the church of Christ
Romans16:16 "Greet one another with a holy kiss.  All the churches of Christ send greetings."

By C.E. White by 3-29-02

To believe that GOD’s truth is subject to interpretation is to imply or flatly state that GOD’s word is negotiable! It is not negotiable! GOD’ truth is not from "Let’s make a deal!"

This is the version that we use in our pursuit of GOD’s word "Interpretation" – Dictionary definition - "to conceive in the light of individual belief, judgment or circumstance; to construe"

We actually believe that our heavenly Father would write the rules of life down for us along with how to have an after life and that they would have meaning that we can "construe" however our environment dictates that we must.

The arrogance and stupidity of such a belief is indescribably ridiculous. There is absolutely no basis for such a thought process except mans need to self glorify and the need to maximize control, power, and value. Once again I ask, where is the humility in that thought process?

Let’s say that your father sent you to purchase the "blue" car at the corner of fifth and main. You get there and there are many "blue" cars. You purchase a blue car that is the blue color you saw in your mind when your father said "blue". You take it to him and he is livid because it is not even remotely what he wanted. You don’t understand because he told you to "buy the blue car". This car is the only car that you would have called "blue"? What’s the problem? How did this happen ? Why is he so mad? He may not be able to verbalize why he is so mad .. but he has a valid reason … YOU DID NOT CLARIFY what he meant by "blue car". You, in your profound arrogance, determined what was blue and went thru with the action … and action that was wrong from the start.

1. When your humanly father saw the "blue car" there may have been only one there.

2. Your humanly father does not see into your mind. He cannot know what color is blue to you.

3. You failed to tell him that there were multiple blue cars.

4. So  you failed to find out what, in reality, is the truth. You failed  not him!

You see, it is our individual responsibility to dig for the truth … OURS – and no one else - the truth, nothing but the absolute truth, so help us GOD! GOD lays it out for us but we have to thirst for it. And it must be an unquenchable thirst. An unquenchable thirst for the truth will force us to always examine and re-examine our understanding and acceptance of GOD’s word. In other words there is no room for self-righteous arrogance or as I like to put it "Phariseeitis". The Pharisees believed that they possessed absolute knowledge of GOD’s word and, as a result, HIS will. This made it so that when the truth was delivered to them in the form of JESUS CHRIST … they couldn’t see it or accept it!

The number one requirement for thirsting for the truth is "we must want the truth!" Just like an alcoholic must want help before you can help him, a sinner must want GOD’s help (the truth) before a sinner can even begin to see it yet alone know where to look.

The second requirement: We must realize that GOD’s truth is HIS truth … not ours. HE wrote the truth not us. Our human up bringing can cause us to construe life in such a fashion that many things are "OK" or "even wrong" that actually goes against GOD’s word or better yet, HIS will! The most common misconception is "our rights". For example a pro-abortionist will say a woman has "the right" to do what she will with her body. They hide sin in the guise of "our rights". GOD issues rights and GOD says that if you have sex you will get pregnant. We have the right to abstain from sex but not to kill because we cannot leave sex alone. All things have a cause and effect. An action will cause a reaction. GOD tells us what these cause and effect are. That is the right he has given us … the right to know that anything we do has a result and what it will be.

The third requirement: We must perpetually accept that GOD’s truth is perfection and yet, while we are to seek being perfect we will never ever be perfect for it is our human nature to sin. There is no room for self-proclaimed perfection over others. Particularly one that prompts or motivates us to judge.

The fourth requirement: We must know that GOD’s word, GOD’s truth, GOD’s contractual terms for HIS blessings … is not negotiable! It is not subject to our interpretation. It is only subject to our acceptance.

We must always remember, Always, ALWAYS remember that we will not be able to stand before GOD and say, " But GOD … I –I thought you meant…."

Why would HE not listen to that? Because HE could say, "I told you exactly what I meant and you either didn’t look for it or you decided that you could "interpret" it or twist it into whatever you wanted it to mean.