Timeless!
Today’s link will take you to the article “Your Command” which talks about the rules that God gave us to protect us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Like any good parent, God teaches us through the Bible what things will lead to a strong and healthy life and what things will cause us and those around us pain.
So often I hear people talk about God’s commands as though they are outdated. A common phrase is this: “We know so much more now than they did in Bible times!” If you think about it, this statement is simply ridiculous. God has all knowledge. To say we know more now is like saying that we know more than God does!
There is an important concept that, in our limited human understanding, we often miss: God lives outside of time. In our human lives, we have a starting point (conception) and an ending point (death), and everything that happens in between occurs in chronological order. Our human minds process things in this way, and we try to limit God because of our limited understanding.
God has always existed and will always exist. He created time when he created the universe, but he is not bound by it.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Psalm 90:2 (ESV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.
Ephesians 1:3-4 (ESV)
The Bible is the inspired Word of a timeless God who knows all things past, present and future. Nothing takes him by surprise. As such, the Bible is just as relevant to us today as it was at its original writing.
Has God ever changed things within the timeline of humanity? Yes. For example, God did not give permission for humans to eat meat until after Noah’s flood. (It would have been difficult for Noah and his family to restrain themselves from eating their four-legged passengers if it was allowed before!). And, before Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for humans to witness, there were laws about animal sacrifice in place to help humans to understand just how awful sin was. But God has never changed his definition of what sin is or was. In fact, when Jesus stepped into our history, he made it clear that sin included anything that fell short of perfection.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-22 (ESV)
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
We are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, but this doesn’t mean that we should continue to practice things that the Bible calls sin. God forbids certain things because they hurt us and those around us. As Christians, we should desire to grow closer to God through his Word and listen closely to what he is trying to tell us today.
Here is my challenge to everyone, including myself. When reading scripture, pray for God to reveal what he is telling us right now. Ask him to show how Biblical principles apply to our lives and can help us to overcome the challenges we are facing. Then, make it a point to apply those principles to our lives.
We can take joy in the fact that the God who lives in eternity loves us enough to give us an instruction manual for life!
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Royalty-free images from Videoblocks.com
