Soap Box Warning!

My apologies... this got a little longer than I intended, but it is especially relevant considering conversations, questions, and social media posts I have seen shared by fellow Christian brothers and sisters. I do think it's worth the extra few minutes to read!
 
During the past two weeks, I have seen multiple online videos of politicians (from both sides of the aisle!) and “pastors” claiming the banner of Christianity, that completely butchered the Bible. With no shame or remorse, just arrogance and Satan-crafted confidence, they wield verses as weapons to highlight their superior piety and intelligence. People taking select verses to validate their personal argument—with no regard for their reckless and irresponsible misuse of the timeless, authoritative scriptures.  Sad, though true, we live in a moment when Scripture is quoted everywhere—on social media, in political speeches, on protest signs, and in sound bites meant to persuade. No matter what side of any given issue a person is on, they weaponize scripture to exalt themselves and demonize others. They pick and choose to validate feelings. Verses are pulled out like slogans, trimmed to fit agendas, and wielded as moral cover. The problem is not that Scripture is being quoted. The problem is how it is being quoted; it is regularly being detached—from its context, from Christ, and from the total authority of God Himself as revealed from Genesis to Revelation.
 
This is not a new problem. The apostle John warns the early church, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1) This testing is not cynical suspicion; it is faithful discernment. Lutherans have long understood that the Word of God is living and active, but it is not clay for us to reshape. We dare not make it do what we want, conform it to our own image or opinions.  Scripture is not validated by cultural approval or political usefulness. Scripture does not ebb and flow with our fluid feelings. It does not oscillate or morph by the standards of the culture or the leanings of the day.  Scripture validates us—exposing sin, calling to repentance, and proclaiming Christ crucified for sinners.
 
When Scripture is quoted by culture, politicians, or self-ascribed religious experts, the question is not merely, “Is that verse in the Bible?” but “Is it being used as God intends?” This careful practice of responsible discernment is called Biblical Hermeneutics. It is the discipline of rightly interpreting Holy Scripture according to its context, purpose (intent), and Christ-centered meaning. It asks not only what the text says, but how and why God is speaking through it. Just a couple of weeks ago, had we not been snowed out in church, you would have heard the account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. The devil himself deceptively quotes Scripture, yet he does so while twisting its meaning and severing it from God’s promises. (cf. Matthew 4) He manipulates the text for his evil objective. A verse ripped from its context can sound righteous, while ultimately leading away from Christ. This at best unhelpful; at worst, it leads to destruction.
 
The authority of Scripture rests in what it does and in who it comes from. All Scripture fundamentally points to Jesus Christ. As Martin Luther taught, the true test of interpretation is whether a passage “drives Christ.” When Scripture is read apart from Christ, it can be reduced to moralism, ideology, or weaponized proof-texts. When Scripture is used only to justify power, excuse sin, or sanctify personal preference—without repentance or grace—it has been emptied of its true authority. This is a very dangerous game. We hijack the truth, turn to self-idolatry, and essentially kick God to the curb. 
 
But when read through Christ, as intended, the entirety of the Bible exposes sin honestly and proclaims forgiveness boldly. The Word always has that purpose: to kill and to make alive, to accuse and to forgive, to drive us from ourselves and into the mercy of Jesus. Truth be told, if the scriptures don’t make you squirm uncomfortably from time-to-time, then you’re probably not reading it right.  This is why the Church must remain a place where Scripture is heard in full: law and gospel, judgment and mercy, cross and resurrection. We test authenticity not by how loudly a verse is proclaimed, but by whether it agrees with the whole counsel of God and points to Christ. As Jesus says, “The Scriptures… bear witness about me.” (John 5:39) Testing Scripture’s use is not arrogance; it is humility. It confesses that God’s Word stands above culture, above parties, above leaders, and above our own hearts. It acknowledges that we, too, are capable of misusing God’s Word for comfort—without truth or truth without love.  So, return again and again to the Word as it is preached, taught, and confessed in the Church. Listen carefully. Ask hard questions. Listen for distorted voices. Be wary of misinterpretation. Refuse easy slogans. Let the scriptures interpret the scriptures. Most importantly, cling to the promise that the same Word that exposes falsehood also delivers forgiveness—freely, fully, and finally—in Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon over. Thanks for hanging on! 😉
 
Quite frankly, this issue has always frustrated me. When it comes to God… everyone’s an expert. Self-proclaimed of course.  “Well, the God I believe in would…”  Really? I don’t think so. Just because I have a car doesn’t mean you want me working on your car! Just because I also have a heart… doesn’t mean you want me performing a bypass surgery! 

​Check the book, and let’s allow God to speak and act for Himself.
 
“God has already said everything He needs to say—it’s our job to strive to understand it.” (John MacArthur)
 
“Nothing helps more powerfully against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts than occupying oneself with God’s Word, having conversations about it, and contemplating it.” (Martin Luther)

Are you ready for some football?  ​Each year the NFL crowns a champion in what fans lovingly call “The Big Game.” Last year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched television event in American history with 127.7 million viewers.  Will you be numbered among the millions tuning in this year?  After two weeks of buildup and anticipation, this year’s matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots takes center stage on Sunday.  Super Bowl Sunday is all about victory. Two teams prepare all season for one game, one moment, one trophy. Fans hope, cheer, and trust that this will finally be the year. (Unless, of course, you’re a fan of one of our pathetic, local NY teams.)  But even the best team can lose. One play can change everything. An interception. A missed field goal. One mistake can undo months of preparation. One thing is for certain... come late Sunday night, one team and fanbase will be ecstatically celebrating a Super Bowl victory; the other, not so much.
 
As believers in Christ, we gaze at a victory far greater and far more certain than any football championship. Repeatedly in scripture, we are reminded that the struggles we face in life—sin, suffering, doubt, fear—have already been decisively defeated in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, the outcome is not in doubt. There is no overtime, no last-second collapse, no heartbreaking loss. No sitting on the edge of our seat, nervously chomping on our fingernails. Spoiler alert! The outcome is already known. At the cross, Jesus definitively took on sin, death, and the devil—and in His resurrection, He won decisively—for all time and for all people. The score wasn't even close!  The Apostle Paul doesn’t encourage the churching by saying that God might give us victory, or that we have to earn it, train for it, work really hard for it.  He says God gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Book it. Count on it. It'd one. That’s good news, especially when life feels more like a losing season than a championship run. When guilt weighs heavy, when grief lingers, when fear whispers that the score is already decided—Jesus reminds us that the game is over, and He has already won. “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:57)
 
Super Bowl victories fade. Team championship apparel wears out. Records are broken.  Powerhouse teams and dynasties eventually start to age or get broken up. The banners may stay up in the rafters, but the fanbase quickly moves into a “What about next year?” mindset. But Christ’s victory is eternal. Baptized into Him, we live every day knowing that forgiveness is ours, death is defeated, and our future is secure—not because of our performance, but because of His. So… enjoy the game. Or the commercials. Or the food. Or the halftime hoopla. Take it all in. Cheer loudly. Stuff your faces. Celebrate the spectacle of it all. But remember... long after the trophy is handed out, the stadium is empty, and the confetti has all been cleaned up... the greatest victory still stands—Jesus Christ is risen! 

​We are the victors, redeemed and forgiven.