declare bible truthsIn a previous post I wrote that Christians should not be declaring and decreeing things over their lives. While I did requite some specific examples of the types of declarations I had in mind, some people responded to me rightly noting that there are some cases where Christians can legitimately declare sure biblical truths over their lives. I agree.

I am, however, concerned that many Christians who merits to declare "what the Bible promises" aren't actually declaring things that the Bible promises for them as individuals.

The Bible is not a List of Declarations

The Bible is not a God-given list of verses to declare over yourself. If it were, then why not declare over yourself

Behold, I volition brand you small among the nations; you shall exist utterly despised." (Obadiah ane:2)?

Or why not declare over yourself,

You take put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths" (Psalm 88:6)?

Of course we wouldn't declare such things over ourselves because they aren't God's promises to usa. Only all the skilful things written in the Bible aren't always God'south promises to united states either.

Context, Context, Context

We have to consider the meaning of each Bible poesy in context to determine if it is a general hope, or if it is something that God intended for a particular person or grouping of people.

Consider, for example, the often quoted text from Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for y'all," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and non to impairment you, plans to requite you hope and a futurity."

This verse is non a promise for each individual person. Instead, information technology was God's promise specifically to State of israel in the midst of their exile in Babylon. The Bible makes this clear merely a few sentences earlier in poesy 4. Moreover, it wasn't even God's promise for Israel for that very day, but for the future,  afterward "70 years" of exile (poetry 10). Yikes! Similarly, when it comes to our lives today, it is possible that God might actually be against a person for a fourth dimension.

Similar the above verse, we should non presume when God said, "I volition transport wild fauna against you, and they will rob y'all of your children" (Leviticus 26:22), that this was God's intent for every individual. Instead, the verses surrounding this one make clear that this was a alert for aboriginal Israel, should they choose to disobey God'due south commandments.

We should non just decide to claim i verse and not the other simply because i makes usa feel expert. But we actually shouldn't claim either of these verses, because God didn't mean for us to merits either of them.

Now, this doesn't mean that wecan't employ Jeremiah 29:eleven to our lives. BOTH Jeremiah 29:11 AND Leviticus 26:22 (and the rest of Scripture) are applicable to people today in some way. But nosotros tin can't simply "merits" those verses without fairly considering what they meant in their original context.

Biblical Declarations

In that location actually isn't a lot in the Bible well-nigh declaring things almost ourselves. Instead we read of people declaring the praises of God: "I volition declare that your honey stands firm forever" (Psalm 89:2).

And yet, I do think there is some value in challenge or declaring over ourselves some of the general truths of Scripture, when they are properly understood as actually applying to us. We need to realize, though, that these declarations don't make God act or exercise anything. Past contrast, my concern is that many people who do "declaring" things are actually trying to "decree" things—the former simply affirms what is already truthful, whereas the latter is a futile attempt to try to shape the future with one's words.

Rather than changing our circumstances, legitimately biblical declarations are for our ain benefit. They are a means of replacing falsehood with truth, they are a way we can encourage ourselves, and they can serve as of a ways of being "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

10 Scriptures You Tin Legitimately Declare Over Yourself

All this being said, here are ten Scriptures you lot can justifiably declare over yourself if yous are a Christian:

  1. "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in y'all, whom yous take received from God?" (1 Corinthians half-dozen:19)
  2. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and volition forgive us our sins and purify united states of america from all unrighteousness." (ane John 1:ix)
  3. "Honey friends, at present nosotros are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been fabricated known. But we know that when Christ appears, nosotros shall exist like him, for nosotros shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:ii)
  4. "For all have sinned and fall brusk of the glory of God, and all are justified freely past his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24)
  5. "And we know that in all things God works for the skilful of those who beloved him, who accept been chosen according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
  6. "Nosotros are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through u.s.a.." (2 Corinthians 5:xx)
  7. "Await at the birds of the air; they practice not sow or reap or shop away in barns, and all the same your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you non much more valuable than they?" (Matthew vi:26)
  8. "So God created humankind in his prototype, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:27)
  9. "But he gives all the more than grace; therefore information technology says, 'God opposes the proud, merely gives grace to the apprehensive.'" (James 4:6)
  10. "Keep your lives free from the love of coin, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I volition never leave y'all or forsake you.'" (Hebrews xiii:5)

One thing strikes me as I read these verses. If these realities and promises are true, then I actually don't fifty-fifty need to declare them (even though there is nothing incorrect with that). And I certainly don't need to decree them (not that I could). Instead, I could just give thanks God for these things. And thankful, we should exist.

Requite thanks to him and praise his proper noun" (Psalm 100:4).

You might also be interested in these posts:

  • Is God For You…Not Against Y'all?
  • Should Christians Declare or Prescript Things over Their Lives?
  • How to Intermission Generational Curses