I
SOME PEOPLE SAY,
"GOD DOES NOT DEAL DIFFERENTLY WITH MANKIND AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BECAUSE HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER?
WELL LETS SEE.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TWO QUESTIONS, FOR AN EXAMPLE.
____________________________
QUESTION: ARE WE UNDE THE LAW OR NOT UNDER THE LAW?
MATTEW 23: 1-3
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
GALATIANS 5:1
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
________________________________________
QUESTION: IS SALVATION BY WORKS OR NOT BY WORKS?
EPHESIANS 2:8.9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
LUKE 10:25-29
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
_______________________________________________________________
_How can these differences in the Bible be reconciled with the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever? There are numerous verses in the Bible that indicate the unchanging nature of God's character.
For example,
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6).
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8).
From verses such as these, many people conclude that God cannot deal with man differently at different times. That, however, is not what the verses say. The verses say only that God, in his character and essence, does not change. They do not say that God's method of dealing with man never changes.
Consider the garden of Eden. Once Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God
expelled them from the garden. God had not changed, but His method of dealing with man changed because of what man had done. When Adam chose to sin, Adam produced a change in his relationship with God, and God chose to deal with Adam differently due to the altered circumstances. God himself never changes, but God, in his divine power and authority, deals with man differently at different times.
"GOD DOES NOT DEAL DIFFERENTLY WITH MANKIND AT DIFFERENT TIMES, BECAUSE HE IS THE SAME YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER?
WELL LETS SEE.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING TWO QUESTIONS, FOR AN EXAMPLE.
____________________________
QUESTION: ARE WE UNDE THE LAW OR NOT UNDER THE LAW?
MATTEW 23: 1-3
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
GALATIANS 5:1
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
________________________________________
QUESTION: IS SALVATION BY WORKS OR NOT BY WORKS?
EPHESIANS 2:8.9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
LUKE 10:25-29
25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
_______________________________________________________________
_How can these differences in the Bible be reconciled with the fact that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever? There are numerous verses in the Bible that indicate the unchanging nature of God's character.
For example,
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6).
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8).
From verses such as these, many people conclude that God cannot deal with man differently at different times. That, however, is not what the verses say. The verses say only that God, in his character and essence, does not change. They do not say that God's method of dealing with man never changes.
Consider the garden of Eden. Once Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God
expelled them from the garden. God had not changed, but His method of dealing with man changed because of what man had done. When Adam chose to sin, Adam produced a change in his relationship with God, and God chose to deal with Adam differently due to the altered circumstances. God himself never changes, but God, in his divine power and authority, deals with man differently at different times.