Introduction. As lawsuits multiply, a new proverb has become popular: “sometimes it’s not safe to have an opinion.” Since “everyone makes mistakes,” opinions can be wrong. When an error in judgment is made by a doctor, resulting in a bad outcome for a patient, it often leads to a lawsuit. Poor judgment is easy to prove because “hindsight is always 20/20.” Since objective tests (MRI, X-rays, blood work, etc.) are much easier to defend in court, they have replaced opinions.
A way that seems right... Long ago, God revealed this problem: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Pr. 14:12). All human judgment falls under this indictment. It is never fully accurate. No matter how hard we try, “accidents happen” and even after we “measure twice and cut once” the board can still end up too short.
... in our service to God. Though the truth of this proverb is verified in every walk of life, it was not written for that purpose. The “way that seems right” in this proverb are opinions we form to serve God. When we preface any conclusion about Scripture with “in my opinion...” no matter what comes next it will “seem right.” With one opinion, truth can be swept aside and Scripture ignored or minimized. The way Cain worshiped God “seemed right” in his eyes (Gen. 4:1-8), but ended in disaster. Every evil thing in existence today “seems right” to those who practice them and they have devised ingenious precepts to defend them.
A way that seems right... Long ago, God revealed this problem: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Pr. 14:12). All human judgment falls under this indictment. It is never fully accurate. No matter how hard we try, “accidents happen” and even after we “measure twice and cut once” the board can still end up too short.
... in our service to God. Though the truth of this proverb is verified in every walk of life, it was not written for that purpose. The “way that seems right” in this proverb are opinions we form to serve God. When we preface any conclusion about Scripture with “in my opinion...” no matter what comes next it will “seem right.” With one opinion, truth can be swept aside and Scripture ignored or minimized. The way Cain worshiped God “seemed right” in his eyes (Gen. 4:1-8), but ended in disaster. Every evil thing in existence today “seems right” to those who practice them and they have devised ingenious precepts to defend them.
Opinion vs. Scripture. There are religious people who accept homosexual marriage because by their opinions the Scriptures condemning them were easily set aside. Yet these Scriptures are not vague. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1Cor. 6:9-11). In spite of Jesus’ command (1Cor. 14:37) homosexuality now “seems right” to multitudes and they have no problem violating this Scripture. The same thing has happened to Jesus’ words regarding divorce: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Mt. 19:9). The words are clear, but opinions easily set them aside, and multitudes who did not divorce for sexual immorality (adultery) have remarried and by Jesus’ own words are now living in adultery.
As a doctor must see each opinion through the lens of “defending it in court,” so also must a Christian. When we “trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Pr. 3:5), we use Scripture to form opinion and not opinion to form Scripture. We won’t be able to defend or justify any sin by the use of opinions.
Jesus sternly warned against this danger. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (Jn. 12:48). We will be judged by His word. When we reject His word in favor of our opinion it becomes His word against mine. How can we win in that scenario?
The idea that 2000 years could change this is ludicrous because “the word of the Lord endures forever.” In the context of eternity, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (1Pet. 1:25; 2Pet. 3:8-9). Since a thousand years is as a day to God, the two thousand years of history since Jesus' death seem to the Lord as two days.
Jesus has already told us what will happen on the Day of Judgment. While “many” will seek to justify their opinions, Jesus refused to accept any of them. Instead He said “I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt. 7:21-23). Anyone who sets aside His words using opinions is only “practicing lawlessness.”
Conclusion. When a doctor sees a patient who fell but the symptoms don’t fit, he tells the patient, “in my opinion that arm is not broken.” When the x-rays show the bone is broken, what should he do? If he sets aside the x-ray and holds to his opinion, he will be ruined. If he sets aside his opinion in favor of the x-ray, his pride may be hurt, but he is wise. The same is true with Scripture. We have all formed opinions that turned out to be contrary to Scripture. When faced with this choice what will we do? Can we set aside our opinion in favor of the truth or will we hold fast to our opinion and reject truth? We will be forced to defend our answer on the Day of Judgment.
As a doctor must see each opinion through the lens of “defending it in court,” so also must a Christian. When we “trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding” (Pr. 3:5), we use Scripture to form opinion and not opinion to form Scripture. We won’t be able to defend or justify any sin by the use of opinions.
Jesus sternly warned against this danger. “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (Jn. 12:48). We will be judged by His word. When we reject His word in favor of our opinion it becomes His word against mine. How can we win in that scenario?
The idea that 2000 years could change this is ludicrous because “the word of the Lord endures forever.” In the context of eternity, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (1Pet. 1:25; 2Pet. 3:8-9). Since a thousand years is as a day to God, the two thousand years of history since Jesus' death seem to the Lord as two days.
Jesus has already told us what will happen on the Day of Judgment. While “many” will seek to justify their opinions, Jesus refused to accept any of them. Instead He said “I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Mt. 7:21-23). Anyone who sets aside His words using opinions is only “practicing lawlessness.”
Conclusion. When a doctor sees a patient who fell but the symptoms don’t fit, he tells the patient, “in my opinion that arm is not broken.” When the x-rays show the bone is broken, what should he do? If he sets aside the x-ray and holds to his opinion, he will be ruined. If he sets aside his opinion in favor of the x-ray, his pride may be hurt, but he is wise. The same is true with Scripture. We have all formed opinions that turned out to be contrary to Scripture. When faced with this choice what will we do? Can we set aside our opinion in favor of the truth or will we hold fast to our opinion and reject truth? We will be forced to defend our answer on the Day of Judgment.