Our little grandson, Timmy, just turned three, and he is learning all sorts of things at blazing light speed! Puzzles, books, words, places and people and their connections, and, of course, drawing and coloring. I sent him home from church last week with a piece of cardboard to memorialize the evidence of a major milestone in every child’s life--a real picture, not just scribbles! He drew a round circle for a face, then placed two pairs of ears (one large and one small) above the face. He drew the two small rounded ears first and then, inspired by his newly discovered skill, thought his masterpiece needed another set of ears and made them tall and slender. Next, he covered each side with at least a dozen whiskers, from ear to chin. However, toward the end of his project he reverted to his former method of artistry and scribbled in the face with scrawled, hurried clumps of zig-zagged strokes and for his grand finale added a gorgeous (and completely accurate) tracing of his hand making for a good strong finish.
We were impressed with the face, ears and whiskers. Before this extraordinarily promising portrait, his usual endeavors were to request that Grandma draw a certain item (most often a mini-cooper car or an HHR - both of which looked strangely alike when Grandma drew them) at which time he would ‘fill in’ the drawing with color - yes, the famous zig-zag stitch stroke! But a circle which turned out to be a real face, complete with not just one, but two sets of real ears, and enough real whiskers to make a really thick beard - now this was nothing short of amazing to us!
I am thinking about his drawing today and comparing it in my mind to God’s glory, although to be honest it took a few turns here and there in my mind to get from Timmy’s ‘masterpiece’ all the way to the glory of the Master of the Universe.
I had seen a bright display of judged and ribboned artwork done by children at a restaurant one day. All of the children participating had colored the very same page from a coloring book--it was a picture of a big fan-tailed turkey. The colors on the artwork varied tremendously; some children had heavily applied dark and bold colors, while others had lightly administered barely visible pastels. This was all accomplished entirely according to the ‘opinions and tastes’ of the individual little artists.
Yet, even though the colors and brightness varied, the chosen winners of the contest, the ones awarded the ribbons, were those who had been most careful to actually cover the spaces to be colored while staying within the lines. Those pictures whose artists who had carelessly, unskillfully, or too hurriedly neglected little nooks and crannies, or had ‘freely’ darted outside of, thus blurring, the lines, were visibly inferior in quality to those which had been colored within the lines. The prizes all went to the artists whose colors covered the entire assigned area, yet, also stayed within the lines. Some of them had even accentuated the lines by outlining the whole turkey, and a few--the very top prizewinners--had also outlined each of its parts within the whole.
Of course, the turkeys with colors stretching beyond the lines of the original picture were blurred, distorted images compared to those that had won the prizes. Those with very darkly applied crayon outside the lines made the original lines impossible even to see. The creative little artists who had done that work probably had just as great of a time playing with the crayons, but their finished product certainly lacked evidence of careful handling and often the original picture was lost altogether.
It so happened that I had recently been pondering the word ‘turkey’ as one to demonstrate how words bleed their meaning from their context--the bird on the platter, the country, the annoying person--when I happened upon this exhibit… and the God of ‘circumstance’ showed me a bit more to go along with my thoughts about the word ‘turkey’. In my mind I immediately ‘saw’ the inductive Bible study method illustrated as I considered that exhibit, remembering our brother Peter’s words, “...the untaught and unstable distort [Paul’s letters] as they do the rest of Scripture to their own destruction.” II Peter 3:14-18
The heavily outlined turkeys had a well-defined context. Those who had outlined the inward parts had determined segment divisions. Those who had stayed within the lines as they colored had allowed context to rule their understanding of that turkey. The ones who had completely colored the space within the context had obviously given each part proper study and consideration. They had completed their work. The original text was clearly explained, not concealed or redefined.
This restaurant had given each child a coloring book complete with pictures for the entire year. The children who will adhere to these same ‘rules’ as they color the other pictures in their book even if it seems like more work, will no doubt be the ones to win the prizes. Those who choose to freely color outside the lines, blurring the true picture which is there, will never win the prize for carefully handling any drawing, regardless of their reasons.
I see the principles of inductive Bible study as being the same for every book in the entire Word of God. The same rules, which will safely bring you the prize of correctly understanding the book of II Timothy, will also safely bring you accurate understanding of Genesis and Revelation, and every single book in between. The Judge will not give rewards to you if you have not studied to show yourself an approved workman unto Him, handling accurately His Word--no matter how much enjoyment you may find in creating and expanding your own concepts of self-expression and ‘artistic liberties’. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth.” II Timothy 2:15
When the text has not made itself plain, there will be opinions according to how we reason through the Scripture that is made plain. Yes, there are things which the Lord has simply not clarified in His Word (even though most of it is very clear), and we all have the propensity to formulate opinions in those cases--even with warnings about presumption and speculations, we still too often give it our best shot. But those opinions cannot be allowed to contradict the things that are plain and obvious. Opinions and best guesses must not be taught as doctrine; only the clear and obvious may be taught and received as doctrine.
God gives us His Word to clearly reveal Himself to us. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” Hebrews 1:1-3a We must adhere closely to each word He speaks in every book of the Bible and on every subject it discusses. If we don’t, we will misinterpret Who God is, how we are to respond to Who He is, and what He will do to those who do or do not respond rightly to Him.
The more you get to know Jesus in God’s Word the more you get to know God. The more you seek after the Son the more you will find the Father. Jesus said, “If you had known Me, you would have know My Father also...” and “...He who has seen Me has seen the Father...” John 14:7, 9
Therefore, we must guard the Treasure that He has given us--His Word. “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” II Timothy 1:13-14
We must stay within its lines, pay close attention to every detail, never leaving out anything, never adding our own interpretation. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” II Peter 1:20-21
Remember that Jesus is the revelation of God to mankind. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” Colossians 1:15 He is the expression of the Father. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:17
If we do adhere closely to His every word, and cling to it, and to Him (and we can’t cling to Him apart from His Word), then we will, through His Holy Spirit, represent God as Jesus represented Him. God’s Holy Spirit will guide our every step, leading and guiding us into all Truth. John 16:13 Those steps will be the ones God has pre-ordained for His children to walk in and will give a correct opinion, or accurate estimate of God; they will show the world what is true about God--Who He really is--thereby bringing Him glory.
To truly bring God glory, we must live in the light of Who He really is, thus bringing Him pleasure as we reflect His glory. “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Revelation 4:11
And that’s the reason He created you in the first place! “Everyone who is called by My Name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” Isaiah 43:7
The truth is, God made Timmy for His glory and Timmy, along with every other person and part of God’s creation, will bring God His rightful and due glory for all of eternity. The question is whether you will bring it to Him now, as a repentant sinner who has received salvation in the Name of Jesus and will therefore bring God glory for all of eternity as His redeemed child, ...or whether you will refuse to humble yourself before God in this life, continuing in your rebellion until He sentences you to an eternity of torment in His lake of fire, which will bring Him glory as The Righteous Judge forever and ever and ever and ever and ever!
Copyright © 2010-2011 Sharon Jensen