“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Unchangeable.
Now that’s a foreign concept for us to wrap our minds around. So little in life stands unmoved and unchanged by time’s incessant flow.
More often than not, that’s probably for the best.
Gone are the days of relying on carrier pigeons to send messages to loved ones. Blessedly, doctors have realized that there are more effective medical means of curing illnesses than using leeches to drain the “bad blood” from a patient. Need I go on?
These are humorous examples, but I think you get my point. Technological advancements, scientific discoveries, and the like—these can all be good things! They improve upon and better society and the world in which we live in so many ways.
But the idea that everything of the past is old and outdated—now that can be a dangerous mindset to fall into, particularly when Christians look at God’s Word and wonder if it needs to be updated in order for Christianity to stay relevant and relatable in today’s culture and society.
We can be tempted to do that, can’t we?
If we’re not tempted to change God’s Word outright, at the very least there can be subtle temptations to brush over parts of Scripture, especially if we’re talking to someone who says, “The Bible calls that sin? Come on, this is the 21st century. Christianity should get with the times!”
The temptation in such a situation would be to fold and nod along in agreement. “Yeah, the Bible is behind the times a bit . . . that probably only applied to people back then.”
When it comes to God’s Word, what Scripture teaches doesn’t change with the times because God doesn’t change. And that’s a good thing! The Bible is God’s Word—not ours. What a good thing that is too! It doesn’t need to “get with the times,” be improved on, added to, or adjusted. It’s already exactly how God wants it.
When Christians are tempted to water down the bitterness of God’s law to appeal to more people, the sweet taste of the gospel message goes sour.
In fact, God warns against changing his Word because that would undermine how vital it is that we know what sin is and what it does to people. Sin separates us from God.
Changing God’s Word would also rob Jesus of the full glory and praise he is rightfully owed. It would prevent us from seeing the full picture of God’s love for us in Jesus. He died to set us free from our sins because of his great love and mercy for us. Think about it: To call something not a sin is to claim that Jesus did not die for that. And he did!
“The Bible calls that sin?” “Yes, it does, but here’s why it’s important to know that—and even more importantly, here’s what Jesus did about that . . .”
What God defines in his Word as sin does not change. What God did about that sin—and all other sins that plague humankind despite all our technological advancements and scientific discoveries—does not change either.
Why not? Because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
Unchangeable.
Now that’s an amazing fact we get to thank and praise God for!
Looking to learn more about how to talk about law and gospel in the Bible? Law and Gospel: Bad News—Good News is a solid but easy-to-follow presentation of these two main teachings of Scripture. This book shows that understanding this foundation is essential for Christian faith and life.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.