In a world of religious confusion, we must set aside preconceptions and let the Bible speak. Jesus revealed the gravity of this principle when He said to the Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). In John 17:17, Jesus identified this freedom giving truth as the word of God. Many today claim truth cannot be known. For Jesus, truth was not relative and in a state of flux, it was permanent and fixed.
Paul declared the Lord had made known to him “the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:3-4). Two chapters later, he commanded Christians to gain this knowledge (Ephesians 5:17). Though Scripture contains “…some things hard to understand…” (2 Peter 3:16), hard and impossible are not the same. Otherwise, how could Peter demand Christians “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18)? God never demands the impossible.
Others claim the teachings contained in Scripture are outdated and need to be amended to keep up with the times. Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Peter reiterated this truth in 1 Peter 1:22-25 where he, through inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:12ff), taught the means of purifying our souls “…having been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” He concluded by reiterating that “…the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25).
Another important point to consider in this vein is that, while people change over time, our Lord is unchanging. The Hebrews’ writer said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He followed this with a warning not to follow various and strange teachings. This harmonizes with the teachings of Christ and the apostles that truth is fixed rather than in constant flux.
The ultimate significance of this is in Jesus’ words in John 12:48 that His words will be the final standard of judgment. If we consider His statements in John 14-16, we know that this body of Jesus’ teachings includes all of the New Testament given by the inspired apostles and prophets.
In conclusion, every forthcoming article I write will be motivated by the conviction that 1) we can know the truth, 2) only the truth can free us from our sins, 3) the soul saving truth of which Jesus spoke is the word of God, 4) the word of God endures forever, 5) Jesus who gave us the final word from God (Hebrews 1:1-3) is unchanging, 6) every one of us will be judged on the basis of how we live with regard to Jesus’ words, 7) since only the truth as revealed by Jesus the Son of God can free people from their sins, and since that truth is contained in the word of God which never dies and never changes, we must be certain that we give all diligence to allow that word to direct our paths (Psalms 119:105). If we want to know that we know Him, the apostle John said we must keep His commandments (1 John 2:3). This is merely the demonstration that we love the Lord (John 14:15). May we strive together to know the truth in order that the truth may make us free now and for all eternity.