The spiritual abuse of legalistic Bible application

There are believers who don’t take what the Bible says seriously enough.  There are others who read it legalistically and punitively, much to the point that they read it as if it’s a bossy God who speaks through its words.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Even though there is plethora of people who espouse Christian faith or live by ‘Christian values’ relatively few take their faith so seriously that they intently read their Bibles on a weekly or daily basis.  It’s these who read as if God is real, who speaks through the Bible’s pages, that may misread what the Bible says, reading it onerously, and this will largely be due to the Christian church-world interpretation — which is bigger than a denomination or country; it’s a sign of an age, one that is rapidly being challenged and is ultimately being rejected.

Far too often are all Bible verses taken so literally that the Christian can feel inwardly condemned for not measuring up to God — because they feel incapable of obeying it to the letter.  If it weren’t for Jesus, nobody would measure up!  But because of Jesus, when we accept him and agree to follow him, we are IN him, and the Father views us, relationally at least, as if we ARE him.

Far too often are Christians beaten over the head by a Bible interpretation that simply has no grace about it.  Whether by direct or indirect teaching, or their own lack of Christian identity, or the wiles of Satan as he confuses the believer by having them fixate on thoughts of inherent unworthiness, Christians will make of the Bible a ruthless taskmaster who must be obeyed pronto!

The Bible must always be read through the lens of grace — acknowledging upfront that we are very fallible masterpieces in the making, even as we’re all made perfectly in the infallible image of God.

Very many passages in the Bible are written (as inspired text) to inspire us to action, some of which is repentance.  But if we read the words of the Bible devoid of spiritual revelation — which is what God is actually saying to US in OUR circumstances — we may well do harm not good.

Much of this harm can be done to ourselves, or to others if we’re using the Bible wrong, and sometimes these actions actually enable others’ abusive bad behaviour, which can never be what God wants.

As we read our Bibles, we must take care to interpret it discerning the grace of God as it leads us to wise action.  The last thing that God wants us doing is acting on the words of the Bible devoid of the Spirit.

This means we must be very careful who we let speak Bible words into our life.

Leaders must be watched who teach and apply the Bible literally, particularly when it is one Bible version preferred to the exclusion of the others, especially when they expound verses like blanket rules in the lives of those they teach.  And poignantly when they insist ‘the Word’ be obeyed to the letter without attention to nuance.  They make no room for context, discernment and wisdom — and they leave no room for grace and the work of the Holy Spirit.

When a one-size-fits-all approach for the whole Bible is taught the role of the Holy Spirit is usurped, and disciples become constantly fearful of getting faith wrong, and lose the ability to discern the will and work of God in their own lives.

Bible reading is meant to be a wrestle, not a knockout.

Photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash