As Christians we are people of the Word, people who live according to the Bible. To live according to the Bible we must properly understand the Bible, and this demands reading it carefully and interpreting it correctly. While the Bible can at times be difficult, we can have confidence that the Holy Spirit will guide us as we prayerfully pursue the truth God has revealed in his Word (John 16:12-13).
As we do so, we must always pray that we would conform ourselves to the Word rather than conforming the Word to ourselves. We must always pray that we would allow our desires to be changed according to the Bible rather than allowing the Bible to be changed according to our desires. We must guard ourselves against looking to the Bible for confirmation of our longings rather than looking to the Bible for truth that may contradict our longings.
Elisabeth Elliot’s admonition is an appropriate one: “We must quit bending the Word to suit our situation. It is we who must be bent to that Word, our necks that must bow under the yoke.” In other words, we must stop bending the Bible to suit our situation, but rather bend ourselves to suit the Word. We must humble ourselves and pray with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24).
