Modern Arguments
We live in a time where it’s never been easier to throw your opinions out at other people (blogs, tweets, gabs, etc…) Whether a result of this or not, we also live in a time where many people believe the truth is less important than the effect words will have toward their desired goals.
Because of this, we see rhetoric flying around us all the time. People trying to use words less to convey ideas which they deeply believe and more to cultivate emotions in others which they believe will be beneficial for themselves. This can take the form of flattery, sob stories, ad hominem attacks, or any other way to use pride, empathy, anger etc… to either convince a person to do what you want or drive them out of your space.
We even had a public official tell us that masks were useless for COVID and then later, when it was decided we should be forced to wear them, told us he had only said that to save the masks for the healthcare workers. That is to say, he claimed he had lied but it was okay because he believed it would bring about what he considered a necessary good, and a lot of people accept that as reasonable!
Perhaps the most wicked of all is when people take a small snippet of scripture or a shallow presentation of a Biblical truth (E.X. God is love) to attempt to guilt people into compromising on the more complex, deep faith they have. While the complete counsel of scripture is what we need to be fully equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17), a little bit of it, twisted and spoken by people with no fear of God, can actually cause us to question the faith.
What Does God Say?
We find Asaph, in Psalm 50 as inspired by God, writing about how much God despises people who casually take his words upon their mouth without having any fear of him.
But to the wicked God says:
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
Psalm 50:16-18
In this section, we see people who stand by approvingly when thieves run rampant. They hang out with the sexually immoral as their preferred company. Not as Christ did, where he would spend time calling them to repentance and training them in righteousness. Instead, they enjoy the company of sinners.
However, look how the section starts. These same people who hate God’s instruction and spend their time with others who reject it as well are reciting his statutes and declaring his promises! Clearly they’re not declaring his statutes as a rebuke against those things which God hates. Instead, they had taken up God’s word like a disposable tool. Just enough here or there to get what they desire rather than as intended, for the glory of God.
How to Spot Them
If this behavior is so wicked and dangerous to genuine faith, how can we identify it? As Jesus said (as recorded in Matthew 7), when it comes to false prophets and teachers, you can tell them by their fruits. As Asaph recorded, these will be people who seem to approve of and promote every wicked activity from theft to adultery and seem to be unfazed by the very statutes they readily take upon their lips when attempting to manipulate those who do have a fear of God.
While it wouldn’t be wrong to consider what they happen to pull out in context to ensure they aren’t accidentally stumbling upon a real statute which you are violating, it is important to recognize that not everyone throwing scripture at you is issuing a meaningful rebuke. Some people just want to twist scripture to keep you navel-gazing while they guide you around by your ears.
In the text, we see a rhetorical question. “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?” The obvious answer is none. We shouldn’t be overly troubled about ourselves when those who applaud every wicked thing turn around and try using scripture on us. It is double-edged, and it’s not going to end up cutting your way.
