It is so important when reading the Bible to read verses in context. So often people take verses out of context and wonder why biblical promises often don’t seem to work for them. In this devotion I would like to share two examples to show you why reading verses in context are so critical for a proper interpretation of Scripture. The first example talks about resisting the devil. And the second example, about how the truth can set you free.
I often hear people quote (James 4:7): “…Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” People have told me that they try to do this but find Satan often still gets the better of them. This is a classic example of quoting only a part of a verse. The key to resisting the devil and having him flee from you is found in the first part of (James 4:7). The full verse reads: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The only way to resisting this formidable foe is to first be in complete submission to God. Once you do this then the devil will find it very difficult to trip you up because you are moving in the spirit and now taking authority of Satan. If submission doesn’t precede resisting, then you are trying to resist the devil in your own strength and you are bound to fail.
The second example talks about knowing the truth of the Word and its ability to make you free. We read in (John 8:32): “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” But here again just knowing the truth is not enough to truly liberate you from your past sinful lifestyle. In order to do this, we need to read not only (John 8:32), but (John 8:31) together with (John 8:32). This couplet of verses reads: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’” The key here is in order to be free from the bondage of sin we must first abide in the word and in Christ. Once we do this, our abiding will again give us the power to say no to the flesh and yes to the spirit – the result will be great freedom!
There are many other examples in the Scriptures where context is the key to understanding the full impact of what the Bible is trying to convey. If we don’t read verses in context, we are bound to misinterpret the Word and miss out on God’s full blessings for us. There is no shortcut to studying the Bible but there is also no lack of blessing for those of us that do carefully study and rightly divide the Word of truth!