Things New and Old

In this day and age, when things get old they normally end up in the rubbish heap. However there are some people who want to hang on to all their old things. Their houses become so full with clutter because of their inability to donate or throw anything away, even if it is of no use to them any longer. Some old things we treasure though and we try to repair them so that they last longer. If they are keepsakes or treasures, we store them in a safe place, taking them out once in awhile to look at. Old furniture may get repaired and sold for a good price as an antique. Some things improve with age, and their value increases. At times it is hard to tell whether to get rid of something old, or whether it is worth fixing, like an old car.

Spiritually speaking, things new and old are both important. Not one part of the Bible is to be considered too old and therefore can be ignored.

My current Bible that I use regularly is now 26 years old. I have kept it in fairly good condition. When I go places it is always carefully carried in its leather case for protection. It looks fairly new on the outside, however the pages are getting yellow and worn on the inside. I have had to put a little tape over some pages that have torn. I have also underlined many favourite verses and made some notes in the margins. On occasion people have picked up my Bible and looked at it and commented on how this is a well-used Bible. I have felt that this Bible is of vital importance to me and sometimes when using another Bible in studies I feel a bit naked – without those extra verses underlined and extra notes, it just does not feel the same as my old familiar Bible. I know my way around with this familiar road map, and I have felt that no other Bible could do as well as my own personal Bible.

That was until I spoke with my father who had a new Bible. He had many Bibles, but over the years he has occasionally purchased a new Bible for regular use as the others got old and worn out. I wondered how he would manage with a new one as he also made extensive notes in his old one. Oh, he told me he will not use his new Bible until he has read it from cover to cover, underlining and making notes in the new one, without the old one to look from. In this way God can draw his attention to Bible verses that he may not have noticed so much before.

If we keep using only our old, familiar Bible, our eyes are often drawn to those underlined places and we tend to put more emphasis on them and not so much on the other verses. We get into this habit after a while. If we would take all those underlinings away, all verses would appear equal once more and we could learn new things. One person told me that if we keep using our old Bible, we need to make it a point to read those verses we have NOT underlined as we often neglect them as not so important.

All the truth in the Bible is the same, from cover to cover. Truth never changes, however new light will come to God’s people.

SPIRITUAL THINGS NEW & OLD

“The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.” Eccl 1:9,10.

According to Solomon there is nothing new under the sun. He is right about that. Truth is as old as God Himself. Satan keeps using the same old deceptions over and over again because man keeps falling into his traps. He doesn’t need to think of anything new. God’s truth is old, but also new, as we shall discuss further. ‘Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.” Mat. 13:52 This parable describes the Bible. Both new and old testaments are important. Neither upon this occasion nor at any other time did Jesus depreciate the value of the OT Scriptures or even suggest that in the future they were to have less force. The OT is not invalidated by the NT, but amplified and given new life. Christ inspired both and both were full of truth for the sincere seeker. The OT reveals the Christ who was to come; the NT reveals the Christ who had come. The OT and the NT are not mutually exclusive and opposed to each other. Together they are in harmony. They complement each other. We need to be familiar with old and new.

“Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word, which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.” 1 John 2:7,8 This is a new commandment in quality not in age. No new commandment was necessary because the old was adequate. Verse 8 explains verse 7. First, no new commandment and then a new commandment. Is John contradicting himself?

The old commandment was sufficient, if man had heeded its counsel. But men so obscured the true purpose of the law that they altogether lost sight of its spiritual quality. So bright and meaningful did the instruction appear that John as a ‘new’ commandment could appropriately describe it.

The conquest of darkness by the ‘true light’ would be gradual, but certain. This darkness is the ignorance, voluntary or otherwise, that prevents men from seeing the true nature of God’s Word. The revelation of God through Jesus Christ. The coming of Jesus placed a new responsibility and a new blessing upon man.

NEW LIGHT- BUT OLD TRUTHS

“And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, the repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isa. 58:12.

