Matthew Chapter 5: Verses 17-19 (NIV)
“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 tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
My old English teacher in High School kept a copy of the Bible in his store cupboard and recommended that we read it. But he was only looking at it from a literary point of view. At that time, I was not an active Christian and I didn’t follow his advice . But Jesus, speaking here as part of what is known as the sermon on the mount, stresses that God’s word, that we know as the Bible, and in His time on earth as the law and the prophets, is much more than that. He also explains that nothing in the Bible will be irrelevant, and it will continue to be relevant until everything is accomplished at His return.
We need to remember these verses when people try to tell us that the Bible is not relevant to today, or is out of date. Just because we find some of its teaching difficult doesn’t mean we can discard it, indeed Jesus warns us against doing so. We need to open our hearts and minds to allow the Holy Spirit to give us all the understanding we need, and when He does, we can share that with others.
Dear Lord,
Thank You that just as You never change, neither does Your word, the Bible. Grant me wisdom and discernment to understand and share it. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.