by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam
It is not enough to use the Bible as a grand book of wonderful sayings
from which we may choose what we wish for our inspiration, nor will one who
truly realizes that “God hath spoken” ever hold so shallow an
opinion of the sacred Scriptures.
“The Word of truth” must be “rightly divided”;
for while it is all given for our spiritual profit, it was not all
addressed to us, or written about us. Thus one who truly desires to
understand and obey God’s Word will seek first to determine what
Scriptures are particularly related to him and will study all the rest in
the light of these.
Sad to say, however, there are many who fail to give the Book of God
the respect and reverence it deserves. They flip it open at random, let a
finger light upon the open page and then read the verse indicated to see if
perchance they may find leading from the Lord in that way. And if it
doesn’t “work” the first time they try it again and again
until it does “work.” They use “promise boxes” in
the same way, on the basis that “every promise in the Book is
mine.” They take passages out of their contexts,
“spiritualize” them, and give them “private
interpretations.” Finding “precious passages” anywhere at
all, no matter to whom addressed or when or why, they place their own
constructions upon them and claim them as promises of God to them! To take
isolated statements from the writings of men and use them in such a manner
would be considered dishonest, but even Bible teachers do it with the Word
of God!
The Word, rightly divided, is of supreme importance to the Church at
large as well as to the individual believer, and it is because this fact
has not yet been sufficiently recognized that we have not experienced the
true, heaven-sent revival that the Church so sorely needs.
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