The Ten Commandments are described as a wall around God’s people. A breach has been made in this wall, due to a failure on the part of Christianity to practice true religion. Nevertheless, the foundation remained, and upon it a new structure was reared. The manner of rebuilding the old waste places consists of a revival of practical religion. The truth remains, however the structure may look different that is sitting on the foundation. A different church might be holding the truth today than was the church who held it, hundreds of years ago.

The ancient pathways of truth are also to be restored. Right principles are to be honoured and followed in all the relationships of life. All over the world the work of restoration is in progress. The Sabbath is’being restored to its rightful place in the law of God and in the lives of men. Again men and women are being taught to walk in the ways of the Lord.

When a child is learning how to read or learning his multiplication tables, it is all new to him. It is new light. But reading, writing and arithmetic are not new concepts. This knowledge is old, but it is new light to the child.

Shortly after the Disappointment in 1844, God’s people studied the Ten Commandments and realized that the 7th day of the week was really the Sabbath – not the first day of the week. This was new light to them and they embraced this new light with joy. However this truth is as old as the world. It was given to man at Creation. God has new light He is revealing, little by little, to His people. Our slow and weak minds are too dull to receive it all at once. We have been degenerating for 6000 years in this sinful world and our intellect is considerably weaker today. Therefore God reveals His truths to us, little by little and we are to embrace each new ray of light with joy.

LUTHERANS

When Martin Luther was alive, he led quite a spiritual revival in Western Europe. The continent had been under the yoke of the Papacy for many years in an era called the Dark Ages. Martin Luther read his Bible and saw the errors that were being practiced and preached by the church. He decided to protest the wrongs. He saw that all these rigorous ceremonies had no power to cleanse a sinner, but rather, “the just shall live by faith.” He also understood that a sinner could pray directly to Jesus and did not need a priest for a mediator. And the sale of indulgences he was very adamantly opposed to this practice. To Martin Luther and his followers, this was new light. This light pierced the darkness that the Papacy had brought over the people. However it was not new truth. It was old truth, newly discovered.

Although he was a brave Protestant, he did not receive all the light of the truth. He received a little, and he encouraged his followers to continue searching their Bibles after his death to discover more of the truths that it contains. They, however, did not follow this counsel and so the Lutheran church came into existence, based on the doctrines that Martin Luther taught, but no more. They felt they had the truth – all of it. They were in the situation talked about in the following quote.

“It is a fact that we have the truth, and we must hold with tenacity to the positions that cannot be shaken; but we must not look with suspicion upon any new light which God may send, and say, Really, we cannot see that we need any more light than the old truth which we have hitherto received, and in which we are settled. While we hold to this position, the testimony of the True Witness applies to our cases its rebuke, “And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Those who feel rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, are in a condition of blindness as to their true condition before God, and they know it not.”-RH, 08-07-94. There is very much danger that we could make the same mistake the Lutherans did.

“Precious light is to shine forth from the word of God… When a message comes in the name of the Lord to His people, no one may excuse himself from an investigation of its claims. No one can afford to stand back in an attitude of indifference and self-confidence, and say: “I know what is truth. I am satisfied with my position. I have set my stakes, and I will not be moved away from my position, whatever may come. I will not listen to the message of this messenger; for I know that it cannot be truth.” It is from pursuing this very course that the popular churches were left in partial darkness, and that is why the messages of heaven have not reached them.” CSW28

The problem with the Lutherans was that when Martin Luther died, they refused to study for themselves and discover new light. Rather they chose to stop learning. Unfortunately they were not receiving new light because they were not searching for it. They did not have very many points of truth correct. Today, more than 500 years after Martin Luther’s tune, they still have not progressed any further.

It is a law of nature that if something is not growing, it is dying. The Lutheran church is dying in that they are retreating back to the Catholic System, which Martin Luther protested so loudly against. They are uniting once again with that which they clearly saw was an incorrect system those many years ago.

SEARCH DILIGENTLY FOR NEWLIGHT

There is never a time we can say that we know it all. Yes, we may know and understand the key prophecies for the time in which we live, such as the Mark of the Beast, Sunday Laws, the Seven Last Plagues, however is that all God has to reveal to us? Should we stop our intense studying now? “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” Rom. 11:34. How long has God been living? Is it not from eternity – how can we say we know everything in our meagre 70 years of life? We will be learning throughout eternity. God has so much more He wants to reveal to us.

