Articles
Pen Knife Religion
Pen Knife Religion
And it came to pass that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the pen knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth (Jeremiah 36:23).
Words that the Lord has spoken against Israel and Judah through Jeremiah have been recorded in,a scroll (Jer. 36:1). These words are read to the people in Jeremiah 36:10-19. King Jehoiakim hears about this and now commands Jeduhi to get the scroll and read the words to him. As Jehudi reads, the king becomes furious at what he is hearing and with a pen knife begins to cut up the scroll, tossing it into the fire. King Jehoiakim must have foolishly thought he could take a knife and just cut out of God’s word anything he didn’t like or disagreed with so he practiced pen knife religion.
Tragically, penknife religion is the curse of our day. Countless numbers of people think they can simply cut out of God’s word anything they don’t like or disagree with. All those people who practice pen knife religion would do well to consider diligently Luke 6:46. “Why do you call me. ‘Lord, Lord’, and do not do what I say?” And how about the words of Jesus spoken in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord. Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father who is heaven will enter.” Many are the people who say they are followers of Christ when in reality they only follow his steps when those steps go where they want to go. Encountering a commandment they don’t like or one they disagree with or one they just don’t want to follow, they grab that knife and beginning cutting away. God says but I believe, is a phrase many people are living by, all the while expecting to be saved eternally—it want happen. Practicing pen knife religion will only lead to one day hearing, “I never knew you; Depart From Me, You Who Practice Lawlessness” Matt. 7:23).
I do not want to be known as an extremist or a fanatic but neither do I want to be known as a spineless creature standing for nothing. Having said that, I do not believe you can stand fast in the faith and have some kind of pen knife religion accepting what you like and cutting out what you don’t like (Jer. 36:23). Those who dare do this show nothing but contempt for God’s word. Standing fast in the faith means to embrace, believe and put into practice with zeal and enthusiasm everything that God has said whether it be his plan for saving us or his plan for remaining saved. This rules out adding to or taking from his word. It rules out compromising any of his word. It rules out substituting man’s word for his word (Proverbs 30:5-6, Rev. 22:18-19, Gal. 1:6-9, 2 John 9). Standing fast in the faith means being unmovable when it comes to the word of God. You either believe it or you don’t. You accept all that is said in the inspired word as truth (2 Tim 3:16-17, John 8:32, 17:17) and do not attempt to insert your own feelings, thoughts or philosophies into it (Rom. 10:1-3, Matt. 7:21-23, Luke 6:46-49). My friends, it does not matter what I think. What matters is, what God says. If God says it, I believe it and that settles the matter for me. To God be the glory forever and ever!
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
