Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021

The Bible is often quoted in the news, online, and in daily life and its continued presence and importance to our daily discourse is a great thing. However, there are certainly times when a verse or story is pulled from the Bible in order to justify an action, often political. It is dangerous territory when we justify our actions with a verse or story we know in the Bible, because words and stories are easily twisted and conclusions that should not be drawn, are. The Bible is the spoken Word of God, and it stands, in its entirety, as the living Word of God. The Book of John begins, "In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God." The Bible is meant to be a foundational element of belief and where we turn to better understand God. It is meant to challenge us because none of us is Godly by nature -- we are sinners by nature. Thus, the Bible should never be the justification for our earthly beliefs; it must be the source that informs our earthly beliefs. There is a true spirit that runs through the Bible that we know as the Holy Spirit, and when we study the Bible and build a relationship with Jesus, we begin to understand it. There will be times ahead when we hear others justify their actions using Scripture; this is not a bad thing. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit speaks for us when we know not what to say, and quoting Scripture is one way it does. But because it will happen, and some will inevitably twist the Word to their own desires, is why it is so important to understand the spirit of God. It is only by understanding God's Word that we can identify those who seek to twist it. Today, if you are not already doing so, pick up your Bible and study. Seek to understand the meaning behind the verses and stories rather than just reading the words.

"In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him. Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not understood it. A man came who was sent from God. His name was John. He came to give witness about that light. He gave witness so that all people could believe. John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. The Word was in the world that was made through him. But the world did not recognize him." -- John 1:1-10 NIV