Changes

We’ve seen major changes in our world within the last week, some based on laws in the United States, another based on the government in Egypt. The laws of our world change almost daily and we need to be aware of them because in our world, ignorance of the law is no excuse. It is disconcerting, to say the least, to find ourselves breaking a law we did not know existed.

It is easy, however, to break laws we don’t care about, which have no penalties or ones we simply want to be changed. One young man told me that laws against speeding are simply fines for going as fast as you want to. Unfortunately, it wasn’t seen quite that way when he was ticketed for speeding and felt the fine was unfair, complaining about having to pay.

Obeying laws are a bit difficult as they change, and many feel God’s laws changed from the Old Testament to the New. They really didn’t.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:40)

Take a look at the surrounding verses. The foundation of God’s commandments is love. Then spend some time with 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter where Paul expounds on love, though the English word love does not appear. That word permeates the New Testament and is intended to make changes in our lives.

In the King James version, the New Testament contains 180 instances of the word ‘love’, though there are three Greek words used to achieve that count. The one that describes the love between men and God – agapē – is translated in 1 Corinthians 13 as ‘charity’ instead of ‘love’, but it is the same root word – agapaō - used in John 3:16 and 1 John 4:19 (go ahead, look them up. I like the thought of a Bible in your hand.)

That has not changed. Oh, there have been some who call themselves Christian who do not live by or express this love for their fellow man, but God does. There are some who have perverted God’s word, but we were told that had happen:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (Romans 1:25)

We were also told it would continue:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

God’s word changes lives through sound doctrine, not in changing doctrine to meet societies’ changes.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-8)