That Old Archaic Word
Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…”
Recently, after doing a wedding, I had a family member come up to me and say, “Nice service, except for that part about the man being the head of the household.” I was a little taken aback as this person is devout in their religious traditions. I replied, “Well, it’s the Bible,” to which they responded, “It was written a long time ago.” I ended it with, “It still applies today!” Therein my friends lies the problem with religion and is the answer to why so many people have either gone astray or why their children have no interest in the faith. There is nothing solid in the hearts and minds of people to stand on and therefore the whole structure is collapsing.
Jesus told us in John 8:31-32 that it is by living in and making the Word, His Word, of utmost importance that we become free. If people are taught to cast it aside or taught not to even turn to it, how will anyone ever be free??Religions today spend more time focused on their traditions and their programs than what God (you know the God that doesn’t change) has told them. It is why many churches see no change in the people and why many churches dry up.
We find in 1 Peter 1:25 the same sentiment, “But the word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.” The Bible is God’s Word, and there is no changing it. If your faith is not built in it, then it is not built in Truth and that is why most “Christians” have such poor results in life and live wishy washy. Their faith is not faith at all, at least not Biblical, God inspired and ordained faith. It is only faith in man’s theology and that doesn’t hold up. This is why the modern church resembles a train wreck.
Jesus didn’t come to change the law but to fulfill it. In fact, we are told in 1 Timothy 1:8, that the law is good if one uses it lawfully and in Matthew 5:18, that not one little bit of it will pass away as long as Heaven and earth remain. What does it mean to use it lawfully, you might ask? It means we must understand God’s purpose and intent through and only through the complete revelation or understanding of His Word. It means to just read one little part is not enough, you must understand it based on all that is revealed.
Jesus didn’t change God’s plan. He simply completed it. Jesus didn’t throw out the old writings. He embraced and taught them the way God intended. He didn’t say never follow and read the Old Testament. He showed us that it was still good for our instruction. In fact, the entire New Testament is completely based on the structure of the Old Testament. If we were meant to throw away a writing because of its age, Jesus would have done that. Yet He and the disciples brought us the New Testament by preaching the Old Testament!
As far as the head of household thing, God’s purpose for man was that he would lead his family by the example set forth in scripture. In absolutely no way does this diminish the role or purpose of a woman, it simply establishes God’s direction. When men and women do the Word, they are equally important and they are equally able to do all they were intended to do. When one doesn’t, then sometimes the other has to step up, but that doesn’t mean God’s design has changed. That’s like driving a car backwards and complaining because you got into an accident. Reverse is just as important as forward in it’s intended operation. It doesn’t work as well outside of it.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us Jesus was, is, and always will be the same. The beginning of John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God. If Jesus is God, and He is the Word, and He never changes, it doesn’t matter if the Word is a million years old, it still applies. How foolish would it be for you to leave specific instruction before you went away and yet desire your housekeeper to do something completely different. Or how mad would you be if you left instruction and returned to find they did everything the way they wanted. I once new someone who left their house, giving another a key for maintenance. When they returned, much to their displeasure, their kitchen had been repainted!
Don’t repaint God’s kitchen! He left us as steward’s of His earth until He comes back, giving us very specific instructions. Don’t be so foolish as to think it’s up to us to rewrite His plan. Yes, the Bible still applies today folks, and it works for those who know to continue to work it. Everyone else is simply deceiving themselves.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Jeff
