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1 Peter 4:11 – Speaking As God Speaks
To judge what God has judged is not supplanting self for God, but submitting self to God. When we fail to teach the specific truths God has revealed, we are supplanting self for God by declaring God’s revelation is too obscure to be understood.
When we take the general statements God has revealed and make specific applications God has not made, then again we run into the danger of supplanting self for God. There is equal danger in both: in not saying what God has said; and in saying what God has not. To truly speak as if we are speaking the utterances of God is to submit, and not supplant.
Living and teaching by the rule above is harder than we think. It is too easy not to condemn what God has; and too easy to condemn what God has not. Likewise it is too easy to praise what God has not; and too easy to not praise what God has. Limiting ourselves to speaking specifically when God has, and to speaking generically when God has is our challenge.
One problem with the Pharisees is that they spoke where God did not, making rules to protect both the law of God and the Jews from breaking it. But equating man-made laws with God’s holy laws is not protecting, but breaking by addition. And yet, it is impossible to obey God without making human applications; but we must preach our applications as opinion and not law. Likewise, it necessary to preach all of God’s laws, the whole counsel (Acts 20:27). To preach God’s declared truths as opinions is as dangerous as to preach man’s opinions as God’s truths.
1 Peter 4:11 (HCSB) If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
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