I have been told by some Christians that we should memorize the Scriptures. I never found a Bible verse that says "memorize anything," but I have found Scriptures that say "hide My word away in your heart."
I know this cannot be memorization because God never instructed us to memorize a specific language. God's meaning in "hide my word away in your heart" was that we should know Him and His principles so well that they come to mind quickly in any situation.
We can memorize if we wish, but my mind does not think in the words of others; it thinks in principles and commands. We can memorize Scripture and still not live by those principles and commands. The principles and commands should become so much a part of our being that we don't even need words on a page to love and live them. We learn from reading His Word from whichever translation we have, and God translates it into His mind so that we are not misled by errors in translation.
When we seek the Holy Spirit for His Mind, we can read the words on the page, and God will enlighten them so we are not misled by a language barrier.
Often, modern Christianity makes rules out of concepts that God never spoke. Because some people think we must be accurate about the words. They forget that our English words are a translation. God must give us the understanding, no matter what language of the Bible we read.
To know Christ is to know His principles so that we can live them and convey them to others; the exact words are not important, but the truth of God must be accurate.
There have been too many situations in my life in which Christians quote a verse from the Bible out of context, not realizing the rest of the Scriptures negate their understanding. They think just knowing exact words is more important than the idea or meaning God intends to impart.
Our culture imposes upon the text its own Western mindset that is very different from the Jewish mindset of Christ's day. Many things Westerners believe about the Bible are not true, but their own interpretations are based on how their mind works, not on what God actually said.
And, more disturbing than this is the propensity for Christians to read a verse, leaving out something God said to camp on what they wish to believe, using only the part that pleases them.
An example of this problem is the mantra, "don't judge", leading everyone to believe we should never judge, when reading the rest of the passage, where these words are stated, shows us that the command was to judge without hypocrisy. We are not to judge another person for something we are also doing. And, we are commanded to judge righteously according to God's Word. So God commanded us to judge.
Those who don't want to be judged will leave out the part of the passage they don't like.
Matthew 7:1-6
Judging Others
7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged.
2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye?
5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye!"
The "don't judge" mantra comes from psychology that says we can't know what is causing a person to act as they do, they might be going through something difficult, as though difficulty gives someone a license to act badly toward others.
It doesn't matter what someone is going through, we still need to judge the behavior as good or bad. And, when we judge a behavior as bad does not mean we don't love the person who needs correction.
Our culture is based more on "feelings" than on rational thinking. This is the reason people will hate you for doing good, because your good makes them look bad. They are not able to judge the act on its own merit, they will judge based on how they feel, and they will even say, "you made me feel" as though we have power over their feelings and they do not.
Another wrong teaching in our culture is that we should forgive those who are not repentant. God said clearly to forgive "when they come and say 'I repent'". They leave out the part of the passage that proves one must repent to be forgiven.
Luke 17:3-4 "…3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
In the context of the entire Bible, this verse tells us that to be reconciled in a relationship, there must be both confession of sin and forgiveness extended; both are necessary to restore what was lost in the relationship. When we know this, we understand better the salvation message in which God tells us to be reconciled to Him; we must confess our sinful nature and desire to be forgiven and cleansed by Him.
1 John 1:8-10
…8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us."
No one will change their character if they do not admit their sin. Character is only changed when someone is grieved over their sin and truly hates what they did and wants it to change.
This is what repentance is all about: the repentance that brings healing to the soul and reconciliation with God. Then He will send His Holy Spirit to come and live in those who desire Him, His righteousness, and a completely changed heart.
When we do not understand confession of sin, forgiveness, and reconciliation, we will miss the way of salvation. Many people come to God with the wrong attitude, still hanging onto their pride and rebelliousness, thinking that just claiming to be Christian gets them in the door to heaven. They come with an entitlement mentality, believing that God has to save them no matter what their attitude.
It is only through brokenness over our own sinful condition that God is motivated to change us and cleanse us with His Holy Spirit.
It is all His Word in us; this means it is all His work and not our own effort.
Ephesians 2:9-10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
Salvation is so easy and yet the pride of mankind thanks it is too easy because it involves submitting to God. Submission to anyone is not something most people want. So they turn down salvation through Christ merely because they want to have their own way.
We must stop listening to the culture around us based on psychology and Darwinism and embrace God's truth in His Word, enlightened by the Holy Spirit.
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