Sunday, 16 November 2008
-
Going to the Bible in a Fighting Mood
Guest post by Brent Hodge
Why is it that when I get angry and want to prove a point, I start looking for the perfect verse in the Bible to back me up? I have spoken before about how I tend to fight back or get defensive, when in reality, I should probably just close my mouth and walk away. Sometimes I walk away. Many times I do not.
I’ve been in some amazing conversations. Especially over the last year of blogging. I’ve also found myself in some situations that sent me to the Bible to prove my point. I am realizing that I never want to do this.
Some may feel that it is the right thing to run to scriptures, find the verses and then respond. I don’t think this is how we should deal with these situations. I think we tend to use the Bible as a weapon to combat things. It was never intended to combat. Frankly, the Bible was not given to us to learn how to fight. It was given to us to learn how to love. Because it is the greatest story of grace, mercy and love we could ever know and in turn we are asked to exemplify.
I saw this the other day and wrote it down (I wish I could remember where I found it). It is a quick glance at worldly response as compared to a Godly response.Worldly Response Godly Response Self-interest / Entitlement Selflessness / The last shall be first Idolatry
(possessions, people, position first)Love God, trust God first Pride Humility Greed Giving / Trust Control Trust / Freedom Revenge Forgiveness Jealousy Trusting God’s love Fear Faith Power Submission / Lay life down Justice Grace / Mercy / Forgiveness Religion Relationship Confusion / Deception
(focus is on stuff or inward)Seeking God / Confession
(focus on God - get in the light)Judgment Kindness Saving face Humiliation Guilt / Condemnation Confession / Accept grace Rejection / Abandonment God’s unconditional love The thing I notice when reading this is that worldly response tends to be violent and Godly response is passive. I don’t think that is a mistake. I think as you read through the Bible that you see an attitude of humility and grace in everything Jesus taught and everything we as Christians are taught to mirror.
Do you sometimes go to the Bible to just prove your point in a debate?
-
recommend
- recs 0
-
share
-
email
- sent 265
Related Posts
Post a Comment
- Back to revelife's Revelife Site!
- Note: your comment will appear in revelife's local time zone: GMT -05:00 (Eastern Standard - US, Canada)
Comments (17)
no. unless im debating god..................
While the Bible teaches us to love and turn the other cheek, it is also the sword of the Spirit. Remember, we're preparing for battle said St. Paul. We've got to stand up God's truth against falsehoods being taught. While, of course, there is a deeper call just to follow God, he wants everyone to have the fullness of His truth too. :)
Used to, but first of all, I discern whether someone is simply wanting to argue, which most often is the case, especially in a chat room! If you think about it, Jesus never once argued a case, at least that I know of. Even with all they did to him, I never heard where he uttered a mean, maliced word to them. In fact, I believe he said "forgive them for they know not what they do." I am a redhead with a short fuse and used to get so mad my b/p probably went through the roof, but I have learned in time, God does not need us to defend Him...just as it does no good to try to revenge someone for something they did to us. I believe in that case, as well, God does not want us to pray that he revenges, but rather he desires that we simply love that person and pray for them. Besides, trust me, you can "argue," debate or whatever they call it nowadays your point and the other person will still walk away with their own opinion, unchanged most likely. God TRULY is the ONLY one that can change a heart. I've found that quoting scriptures doesn't work half as well as prayer, because sometimes in our attempts with quoting scriptures, we can come across holier than thou, and that is the last thing people seeking God want to see, :)
Take care,
Cheryl
We war not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. There is a time and a place to use the Bible to combat against wrong motives, and the suchlike. We shouldn't be powerless, but we shouldn't jump to argue, either.
The Word of God is a double edged sword...
The "blade" facing you is to be used on yourself... to train yourself in righteousness and faith.
The "blade" facing away from you is to be used to counter false teaching. Unfortunately, sometimes we tend to attack the person with the bible instead of the ideology... and this causes much hurt and further alienation from God.
Just as a real sword is requires skill and training to use properly, so the Word of God also requires proper skill and training to use. Why do I say this? Because it is very easy to take bits and pieces of scripture out of context and use it to form our argument, or worse still to form unbiblical doctrines.
I agree with you that some "fights" are not worth it. You never win a person by winning an argument. You win a person by love and example. But on the other hand, some fights are necesary to uphold God's standards as light in the dark world. It's about choosing your battles carefully.
I don't. I guess people tend to do that because they think since it's in the bible, it's God's words and teaching, and God can't be wrong with His teachings, therefore they cannot be wrong either. What they don't realize is sometimes they are misusing the Bible.
Shouldn't the people of God be going to the Bible for truth?
Of course, it's true we're to speak the truth in love and our motive shouldn't be to prove ourselves right or better than someone else, which is often the snare we fall into, but rather to point people to Christ and help them to see what the Word of God says about a particular situation or issue.
But how can we speak the truth if we don't know it, i.e.-if we don't consult the Scripture, if we aren't rooted and grounded and established in the truth, rather than being carried away with every wind of doctrine? His Word is truth and is useful for training, reproof, instruction in righteousness. The Word is our weapon against deceit and error. We're to wear the belt of truth and take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. If we're not grounded in the truth of the Word, we're just speaking our own words, and how can our own words impart life to people?
If we know the truth and don't speak it, are we being loving? True love is speaking truth to others. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Although Jesus was loving and humble, He did not shrink back from speaking the truth. And often when Jesus spoke the truth He did it in terms of questions and parables and He corrected people's misconceptions, i.e.-"You have heard it said...but I say to you..."
Speaking the truth in love doesn't necessarily mean quoting Bible verse verbatim, but it does mean proclaiming Biblical truth in love.
thank you for that chart
The word is a sword. It is the only offensive weapon described in Ephesians 6 and Jesus used it to defend Himself in the desert against Satan.
i go to the bible when i need comfort, more than when i'm in a fighting mood..
That chart is pretty amazing...I feel it's a good reminder, because you're right...we shouldn't use our faith or what we base it off of to add fuel to fires, that's not the purpose of God's message at all.
is anyone else finding it wonderfully ironic that some people are responding to this post by quoting a verse and not having anything to say using their own words? sometimes i wonder what a Christian's true feelings toward a subject would be if he/she didn't have the Bible to tell them what to think...
Some of you have mentioned the Sword of the Spirit. This post is not talking of fighting in that context. This post is more of theological wars and scripture fights. Often Christians fight Christians with scripture. This is where this post comes from.
@naphtali_deer
"Of course, it's true we're to
speak the truth in love and our motive shouldn't be to prove ourselves
right or better than someone else, which is often the snare we fall
into, but rather to point people to Christ and help them to see what
the Word of God says about a particular situation or issue."
Exactly...
@Cheryl
Wonderfully said.
@Red_Apocalypse_Horse
That is my heart, to be cut deep by God's Word first. I think what we will find is that God's Word as a sword is less ab out looking for those to attack and more about standing firm in His truth and our faith in Him
I don't think so, unless it's a Biblical point that I'm debating...
If I have to... Bible can be my special weapon..