All Things

This may be the start of a certain series, though I haven’t given it enough thought to bestow a proper name to it. In it, I hope to help us out of that mind where we convey a ‘twisted’ biblical idea because we twist a bible verse away from its proper context. There’s not a whole bunch of them, but the ones that persist continue to propagate the same empty ideas and the same misrepresentation of the Truth of God.

Here’s The Word:

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

This may be the most common. I don’t know, maybe it’s a tie between Jeremiah 29:11 and this one. I guess if you were to conduct a more comprehensive survey, results may vary.

We’re taught early in church life to “Hold onto the promises of God.”
Thing is, we start trying to create biblical promises that feed into our comforts and desires. God is not responsible to promises He Himself doesn’t make, even if we’re sincere in our beliefs about them. I think I also need to add this one thing: Not only do we conjure up promises that come easy and help us want what we want, we also neglect some pretty powerful promises that are plainly laid out in Scripture but we don’t take the time to consider their context and appropriate application.

So what is ALL THINGS? If I sat down for a year on Facebook and only grabbed the situational context from each time this reference is used, I imagine most times it’s used only as a vague encouragement for when things seem a bit more tough than usual.

    • You disagree with people but you’re tired of arguing. Your face tells a different story but... - I can do all things through Christ.
    • Bad news stacking up one after the other and all you want is relief. You're really waiting to win the Lotto but – I can do all things through Christ.
    • Relationship on the rocks and you don’t want to sound like a complainer. Your frustrations are now silently building up to a boil but – I can do all things through Christ.

Does this seem to be a bit nit-picky? Why not let anything that encourages do its job? Well, here’s why; it’s one thing to choose “good” rather than pile worse on top of worse, and quite another to let God reveal Himself in truth in ways that progressively transform you into the image of Jesus.

Let's use an example where Jesus quotes Scripture to affirm His reliance on God; Jesus is being tempted in the wilderness after fasting for 40 days. Satan, seeing that Jesus is hungry, suggests He turn the stones to bread. Couldn’t Jesus have used a verse from Ezekiel, rather than the one He chose from Deuteronomy 8:3?

Ezekiel 34:15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

You could make the argument that the Ezekiel verse is saying – God will feed me and take care of me...right?
But that’s not the context of that verse.
That portion of the prophecy from Ezekiel to the people of Israel is a condemnation against the leaders of Israel who have selfishly mismanaged things. It's also a promise that one day, God will Himself lead and provide for His people. So we see where initially it may sound good, but context is everything.
There are likely several other verses Jesus could've quoted that sound like they 'do the job', but the verse He chose from Deuteronomy speaks directly to humility before God and the deep lesson of learning what it means to rely on God as a Provider and Sustainer...Just as He is our perfect example, His selection is perfect.

Think about your own particular “go to” Bible quotes. Then, go back and check your quote against its context.
Even take the time to take a new look at the places where Jesus quotes the Old Testament, considering the context.
You may have been overlooking a wonderful, spirit-strengthening, life altering way of seeing that was just beyond your grasp. IN the case of Philippians 4:13, this is Paul, writing from a Roman prison, encouraging other believers to take themselves out of the “center” and to follow his teachings as an example of steadfast obedience to Christ. He goes on to say that although He’s grateful for their contributions, he’s learned how to remain stable. He’s learned how to keep his testimony and strong faith in Christ when things are going well, and also when things are not going well. He focuses on the importance of Christ as the center and sustainer. Even though their gifts to him may come at a discomforting cost, it shouldn’t cost faith or worry about their ‘own’.
Here's the contextual take-away - the strength of my faith is not based on my condition. Conditions change, God does not. If the strength of an unchanging Christ manages my reactions to adversity, there's nothing I can't face and the source of my testimony proves genuine. If we can remain stable in the face of desperation, “casting our cares on Him” rather than losing sleep over worry (even silently), that's a transformation. And rightly applying “I can do all things…” in situations like this, is a way more appropriate use of God’s truths.

In Him,
Cros