I know, the 4th of July is not about the Constitution. It’s about the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution wasn’t signed until September 17, 1787. Incidentally, the Declaration of Independence wasn’t signed on July 4th either. It was signed on August 2, 1776. Be that as it may…
The Constitution has been under attack for many years, not from foreign powers, but from Americans who think it should mean something other than what was written. This modern technique of interpreting literature is called, deconstructionism. Deconstructionism insists that no text (or word) can have a fixed meaning. Instead, everyone has the right to interpret anything one reads according what it means to the reader. In other words, what we read is not about what the author intended, but what the reader wants it to mean. In a nutshell, deconstructionism is all about me, the reader. (By the way, try that with architectural specifications. You wouldn’t trust a building or a bridge built by someone who built what he or she thought the specs should mean!)
Deconstructionism wreaks havoc with the Constitution. We are not a Constitutional Republic if the words of the Constitution are open to interpretation (or have no meaning at all) instead of meaning nothing more and nothing less than the writers meant—when they were written.
There is another even more important document that must not be subjected to the self-importance of deconstructionism. I am referring to the Bible. Bible believing Christians must either interpret the Bible based on what it says (understanding that the Bible includes a number of literary styles), not on what each reader wants it to mean.
I understand that some don’t care what the Bible says, and discard it out of hand. While I think that is an unwise choice, at least that person is honest. Those, however, who claim to believe the Bible, but who feel the liberty to reinterpret it according to their personal preferences, are making a monumental error. The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of Almighty God. Either it is, or it isn’t. It can’t be if we are free to ignore its plain meaning in favor of our own.
Jesus said the Bible is all about Him (John 5:39-40, Luke 24:27). What does the Bible say about Him? God is Holy, and demands holiness of us 1. We are not holy and are therefore subject to God’s righteous judgment and eternal condemnation 2. Because God loves us, His only begotten Son, Jesus, became a man so that He could die and rise from the dead to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would trust in Him and repent 3.
That is what he Bible says. You may be one who rejects the Bible. That is your prerogative. But if you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, for the sake of your soul, please do not deconstruct God’s words. Please.
Footnotes:
1. Matthew 5:48
2. Romans 3:23, 6:23
3. John 3:16, Luke 24:6