Things New and Old

In our natural state we cannot discern spiritual truths.  When we are born again by grace through faith and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can become Christian "yes" men.  We read the Bible and nod our heads in approval, but we can fail to see that the radical precepts and truths of scripture have yet to be actually lived out in our lives.  We know the truth in a superficial and theoretical sense, but there has not been implementation.  The things we agree with have not been put into practice, or we have put the scripture into practice with rigid inflexibility.  Like a child dancing in a circle with his hobby horse, we can come to a point when we do not seek or even desire further transformation according to God's Word.  We have established beliefs through which all scripture is filtered, and even God cannot change our minds.  Instead of allowing scripture to challenge us to see things in a new light, we can become stuck in a rut A.W. Tozer called "a circular grave."

How am I able to speak of such things?  I have experienced this condition myself!  I remember times of refinement when I would ask God earnestly, "You want me to give that up?  You want me to change this too?  How much more of my life do I need to give up?"  He simply said, "All of it."  See, I knew that's what He would say.  Even though I knew it is my reasonable service to commit my beliefs, thoughts, lifestyle, career, wife, and children to His control, I didn't feel like doing it.  I was more concerned about what I was giving up than what God had already given!  My perspective was all wrong.  I came to this conclusion through reading the scriptures and the Holy Spirit opening my eyes and convicting me of my sin.  It may be better said this conclusion was given to me by God, and it took me quite a while to agree with Him.  I am far from perfect, but He has established the fact that I am the one who needs to change.  Change will be required in me until I put off this body of flesh and am glorified in the presence of God.  God's Word should confront my flesh, challenge my mind, and reform me until the day I die.  I will be reading and studying the scriptures for eternity and never learn all.

God reiterated this to me when I read a passage in Matthew.  In context, Jesus spoke parable after parable to His disciples.  I almost laughed when I read Matthew 13:51:  "Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord."  How hilarious are Christ's disciples?  They thought they understood everything when they didn't even grasp the basics!  Instead of pointing out their great delusions, Jesus continued in Matthew 13:52:  "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."  Scribes were trained in how to rightly handle the Word of God.  They were men revered for their mastery of scriptural texts, able to teach and interpret the law, and copy it precisely according to Jewish tradition.  The role of the scribes was illustrated in Nehemiah 8:8: "So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading."  Because Christians have the Spirit of God living within us, we have received instruction from God concerning God and His kingdom.

Once we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, He takes up residence within each believer and guides us into all truth.  God has provided a great treasury of knowledge and wisdom in the Bible of far greater value than a million universes.  Through God's Word we can know God, learn of His love, justice, and character, what He requires of us, and how to live in the way that pleases Him.  The old truths of God's Word should never lose their lustre, for God has many new things to teach us through them.  Some passages are new to us, while other passages are very familiar.  God has an infinite amount of new things to teach us and to apply personally from old, well-trod passages.  God can apply an old passage in a new way without forsaking the truth.  A householder may know his stock very well, but as he digs through some old boxes while organising he will find many useful things he had forgotten or misplaced.  Both the Old and New Testaments are relevant, practical, and useful to aid us in knowing God, leading others to Him, and walking righteously.

When we think we have mastery of the scriptures, we have begun to be entrenched in our own thoughts.  Our God is the One who makes all things new.  He wants to make us new daily as He renews our minds and strength through the scriptures.  If we think we know all, then we know nothing as we ought to know.  Speaking for myself, my theology has changed over the last few years, and I trust years from now it will be radically different - different not because God has changed or I am bold to take liberties to wrest scriptures according to my opinions - but because God has changed me!  If I am willing, humbled by my great lack, He will open my eyes and mind to understand truth I cannot now comprehend.  Unless we are born again and renewed, we will not progress.  We are to called to put off the old man, be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and put on the new man that we might walk in newness of life (Eph. 4:20-24).  The world looks at progress this way:  "Out with the old, and in with the new!"  Yet scripture should never become old to us.  The only way we will be renewed is if our lives are consciously brought into obedience to the scriptures in faith.  Out of His treasury He provides things new and old!