I once read a bumper sticker that said, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I thought it was a great bumper sticker, and then I thought about it a little more. The middle part, “I believe it,” just didn’t matter. If God says it, that settles it. Our agreement or disagreement with God is irrelevant in the eternal scheme of things.
In Acts 10:9-17, Peter is given a vision. God said it, but Peter was perplexed as to its meaning. Peter did not even understand what God meant, so how could he believe it? The meaning was later revealed: there is no difference between people before God. The rest of Acts 10 and 11 testify to this very fact. What is really cool is that Peter actually preached this in Acts 2:39. Just because Peter did not fully understand what he was preaching, it did not negate the truth of God’s statement.
Today, we look at Scripture through various filters: theological, cultural, and personal. When God speaks to us through Scripture, that settles the matter. God’s truth is true. Our approval or disapproval of the message of Scripture does not influence God’s truth. We must remove the filters we apply to Scripture and let it speak to us rather than telling it what it means. This is tough to do but will pay dividends into eternity.
Would you look at Scripture on its own terms to see what God has to say to us today? Sit down with me over an open Bible, and let’s study together. God said it. That settles it.
