IS IT IT’s OR ITS?

Psalm 119:57-64

I thought about my ways, and turned my feet to Your testimonies. Psalm 119:59

If enough people believe that a wrong thing is right, does that make it so? For instance, if people from all educational levels persist in writing it’s when they mean its, does that make it correct?

From executive memos to newspaper articles to billboard ads, the misuse of it’s goes on. To be correct, you would use it’s for a contraction of it is. (It’s a nice day.) And you would use its to denote a possessive of it. (The dog wagged its tail.)

It seems that more people use this construction incorrectly than correctly. Does that mean we should condone its improper use? I hope not.

The same is true of biblical teachings that are twisted so often we might consider not making such a big deal about them.

For instance, what if people continually suggest that hell is not a real place and that people without Jesus are not really lost? (Matthew 5:22; Luke 12:5). Should we reconsider the accuracy of what Scripture teaches about hell? Or what about the common practice of lying? Should we redefine biblical teaching about honesty? (Psalm 51:6; Proverbs 19:5).

Do we live by majority rule, setting life patterns by what we see others doing, or do we live by God’s standards? It’s a question that answers itself if we want to please Him. —jdb

When reading God’s Word, take special care to find the rich treasures hidden there; give thought to each line, each precept clear, then practice it well with godly fear. —anon

Trust God’s authority—not man’s majority.