We are all faced with questions in every aspect of life. Like: “Where is the best place for Mexican food in town?” or “Who do you think is going to win the game?”. It seems like we are quick to give a response, even if we do not exactly know the answer. However, when it comes to providing direction for life situations, Jesus reminds his followers that giving our opinions on spiritual truth is dangerous.
I am still reading through John’s gospel and was struck by something that I have been guilty of when asked a spiritual question that I do not know the answer to. It is easy to say, “I think…” and then go on to give my opinion. There are many times our opinions are legit, however we need to be careful about giving our opinion on spiritual matters rather than sharing God’s Word.
John shares the account of how people were impressed by Jesus’ authority in teaching God’s truth. Now, we should not be surprised, that he spoke with authority as God. We read, “The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?””(John 7:15). We see a similar response in Mark’s Gospel from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry when the people were astonished at His authority in teaching. What made Jesus’ teaching so effective and controversial is that He was communicating the Father’s message instead of parroting the acceptable religious opinions of that day. I need to point out that this type of impact is only found in spending time with the Lord and in His Word. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31–32).
One of the blessings of integrating God’s Word into our lives is that we too can speak to spiritual needs with authority. I encounter individuals all that time who say, “I think….” and then follow with a statement to justify a certain behavior or belief. This is where the problem with saying, “I think…” comes into play. Jesus’ response about what made His teaching different points out that, “The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”(John 7:18). The danger is when we share our opinions on spiritual matters we are making ourselves the authority. This was the problem with the Jewish leadership. They were not listening to God. This is why Jesus’ teaching was so powerful. He was communicating God’s truth!
The Apostle Paul echoes this same teaching when he encourages Pastor Timothy, the “man of God” to invest in a growing understanding and application of the Bible. He writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Let me encourage you to use great discretion when responding to life situations requiring direction. It is always best to know what God says about a particular situation. This skill is acquired by spending regular time in God’s Word. I frequently find myself responding with a truth that I learned that day in devotions. It is also wise, when we do not know how God would respond, to say; “I am not sure, let me get back to you on this tomorrow.”!
-Pastor Joe Parkinson