There is immense value in integrity, particularly in following through on promises. Issues arise when individuals fail to keep their commitments. However, problems can also come through misunderstanding or misremembering what was said. For example, it is not uncommon for a child to say, “But you promised…” only for the parent to reply, “That’s not actually what I said.” It is easy for context to be lost or for us to hear only what we want to hear. The same is true when it comes to God’s promises.
Jesus offers profound words of comfort and hope, and many promises that we are to cherish. However, misunderstanding or misremembering his words can lead to false expectations and confusion in our faith. We may mistakenly believe that Jesus will, or even must, give us what we want, e.g. career success or good health, only to feel disillusioned when hardship comes. When trials arise, these misunderstandings can leave us feeling abandoned and uncertain of God’s faithfulness. Therefore, we must be cautious not to put words into his mouth or claim things that he did not actually say.
Jesus offers profound words of comfort and hope
Here are two examples of ways we might do this.
Unbiblical Statement: “Be your true self and follow your heart.”
Meaning: This suggests that truth and strength come from within ourselves to live a righteous life.
Biblical Statement: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24
Meaning: Following Jesus means recognizing that our hearts’ desires may not always be good. Instead of trusting in ourselves, we surrender to Christ, putting him on the throne.
Unbiblical Statement: “I will make your paths smooth.”
Meaning: If we believe in Jesus, then he will bless us and help us by giving us a life free from difficult challenges.
Biblical Statement: ‘I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.’ – John 16:33
Meaning: Life in this fallen world will continue to be a challenging and difficult place. Rather than outward ease, we have inner peace in Christ. Rather than fleeting pleasures in the present, we look forward to eternal glory in the world to come.
The danger of taking Jesus’ words out of context is very real. Remember the serpent twisted God’s words in Genesis 3 by asking Eve, “Did God really say…?” This same tactic of deception continues today. Rather than fall for twisted lies, we return to the Scriptures each day as the trustworthy word of God. As Peter the Apostle affirms in John 6, “You have the words of eternal life.” By holding fast to the true context of Jesus’ words, we ground our faith in his faithful promises.