How will we discover new light, if we do not search diligently? Are we to leave all deep Bible study to the theologians in the church and accept whatever conclusions they have come to? Sister White does say that the General Conference in Session is the voice of God on this earth, so therefore we wait until they make their decisions and then we know that the message comes from God. No, this is all wrong. Each individual member is required to make an earnest search of the scripture themselves and share what they have found with the organized body of believers.

If we’ve studied our church history we know that in the year 1844 all the believers were earnestly studying and praying for the Lord to reveal to them the truths of His Word. After that, lukewarmness settled into the church. May God help us not to fall into this Laodicean state. It is not a description of all other religious bodies only. There is very real danger that members of God’s church can also end up in this condition.

“Yet while it was not given to the prophets to understand fully the things revealed to them, they earnestly sought to obtain all the light which God had been pleased to make manifest. They “inquired and searched diligently,” “searching what, or what manner of tune the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify.” What a lesson to the people of God in the Christian age, for whose benefit these prophecies were given to His servants! “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister.” Witness those holy men of God as they “inquired and searched diligently” concerning revelations given them for generations that were yet unborn. Contrast their holy zeal with the listless unconcern with which the favoured ones of later ages treat this gift of Heaven. What a rebuke to the ease-loving, world-loving indifference which is content to declare that the prophecies cannot be understood!” GC 344
The truths of the Word of God are as hidden treasure. They are there for the earnest seeker.

THE WALK TO EMMAUS

On the road to Emmaus, the two disciples were rather discouraged by the time Jesus came to walk with them. They had misinterpreted some of the truths of the Old Testament that pertained to Christ’s true mission on this earth. On their journey Jesus brought these truths back to their minds with a fresh new understanding.

“Christ in His teaching presented old truths of which He Himself was the originator, truths which He had spoken through patriarchs and prophets; but He now shed upon them a new light. How different appeared their meaning! A flood of light and spirituality was brought in by His explanation. And He promised that the Holy Spirit should enlighten the disciples, that the word of God should be ever unfolding to them. They would be able to present its truths in new beauty.

“Ever since the first promise of redemption was spoken in Eden, the life, the character, and the mediatorial work of Christ have been the study of human minds. Yet every mind through whom the Holy Spirit has worked has presented these themes in a light that is fresh and new. The truths of redemption are capable of constant development and expansion. Though old, they are ever new, constantly revealing to the seeker for truth a greater glory and a mightier power.

“In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that generation. The old truths are all essential; new truth is not independent of the old, but an unfolding of it. It is only as the old truths are understood that we can comprehend the new. When Christ desired to open to His disciples the truth of His resurrection, He began “at Moses and all the prophets” and “expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Luke 24:27. But it is the light which shines in the fresh unfolding of truth that glorifies the old. He who rejects or neglects the new does not really possess the old. For him it loses its vital power and becomes but a lifeless form.” COL 127.

Jesus brought no new truths, He only explained the old. For Christians to say that the law of God was done away with, that we are in a new era of Christianity, is a complete lie. The truth does not change.

HOW TO SHARE NEWLIGHT

“New light and power will be given them as they use what they have. New fervour and zeal will stir the church as they see something accomplished.” 5T 369.

If God has blessed you with new light, there is a right way and a wrong way to present that truth to His church. Often those who claim to have new light, but really do not have it, are those who go about it the wrong way.

“God has not passed His people by and chosen one solitary man here and another there as the only ones worthy to be entrusted with His truth. He does not give one man new light contrary to the established faith of the body… .Let none be self-confident, as though God had given them special light above then- brethren. Christ is represented as dwelling in His people.” 5T 291.

