Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.
I love the language used here. Do not be carried about. It could have also been said this way, “do not be led about.” What we embrace as truth is what shapes our lives. We act according to our belief and our belief is shaped by the doctrine we embrace.
Being led about by strange and various doctrines occurs when the heart is not established by grace. If we read the Word without having our vision corrected by the grace that came through Jesus Christ we will misunderstand it’s intent.
We are living in a day when various and strange new teachings are emerging continually within the church. Men and women claiming to have received insight from the Holy Spirit bringing some new revelation as it were.
If we have believed grace to give us license to sin then we tend to gravitate towards the reckless teachings that applaud weirdness as though it were a spiritual medal.
If we try to understand grace from a religious spirit we tend to gravitate to the strange teachings that require us to prove our devotion through rigorous strict adherences to rule and regulations written in lists.
We might seek to organize our righteousness before God in a to do list we can check off each day.
When this passage says Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. It is not in reference to the power for miracles, or supernatural phenomenon. Although I fully believe these things are still for today. The passage however, is referring to the grace that came through Jesus Christ. The ministry of reconciliation, the redemption, the atonement for sin. His reason for coming! He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He did not come to condemn the world but so that through Him the world might be saved.
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
