Jeremiah 6:16

        "Thus saith the Lord; Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the

          old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall

          find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not hearken."

                                                                                                        Jeremiah 6:16

Being a person who likes to keep up with current events, as I'm sure that most of you also are, I've noticed that some are advocating that our Constitution is "out of date." That it's "old-fashioned" and that we need to either get rid of it, or at least, update it to fit our modern times.

There are several reasons that we're hearing these ideas bandied about lately and the latest of which has to do with the possession of guns by citizens of the U.S. There are other causes that bring about the idea of "updating" the Constitution, but the one I just mentioned is the latest one dear to the "Liberals" hearts and minds.

Seeing and hearing their proposals regarding changing the Constitution brought to mind the ideas we hear from time to time proposed by the "religious liberals" about the Gospel being "outdated." About needing to be "updated" or, if put in computerese, it needs "upgrading" in order to fit our modern times.

I've even heard some of this persuasion opine that the writers of the Gospel couldn't know or foresee the issues we'd be facing today. My first response to this opinion is - how ignorant of God's Word can these people be?

That they believe that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter et al thought up the words, the message they penned. They're either ignorant or just don't believe that it's God's words and message written there. Or, maybe they must not believe that the New Testament is inspired writings. Personally, I'm not sure that their unbelief takes them out of the ignorant category.

But, these ideas of some who think that God's word needs to be changed or updated from time to time is nothing really new, are they? Since the writing of the Gospel someone has always advocated changes to it. Our current batch of change agents just fall in line with their predecessors like the false priests and prophets of old who took it upon themselves to change what God's Law via Moses commanded.

The reason I start with those early change agents is because of what I read in Romans 15:4. It tells me there that what was "written aforetime" was for our instruction. So that we'd know what God thinks about those who would change His law.

The Gospel is now God's Law by which man is "instructed" in how to be pleasing to God, in how to be obedient to Him and thereby be saved. We can see this by looking at what's said in Matt. 17:5 "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."

In the Old Testament, Israel was to "hear" the true law given through Moses. Today, Christians are to "hear" the "Truth" (Jn. 17:17 then Jn. 8:22) given to all men through the inspired writers of the Gospel, the New Testament.

As to the idea of God not realizing the problems or issues of today is like accusing Him of being "old-fashioned." (What a blasphemous thought in of itself) Here's a quick thought - if that were the case, why would He warn us that we'd encounter those such "change agents" in several scriptural locations such as 1Tim. 4:1, 2Tim. 4:3 and others.

Yes, this "old-fashioned, behind-the-times" God knew that there would come those who Solomon describes as being "wise in their own eyes." (Prov. 3:7) That when they came they'd advocate changing His Doctrine in various ways. Ways that usually have to do with fitting man's convenience.

Of course, any such change automatically moves the new doctrine (or update/upgrade) into a new category. From "The Truth" to the "doctrine of devils" (1Tim. 4:1)

There's a fundamental law involved here and it's one that I've mentioned before, but is always applicable when the subject under discussion deals with man's ideas of how some part of the Bible should be altered or changed. "It takes as much authority to change a law as it takes to make a law."

Evidently our modern proponents of altering or changing the Gospel either don't understand this principle, or choose to not believe what God says in Rev. 22:18-19 about how He feels about anyone changing His Word. But not only do we have that passage to show us God's thoughts regarding those who would change His Way to other paths, there are others that also tell us this.

In verses 7&8 of Isa. 59 the prophet is speaking there about those who's iniquities have separated them from God. I see the last part of verse 7 including those ideas of changing the "way" God has given man as it talks about those whose "thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths."

The lesson seen in verse 7, coupled with verse 8, tells us that those who are followers of those having "thoughts of iniquity" are following a "crooked path" and that "whosoever goes therein shall not know peace." Please go back and read our introductory passage from Jeremiah 6:16.

I really can't understand someone who is professedly religious calling God "old-fashioned" or "out of date." This brings a scary picture to my mind, were I one of those proposing to "upgrade" or "change" God's Word in order to be what I thought to be more fitting to people today, of standing before "The Judge" at the "Day of Sentencing" (aka Judgment).

By reading the passage found in 1Tim. 1:9-10 I can see who would be standing shoulder to shoulder with me in "the dock" - all of the other "lawless" listed therein, but note in particular the last violator: "Anything contrary to sound doctrine." In this picture, that would be me and I most certainly wish to avoid being found in that grouping.

Ron Covey