“God Said It. I Believe It. That Settles It.”— When Certainty Becomes a Weapon
Bumper Stickers, Bible Bruises, and the Spirit that Breaks Through
I was sixteen the first time I saw the phrase:
“God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
It was slapped on the bumper of a lifted pickup truck with a Confederate flag in the window, parked outside a 7-Eleven near my high school. I was holding a bag of Twizzlers and shame.
Because theology doesn’t always wear a robe or a stole.
Sometimes it wears a bumper sticker.
And that phrase?
It wasn’t about faith.
It was a warning shot.
📌 What Does “God Said It” Really Mean?
Let’s be honest: bumper-sticker theology always has a target.
It’s not meant to invite conversation—it’s meant to shut it down.
“Don’t question.”
“Don’t struggle.”
“Don’t think.”
“Don’t be different.”
And especially—don’t be me.
That slogan didn’t point me to God. It pushed me toward shame.
And yet—the Bible tells a different story.
🧠 When the Early Church Had a Theological Meltdown (Acts 15)
This week’s Scripture is Acts 15—a moment when the early church had a full-blown identity crisis.
The Gentiles were coming to Jesus—by the thousands.
They were getting baptized, speaking in tongues, living by faith.
And the Jewish believers? They panicked.
Because salvation had always come through their law, their customs, their bodies.
Suddenly, the roadmap didn’t make sense.
Uncircumcised. Unkosher. Uncategorizable.
And the Spirit was falling on them.
So the apostles gathered in Jerusalem for a messy, emotional church meeting.
They argued. They pleaded. They panicked.
Sound familiar?
🗣️ Discussion Moment:
When was the last time your church faced something it didn’t know how to categorize?
Drop your thoughts in the comments.
🙌 When Peter Spoke the Truth: “We Couldn't Carry That Burden Either.”
Peter—the disciple who once denied Jesus—stood up and said something that blew the room open:
“Why are we making it harder for others?
Why are we putting a burden on them that we couldn’t even carry ourselves?”
It wasn’t just theology. It was a confession.
He admitted: We’ve been gatekeeping grace.
✨ Then James Drops the Mic: “Let’s Not Make It Difficult”
James steps up. He doesn’t erase Scripture—he re-reads it in light of what God is doing.
He quotes the prophets.
He listens to the Spirit.
And he says the one line that changes everything:
“Let’s not make it difficult for those who are turning to God.”
🔥 That’s it. That’s the sermon.
💥 When “God Said It” Becomes a Weapon
That bumper sticker theology?
It’s been used to…
Keep women out of pulpits
Keep queer people from the communion table
Keep survivors in abusive marriages
Keep Black and Brown people at the margins of white churches
They shout, “God said it!”
But let me tell you—
God also said: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”
God said: “Do justice.”
God said: “Love your neighbor.”
God said: “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.”
🙋♂️ Personal Moment: If I Believed What They Told Me…
If I had believed that bumper sticker…
If I had believed what certain pastors and youth leaders told me…
I wouldn’t be here.
They said the Bible was clear.
They said my body, my desire, my love—disqualified me.
But what saved me?
Not certainty. Not clarity.
The Spirit.
The Spirit that whispered grace when I cried through clenched prayers.
The Spirit that cracked open Scripture in a way that made room for me.
The Spirit that fell—right where I was.
🧳 Discussion Check-In:
What burdens—spoken or unspoken—have you been carrying because of someone else’s certainty?
Share below. We want to hold space for your story.
📖 The Bible Doesn’t Say That
Let’s be clear:
The Bible doesn’t say, “faith is simple.”
It doesn’t say, “exclude them to preserve us.”
It definitely doesn’t say, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
What it does say is this:
“Let’s not make it difficult for those who are turning to God.”
(Acts 15:19)
🙌 A Holy Dare (Benediction for the Spirit-Led)
So here’s your holy dare:
Next time someone says, “The Bible is clear,” ask: Is the Spirit?
Next time you’re about to use Scripture as a weapon, ask: Is this grace or gatekeeping?
Next time you feel certain, ask: Who might this certainty be hurting?
Because the only thing truly settled is this:
God is not done speaking.
The tent is still expanding.
And the Spirit keeps falling—on people we least expect.
📣 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
✅ Comment below: How has the Spirit surprised you in your life of faith?
✅ Share this post with someone wrestling with theology and identity.
✅ Subscribe for more bold, grace-filled sermons every week.
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