Do you ever read a Bible passage and wish God hadn’t really said that? Like me, you may prefer to focus on his promises, receive his comfort, and be assured of his love. The reality is that sometimes what we read will challenge our beliefs and confront our desires.
As we continue our sermon series in 1 Timothy, we’ll encounter passages that may make us uncomfortable. Paul speaks about what Christians should believe and how we should live. At times, our greatest difficulty won’t be understanding what God has said, but rather accepting it. So how should we respond when God’s Word challenges us?
the God who comforts us is also the God who corrects us
Firstly, receive all that God has said. We love the encouraging passages that remind us of God’s love and faithfulness. Yet the God who comforts us is also the God who corrects us. Paul tells Timothy that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). While we may welcome teaching and training, in his kindness, God knows we also need rebuking and correcting.
We are sinners who are still being transformed into the likeness of Jesus. Through his Word, God exposes what is wrong and teaches us what is good. Even his correction is an expression of his love towards us.
Secondly, allow Scripture to examine us. When we read a difficult passage, it’s right to ask, “What does this mean?” Does it really apply today? These are good questions as we seek to understand Scripture carefully and in context.
However, the Bible also asks questions of us. Why does this unsettle me? What is this revealing about my heart? Our experiences and preferences shape how we hear Scripture, and often our discomfort reveals what we’re reluctant to surrender. We must be careful not to stand over God’s Word and decide which parts deserve our approval. Instead, we come under it, asking God to correct our thinking and reshape our hearts.
Thirdly, remember the God who speaks. When Scripture confronts us, consider whose Word it is. Throughout Scripture, God describes himself as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Ex 34:6). We see his character demonstrated most clearly at the cross, where both the seriousness of our sin and the extraordinary depths of God’s love are revealed. The God who speaks difficult truths is the same God who gave his Son to save us.
God has given us his Word so that we might know him more deeply and trust him more fully. Not every difficult passage will become easy, nor will every question be answered. However, we can keep reading, questioning and trusting because we know the character of the God who speaks.
The next time Scripture challenges you, resist the temptation to turn the page too quickly. Pray for a teachable heart, ask God to help you understand it, and consider what needs to change in response. Remember that God uses every part of his Word to draw us closer to himself and, by his Spirit, make us more like Jesus.
