Sanctification or Manipulation?

This will be more of a rant than anything else. One of the biggest things I've learned during my first year of seminary is just how much I have been taking scripture out of context in order to fit theology, or whatever other agenda I needed it to serve. I have been forced to work through a logical and methodological approach to finding meaning without laying a theological framework on top of the scripture I am determined to understand. This approach allows the text to speak in context. I know how simple it may sound, and many of you might think that you already find meaning in context, but I would humbly pressure you to re-examine your approach to understanding scripture. How well do you understand the meaning cohesively within the text itself, ie. verse to verse and chapter to chapter? One thing that is easy to do, for instance, is to use the writings of Paul to "figure out" other writings of Paul, but while that may prove effective generally, it's dangerous to use that as the first step in understanding a certain passage. That is what I mean by laying theology on top of scripture to understand it! Paul's theology in Romans might not have anything to do with a certain scripture in 2 Corinthians! Determine the argument, follow the logic, and let the text speak. This is really the point of this post: I have discovered too many scriptures that can be used to "force" believers into a false sense of guilt, which borders on a legalistic works based religious system, and all in the name of sanctification. We apply Romans 12:1-2 to personal sanctification when it is, in context, talking about two distinct groups (Jew and Gentile believers) coming together in worship, and the command to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind isn't talking about a private "thought-life" battle, but simply changing the mindset of disunity that was pervasive in that context that prohibited them to accept each other! Now, should we offer our lives to Christ as a living sacrifice...YES! Should we think holy thoughts....YES! But we should use the right scriptures to teach it and not manipulate the text to say something it isn't saying, even though it may be right theologically. What about the often quoted 2 Corinthians 3:17 scripture that says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (or freedom)." That is a great scripture! But, I have always heard it used to say that we can freedom from sin, freedom from pain, freedom from this and that, and that we can overcome!!!! I would almost bet that you wouldn't agree, at least at first, that this scripture is intended to be an encouragement to boldly proclaim the gospel even in the midst of trails and persecutions. Show me in the context of chapters 2-5 where Paul is trying to develop an argument for triumphilism in this age, or that he's talking about sanctification. What you'll find is Paul defending his apostleship, and in doing so he has to prove that the ministry of the "new covenant" is one where afflictions, trials, and persecution are all part of it, and in the midst of it believers have confidence that God will prove faithful to give us glory in the next age...and because of that confidence we have the freedom to boldly proclaim the truth. It follows the logic. I wasn't even aware of how badly we abuse scripture until it was pointed out to me that, above anything else, I need to understand the text within itself as it relates in the first century, and I need to stop sytematizing scripture to death. Simple Application: Don't allow scripture to be used as your weapon to overwhelm people with a sense of guilt by applying sanctification to texts that don't have anything to do with sanctification!