Christian Living

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Many Christians live in bondage to incorrect religious and biblical teachings, but they can experience liberation when a verse is interpreted properly. It is a very common practice for Christians, including leaders and pastors, to quote verses out of context. In so doing, much damage is done in people's lives. Here is such an example, taken from an except in my published book, GOD'S HEALING HOPE: BREAKING THE STRONGHOLDS OF WRONG THINKING, regarding Romans 8:28.

"Most Christians know that this verse is one of the most often quoted. 'And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.'

This verse was quoted to me when some adversity came into my life, to the point to where I became very angry about it. The implication was that something better would happen. Everyone always thought of it in relationship to circumstances, but look at the context closely.

The overall context of Romans 6-8 has to do with victory over our sins, temptations, and habits. The next verse in particular (8:29), speaks of being "conformed to the image of His Son." The entire context emphasizes character development. When people used it to mean circumstances, it was a major source of confusion. If things didn't get better, I thought that maybe I didn't love God, or wasn't fulfilling His purpose, which in turn, caused a guilt trip. When I realized God causes all things to mold my character, I no longer had confusion and guilt. In fact, it made me love God more. God, of course, can bring good out of bad, but in my opinion, this is not the verse to use to support this teaching."

(Taken from pages 52-53 of GOD'S HEALING HOPE: BREAKING THE STRONGHOLDS OF WRONG THINKING, by John Livingston Clark, copyright 2008)

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