The right way: “We must learn that others have rights as well as. we ourselves. When a brother receives new light upon the Scriptures, he should frankly explain his position, and every minister should search the Scriptures with the spirit of candour, to see if the points presented’ can be substantiated by the Inspired Word.” GW 303. The example of the disciples on the way to Emmaus: “Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. They claim that God has given them great light; but how do they act under its influence? Do they pursue the course that the two disciples pursued on their journey to Emmaus? When they received light, they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading, and told them how they had seen Jesus and had talked with him.

“Have the men who have claimed to have light concerning the church, pursued this course? Have they gone to those who are chosen of God to bear a living testimony, and given them evidence that this light would better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in great day of God? Have they sought counsel of those who have been and are still bearing the truth, and giving to the world the last message of warning? Have they counselled with those who have had a deep experience in the things of God?” RH 09-05-93

The wrong way: “Why were these men so full of zeal for the cause, not present at the General Conference held at Battle Creek, as were the devout men at Jerusalem at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? At the great heart of the work, men opened their treasures of light, and while the Lord was pouring out His Spirit upon the people, did these men receive of the heavenly anointing? While the deep movings of the Spirit of God were made manifest among the people, and souls were being converted, and hard hearts broken, there were those who were listening to the suggestion of Satan, and they were inspired with zeal from beneath to go forth and proclaim that the very people receiving of the Holy Spirit, who are to receive the latter rain and the glory that is to lighten the whole earth, were Babylon. Did the Lord give these messengers their message? No; for it was not a message of truth.” RH 09-Q5-93. The wrong way to go about it is like these brethren. Separating from the body of believers and denouncing them as Babylon. Their motive is not to help and uplift God’s church, but rather to tear it down and defame it.

NEW LIGHT NEVER CONTRADICTS OLD TRUTHS

“When the power of God testifies as to what is truth, that truth is to stand forever as the truth. No after suppositions contrary to the light God has given are to be entertained. Men will arise with interpretations of Scripture which are to them truth, but which are not truth. The truth for this time God has given us as a foundation for our faith. He Himself has taught us what is truth. One will arise, and still another, with new light, which contradicts the light that God has given under the demonstration of His Holy Spirit….

“We are not to receive the words of those who come with a message that contradicts the special points of our faith. They gather together a mass of Scripture, and pile it as proof around their asserted theories… And while the Scriptures are God’s word, and are to be respected, the application of them, if such application moves one pillar from the foundation that God has sustained.., is a great mistake. He who makes such an application knows not the wonderful demonstration of the Holy Spirit that gave power and force to the past messages that have come to the people of God.” ISM 161.New light will never contradict the old truths.

The Watchtower Society has their own Bible which their church prints. The members are told that this Bible is the only one they are to read. Yet the sad part is that many parts have been changed to twist the meaning of certain passages to suit their doctrinal beliefs. One time I confronted a member of their organization with this fact, especially since in Revelation 22:19 it says, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

This certain gentleman told me that they must change their Bible because new truths are constantly being revealed to them by God and therefore they are impressed to make the changes accordingly as divinely inspired. However truth does not change. Yes, new light comes but it always is just an enlightenment of the old truths that have been hidden for ages in the Bible. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Heb. 13:8 Jesus never changes, the message about Him can never change Teachings that differ from the pure gospel already proclaimed may be dismissed without further examination.

TRUTH VS. TRADITION

As we’ve mentioned, truth does not change, so it is very important to know what truth is. Often churches have adopted various traditions and they continue with these traditions, not wanting to change, but also not recognizing them as merely traditions, rather trying to teach them as truth. Their minds need to be enlightened and they are required to give up their old traditions and follow the truth.

“No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.” Mat. 9:16,17 Tradition and truth cannot unite. Ancient Judaism was built upon much tradition in the days of Christ. They had lost sight of the true meaning of their ceremonies and when the light came, “the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5.

It was futile to try to weave the good news of the kingdom of heaven with the worn-out observance of Jewish tradition, Catholic tradition or any tradition that comes from a fallen religious organization. Their religion is compared to old bottles and an old worn-out garment. Any effort to contain God’s truth in the dead forms of their religious traditions, to unite the two by forcing God’s church to take the shape of and be reconciled to it, would prove vain. Jesus taught that the principles of the kingdom of heaven applied to the souls of men would lead to the outworking of those principles in lives of active, radiant religion. The attempt to unite the two would result in the destruction of both. In this case you cannot combine the old with the new; the old traditions with the new truth.

