What He REALLY Said

Do you know God’s Word and Christian doctrine well enough to recognize when something taught or said is incorrect?   I truly believe that as Believers, it is our obligation, and expectation of the Lord, to continue in study until we meet our Maker.   So I have set out to do just that.  Last year about this time, I took a seminary-style theology class for women, called Systematic Theology--BIG text book, lots of BIG words, and BIG thoughts about God.  But I LOVED it, and have continued the classes each semester since.  The teacher warned the class last year that one of the "side effects" of learning to think and filter the world through correct biblical theology is that theological errors will begin to jump out at us.  That has been a very interesting thing to have happen.   A few beloved Christian books and worship songs have been forever changed for me.  I don't like that, really.  But now that I know, I don't want to use those songs to sing "incorrect" praises to my Lord, nor will I recommend those books. Another reality of studying Theology like this is that the more I learn, the more I understand just how much I don't know. But that just spurs me on!  We can truly NEVER know and learn all there is to know about God.

Well-meaning Christian singers, songwriters, writers, filmmakers, etc. who have an untrue assumption about God or an incorrect message or interpretation are, unfortunately, out there.  I'm not talking about traditional differences or even individual differing interpretations of Scripture.  I'm talking about undeniable, unbiblical mess-ups!  I don’t think it’s done intentionally; but it is regrettable, to say the least.  If someone is going to put a Christian message out for the masses, it darn sure better be biblical.  Take, for example, this article.  I am VERY conscious of the fact that people will be reading what I say, and may take what I say at face value and assume I have done the research to be sure what I am saying is biblical and true.  Some people may not question or think deeply about what I am saying….and just believe me.   (For the record, I do.  I ask my uncle, who is VERY qualified with a Masters of Divinity, to proof my theology before I post any article on this blog.) There will always be incorrect theology lurking around.  It is our own responsibility to know enough to recognize it before we believe it.

Another example: I heard a Christian song lately that I really liked.  After a few weeks of hearing it on the radio I began recognizing the lyrics enough to sing along.  Great song, great singers.  But yesterday, as I was singing along to the lyrics, I realized that the lyrics aren't true of God.  Take a second to read the lyrics below.  (Or watch this video…the song is great, actually!)

Click here to watch the song video

"So your life feels like it don't make senseAnd you think to yourself, "I'm a good person"

So why do these things keep happening?
Why you gotta deal with them?

You may be knocked down now
But don't forget what He said, He said:

"I won't give you more, more than you can take
And I might let you bend, but I won't let you break
And No-o-o-o-o-o, I'll never ever let you go-o-o-o-o-o, "
Don't you forget what He said"

Did you spot it? There goes another well-meaning Christian song, down the tubes in my book.  Such a bummer!  I really like this song and the group that sings it.  But The Lord has never said, taught or inferred that "He won't give you more than you can take." or "I might let you bend, but I won't let you break."  In FACT, He says quite the opposite!  Matthew 24:9 says that we might die for His sake. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake."  I don't know about you, but that sounds like "breaking me" to me.  How about this one: "...yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service." John 16:2.   What about people who are martyred for their faith?  What about every believer since the dawn of creation who has died a slow painful death?  Certainly that kind of death that has to be "more than we can take!"   The ultimate example of not sparing those He loves, is Jesus’ death on the cross. God chooses to allow "breaking" in us for the same reasons He allowed it in His Son...for His Glory.

That particular saying "God will not give me more than I can bear" sounds good.  It's just not true of God, and it is not biblical.  The Lord has not promised to spare us from anything, except Hell.  He has promised to be WITH you when the “breaking” happens, to give HIS strength to you.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Phil 4:13   He has promised that nothing can separate us from Him in Romans 8:35 'Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"   In fact, He has told us that there WILL be tribulation and pain.   He can spare us if He wills, but He has not promised to spare us from anything.  

The longer I study this topic and have personal experience with it, the more and more I have learned that God has VERY different definitions of healing, safety, peace, and comfort than we do.  His plan is to bring us to Him, make us more like Him and, if He chooses, teach us through pain and break us down until there is no other alternative but to submit and pursue Him.  That is exactly what He will do.  It just might be that healing, safety, peace, and comfort are fulfilled in eternity with Him, not always on earth.   Everyone (Believer or not) will have tribulation and pain. Everyone.  I choose to go through it WITH the God who loves me.  With the God who saved me. With the God who will use my tribulation for good.  With the God who is using what He has willed for my life to make me more like Him.   In the end, after all the sufferings of this life, GOD WINS.  And, as His Believers, so do we.

So here is what I think about all that.  Believers have an obligation to study and learn true and correct Christian theology –especially if you are going to proclaim, write, sing, or create anything and call it “Christian.”  DIG DEEP, keep learning about God and what is true of Him. Without knowing what God has really spoken, how can we have peace? He says that if we listen to what He has spoken, we may have peace.  Knowing what is true about God is our individual responsibility as Believers.  If we don't seek out what is true, we are at risk of believing what isn't.

 John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”