"…they that are unlearned and unstable wrest…the Scriptures, unto their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:16 b)

Dr. P. J. Van Gorder used to tell about a sign over a woodworker's shop which said, "All kinds of twisting and turning done here." It is not only woodworkers that are good at that; many professing Christians twist and turn the Scriptures when it suits them. Some, as our verse says, even wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction.

We are all fairly expert at rationalizing, i.e., at excusing our sinful disobedience by giving creditable explanations or assigning worthy motives to our actions. We often try to bend the Scriptures to suit our behavior. We give plausible but untrue reasons for our conduct or attitudes. Here are some examples.

A Christian businessman knows that it is wrong for him to go to law against another believer (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). Yet when he is challenged about it, he says, "Yes, but he was definitely wrong, and the Lord doesn't want him to get away with it."

Jane is planning to marry John, even when she knows he is not a believer. When a Christian friend reminds her that this is forbidden by 2 Corinthians 6:14, she says, "Yes, but the Lord told me to marry him so I can lead him to Christ."

Glen and Ruth profess to be Christians, yet they are living together without being married. When a friend of Glen pointed out that this was fornication and that no fornicator will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), Glen replied, "That's what you say. We are deeply in love with one another, and in God's sight we are married." Here is a Christian family living in luxury and splendor, in spite of Paul's admonition that we should live simply, being content with food and covering (1 Timothy 6:8). They justify their lifestyle with the pat answer, "There's nothing too good for the people of God."

Or here is a covetous businessman, greedily amassing all the wealth he can. His philosophy is, "There's nothing the matter with money. It's the love of money that's the root of all evil." It never occurs to him that he might be guilty of loving money.

Men try to put a better interpretation on their sins than the Scriptures allow. And when they are determined to disobey the Word, one excuse is as good (or bad) as another.