It is possible for our personal religious life to become as a worn-out garment. If all we think of is the traditions – or even ‘the rules’ – the things we must do and must not do, then we are worn-out. We worry so much about doing things exactly right.

We need Christ in our hearts to renew our spiritual experience. The ‘new wine’ is the vital truth of God at work in the hearts of men.
“No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is betler.” Luke 5:39. Some are wary of change. They like the way things have been done for hundreds of years and are sceptical of any change that is needed. This again illustrates the deep grained prejudice of fallen religions based on traditions.

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:” I Cor. 5:7 Those who are unwilling to change, and hold on to their traditions that are contrary to the Word of Truth revealed in the Bible, need to be removed as they are harmful to the church. The Jews had been instructed to search their houses carefully before eating the Passover supper, to make sure that there was not even a particle of leavened bread in their homes. Similarly the Christian church at Corinth was instructed to make certain that sin was put away. By putting out the offenders from the church and turning away from all sin, the church would become pure and free from the corrupting influence of cherished wrongdoing. It would be like a fresh portion of flour, or dough, before the addition of any leaven. They would then partake of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

OLD AND YOUNG WORKERS

In the church of God, there are many faithful pioneers who endured hardship for the cause they love so dearly. These older pioneers are passing away one by one, and the young workers are taking over. However while these older ones are still alive, God has work for them to do. They are not to be cast aside by the church as useless, having nothing more to give to the church, thus making way for the younger ones to take over.

“The cause needs the help of the old hands, the aged workers, who have had years of experience in the cause of God; who have watched the development and the progress ofthemessagein its variouslines;…. Many of the tried servants of God have fallen asleep in Jesus. Let the help of those who are left alive to this day be appreciated. Let their testimony be valued. The good hand of the Lord has been with these faithful workers… The faet that they have grown old and grey in the service of God is no reason why they should cease to exert an influence superior to the influence of men who have far less knowledge of the work and far less experience in divine things. Though worn and unable to bear the heavier burdens that younger men can and should carry, their value as counsellors is of the highest order… They are not to be pushed aside by less-experienced workers, who know very little about the labor and self-sacrifice of these pioneers. The Lord does not lay them aside. He gives them special grace and knowledge.” 7T 286/7

“The Lord desires the younger labourers to gain wisdom, strength, and maturity by association with the aged labourers who have been spared to the cause.

Let the younger men realize that, in having s u c h labourers among them, they are highly favoured. Let them show great respect for the men of grey hairs, who have had long experience in the development of the work.” 7T 289.

“In some of the Eastern States, the same idea prevailed, — that the young ministers of the Conference should be brought to the front to preach, while the old, experienced ministers listened. But when the young men are pushed to the front, and the experience of the pioneers in the cause is not appreciated, God is dishonoured; for thus the people lose the message that the Lord wishes them to hear. “The words of the apostle, ‘feed the flock of God,’ mean very much. Those who attend our large gatherings are to hear the word of God explained by our most experienced men. And the same plan should be followed in our business meetings. Christ’s aged ministers are to bear the messages of truth in our large conference and in our camp-meetings.” Unpublished Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 72.

NEW IN CHRIST

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:17. This new nature is not the product of moral virtue presumed by some to be inherent in man, and requiring only growth and expression. There are thousands of so-called moral men who make no profession of ing Christians, and who are not Iftew’ creatures. The new nature not merely the product of a sire, or even of a resolution, do right, of mental assent to :ertain doctrines, of an exchange of set of opinions or feelings for, or even of sorrow from sin. It is the results of the presence of supernatural element introduced a man, which results in his dying to sin and being born again. Thus we are created anew in the likeness of Christ, adopted as sons and daughters of God, and set on a new path. We all need to be born again and made new in Christ.

May God help us to become new creatures in Him, and to accept the new light that He wants to share with us so that we can understand the old truths He desires to reveal to us.
AMEN