What Gives Way to Private Interpretation?
It is now the end of September and next week October will roll in. Every year for as long as I can remember I looked forward to November and the line up of Hallmark Christmas movies. Today the line up for Hallmark’s movies was rolled out. No one can say that all Hallmark movies are the same anymore. They have become vastly different. So different that this year I won’t be sitting anxious to turn them on. For Hallmark has decided to pitch diversity – and the kind of diversity of lifestyles that I feel run contrary to what the Word of God says, and that counts me out. I canceled my subscription and told them when I called to do so, that this would be the first year in a very long time that I and my family would not be viewing their programming.
What made me do it? I’m not angry or even fighting anyone’s lifestyle; rather, I like any discerning viewer take the opportunity to select what type of lifestyle I bring into my living room. We can’t control every change that is taking place in this society, but we can control what we consciously and deliberately turn on in our homes. When scripture tells us that no scripture: is of private interpretation we see that it says this:
We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.(2 Peter 1:20 (MSG)
We can’t interpret it because scripture didn’t come from us, it came from the Holy Spirit giving holy men and women the ability to bring His Word down to earth. It is not subject to culture or civilizations, it is not subject to trends or inventions – the Word of God is standard bearer – from the Old Testament to the New – it flows a seamless message that God loves us as we are, but He wants us to be redeemed into what He made us to be. I know that as a minister of the gospel I must answer not to the status quo, but to the One who called me. Like the Apostle Paul told Timothy:
Timothy, do everything you can to present yourself to God as a man who is fully genuine, a worker unashamed of your mission, a guide capable of leading others along the correct path defined by the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
That tells me that the private interpretation lies in my decision, not HIs standard.
Maria