggestions that'll kind of get you started. Here's number one, pray and ask God for help. Okay. I believe it's God's intention that you follow and obey him and his word. And so therefore asking for his help is consistent with his will for your life. And perhaps the Holy Spirit then will renew a spirit of obedience to God and a submission to his word. Here's a second thing. Meditate and memorize scripture. You see, by getting God's word in our heart, it infiltrates our very being and it becomes kind of a part of us. And our king's commands then are close at hand when we need them.

becomes kind of a part of us. And our king's commands then are close at hand when we need them. And therefore, I suggest you find a passage that relates to the area where you're tempted to compromise on God's command and then memorize it. In fact, you can even ask an accountability partner to hold you accountable to accomplish this.

Now you might say, well, I don't have an accountability partner. Okay, well, great. Here's my next suggestion. This is number three. Get an accountability partner, right? There's nothing more humbling than a close friend who asks pointed questions about an area that you're struggling with.

In fact, accountability partners are great at helping us submit to scripture when we're tempted to make it submit to us. If you're in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, and this applies whether you're dating or engaged or married, I would say an accountability partner is an absolute must. You need someone to routinely ask you the hard questions that no one else will. Are you honoring God with your relationship? Are you keeping appropriate boundaries with physical intimacy? You should give them explicit, you should give your accountability partner, that is, explicit permission to feel free to ask you any question that they want.

So anyway, those are just three quick suggestions, quick tips that will help you to be submissive to scripture rather than the other way around. And I think submitting to scripture is really a matter of obedience. One that is essential to be a Christian. After all, Jesus said, if you love me, you will obey my commands.

This is Jesus and John 14, 15. Those commands, by the way, are found in scripture. And that's why it makes no sense to profess faith in Christ, but then to live like he and his word has no place in your life.