THE UNALTERABLE TRUTH OF GOD

Posted on June 14, 2013

By Charles Box           Religious  truth came by Jesus Christ; therefore everything that we do religiously  must be authorized by the Lord. John wrote, “For the law was given by  Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) The  description of the true Christian is very short and simple. A true  Christian is a person who walks by faith. “For we walk by faith, not by  sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) Christians have both the obligation and the  privilege to walk by the unalterable truth of God. We must seek to  establish God’s authority for what we are to believe and do in all  religious matters. All things done by Christians must be done “in the  name of Christ” or “by the authority of Christ.” Paul wrote, “And  whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,  giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:17) The Bible  is the standard of faith for the Christian. “So then faith cometh by  hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Christians must  live their life by faith if they are to please God. “Behold, his soul  which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his  faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) Our access to God is available through obedient  faith. (Ephesians 3:12) Because God Himself is entirely faithful, He  honors those who love Him enough to trust His word completely.  “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God,  which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his  commandments to a thousand generations.” (Deuteronomy 7:9) Everything  done in Christian service must be authorized by the unalterable truth of  God.          The voice of unalterable truth cries, “Without the shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22) It is clear that there is no hope outside of Christ; for there is no other blood that can bring about atonement for sin.  Because  of  sin, atonement became necessary. God could not ignore sin and still  maintain His holiness. Atonement by the blood of Christ made it possible  for God to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in  Jesus.” (Romans 3:26) Through the cross of Christ God could forgive and  at the same time maintain His holiness. No sinner can hope for  forgiveness except through the blood of Christ. “Unto him that loved us,  and washed us from our sins in his own blood.” (Revelation 1:5) It is  through the blood of Christ that man can enjoy complete forgiveness of  sins. “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his  own blood, suffered without the gate.” (Hebrews 13:12)          The voice of unalterable truth cries, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…” (2 Corinthians 5:17) A  Christian is a believer in Christ who has repented and been baptized  for remission of sins.  “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized  in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall  receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) In life one can choose  to serve Satan as a sinner, or serve Christ as a Christian. You can  live either way but Christianity is the new way and it is the better  way. The Christian is new because now Christ works through his life. The  Bible says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above  all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”  (Ephesians 3:20) You will not be sorry for becoming a Christian or for  living the Christian life. It is the new way now and Christianity is the  better way for now and forever. Christians are the real winners. Those  who reject Christianity are the losers now and in eternity.          The  voice of unalterable truth cries, God “will have all men to be saved,  and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) We  must be honest enough to accept God and His truth. In 2 John 1:1 we  read,  “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the  truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth.”  Truth is knowable and we can distinguish between truth and error. “We  are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God  heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of  error.” (1 John 4:6) Truth is absolute and knowable and God desires  everyone to walk in it. If men are ever to be saved they must be willing  to learn truth and rely upon it for instructions on how to be saved.           Reconciliation  to God is through the death of Jesus. (Romans 5:10) Sin separates man  from God. (Isaiah 59:1-2) Man is returned to God’s favor through the  cross of Christ. Because of the cross, Christians can cry out to a lost  world, “be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Repentance and  baptism are man’s response to God’s offer of salvation by the blood of  Christ. (Acts 2:36-38) Do you see God’s love at the cross? Do you  recognize the cross as the only means of justification? Have you been  motivated by the cross to be reconciled to God? If the cross will not  move you, nothing will!