Can you actually sin by quoting scripture?

let me cut to the chase, the answer is hell yeah you can sin by quoting scripture! remember the pharisees? hello??? they quoted left right and center (ok, they mainly quoted it right, but they did it All the time!) but they did so as evidence of their OWN righteousness!! ok. self righteousness. in other words, filthy rags (discarded toilet paper, tampons and the like, that's the image Isaiah used-oh i'm sorry, does scripture offend you with it's strong images? blessed are those who are not offended...who understand the use of scatalogical images in scripture to show us how very filthy we are in our own righteousness) presented as if they were brand new clothes. but they HAD NO LOVE!!!!!! which is why Jesus raked them over the coals at every opportunity calling them snakes and sons of satan and nice names like that. Jesus didn't sugar coat His displeasure. He told 'em how it was. He had nerves of steele.

that should really be all the evidence you need, but lest you be unsure, i point you to the great temptation of Christ in the wilderness. what did satan use to tempt Jesus all three times? God's own words!!! SCRIPTURE!!!! He used Truth in the most deceitful way; he used TRUTH in SCRIPTURE in the most hateful unloving way possible-to tempt the Savior of the world to abdicate His role and use His power and His prestige and His position for His own ungodly gain. Thank Jesus, He knew scripture even better than the bad guy (technically He had a leg up on 'im cause He was the Author, but who's counting--that's right, we are all counting, counting the days till His glorious return) and He quoted scripture against scripture (all three times, incidentally, Jesus cited the highly under celebrated Deuteronomy) to show that scripture cannot be taken out of context and used in ways that contradict other scripture-- He reigned in the right interpretation of scripture by comparing verses and showing where one verse fills in what other left unstated. He didn't let half truths lead Him to destruction-which is where satan was leading Him--all our destruction.

what's the bottom line? the bottom line is that God is LOVE. He is perfect and just and holy, and He is love. and there is nothing Holy that is not Saturated with Love from beginning to end. Yes, Love judges when it needs to. But that's God's final role. Ours is to love everyone in sight just like Jesus did. the pharisees quoted scripture at Him to protest His healing people of their disease and infirmity. the protested His disciples picking corn so they wouldn't go hungry on the sabbath. they used scripture to 'prove' that He was a blasphemer! which means they ultimately used scripture to crucify the Lord of Lords!

bottom line: if you quote scripture to show how righteous you are, you've just painted yourself in the same colors as satan and the pharisees. if you quote scripture to a bleeding heart when what they need is love and compassion and ministry, you have made yourself a snake and a son of satan. be very very careful what you do with the Word of God. watch yourself. whenever you think you're standing on the promises but you're really standing on the shoulders of Selfishness, Self Righteousness, you are teetering on the edge of Hell. wolves in sheeps clothing. repent of your unholy scripture quoting! make sure you are hearing from the Holy Spirit and speaking His Word in the Spirit of Love as He has commanded you. but for His grace, it would be better for us to have a millstone tied around our necks and thrown into the deepest ocean. if we repent of our self-righteousness He is loving and faithful and just to forgive us our sins. His forgiveness does require repentance however. be very, very careful what you quote in the Name of the Lord.

questions to ask yourself before you go waving that sword around at wounded people:

1) What is my motive? Do I want to impress people with my memory and knowledge of scripture? Do I want to demonstrate that I am a better Christian than someone else? Do I want people to feel small and foolish?

2) What does this person NEED to hear from the mouth of God right this very moment in this very particular nexus of time and events? What will bring them closer to God in the long run? What will effectively extend the reign of the Kingdom of God in this generation?

3) What is the Holy Spirit telling you to say right this very moment? And are you VERY sure that is not your deceitful Psyche disguising itself as the Holy Spirit? It is such a pain to actually ask God to help us be sensitive to what is needed in the moment--but that dear friends is what FAITH is!!! Faith is alive and in the moment and it depends desperately on God. we love lists of rules that we can memorize because we love putting ourselves on automatic pilot and not having to actually take a risk and tune into God's heart and use our brains in conjunction with our spirits to achieve the will of God with the people before us. But God's call and command to you is to walk by faith, to take the risk and trust Him in each and every situation--Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. Without faith, you could memorize and quote the whole blessed Bible and still be a stench to Him! Don't be a stench unnecessarily. Spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ! Be a fragrant aroma, pleasing to the Lord!

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NASB

Scripture is not a toy. Don't be swinging it around recklessly.


Let me recap: Safety Check for Wielding the Sword of God's Word


1) Your motive must be LOVE.

2) Love compels you to assess the needs of the person before you in the exact context of the moment.

3) Love for God and His beloved humanity compels you to seek the Holy Spirit's confirmation and leading in your spirit that He wants you to share this scripture (and that it's the right phrasing and interpretation and application of the scripture) or whether what He wants you to do is put your arms around the person before you and cry with them, any number of creative things the Holy Spirit may put you up to. (:

Be His Love Poured Out!