STRATFORD CHURCH OF CHRIST COLUMN
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38).
At the time Jesus spoke these words, the Jewish religious leaders of that day had already made several changes to God’s word. In making those changes, they had opposed the authority of God. Christ indicated the temple would no longer have God dwelling within it as a result. Surely they should have known to love and respect God’s word enough to follow only what it said. Did they really think themselves sufficiently wise and authoritative to override God’s instructions?
Ask yourself what you would think if you were building a house and your builder chose to make changes to your house plans without asking you first.
What a shock to find on the day you came to inspect the finished house that the plans you had worked on so hard was not followed as written. Even though you had spread out the blueprints and explained them to your builder in advance, he still felt it would be within his right to build the house in a different pattern; and he still wants you to pay him for his services.
You find that the kitchen is where the bathroom was supposed to be. The bedrooms are much smaller than the ones on your plans. The garage was built separately from the house instead of being attached.
Instead of the fireplace you really wanted, the builder decided that he liked a swimming pool better. As you speak with your builder to see what happened, he informs you that you had some good ideas in the plans, but he decided it would be okay to make some changes that he liked better.
Let’s consider a question. How many unauthorized changes did he need to make before it became his design and not yours?
Truthfully, it stopped being what you designed with the very first change the builder made. Your builder should expect that since your plans were changed, you will reject the house he has built.
Now consider very carefully: What if the owner is Christ and the house is the church? In the New Testament, we find the Lord’s blueprint (pattern) for the church He built.
People that seek to be a part of His church are supposed to be doing His will (Matthew 7:21-23). But when you look at all of the different doctrines and practices of the thousands of religions in the world, it becomes obvious that some people feel they have the authority to change the Lord’s blueprint.
For example, 1 Timothy 2:12 and 1 Corinthians 14:34 call for male leadership in worship, but many churches feel that the changes in our modern culture permit them to change the Lord’s word.
1 Peter 3:21 teaches us that baptism is that final act of obedience that brings us to the salvation promised by Christ, but numerous churches have chosen to make this optional. Acts 20:7 shows the early church met for worship on the first day of the week (Sunday), and that the Lord’s Supper was always a regular part of the worship assembly. Many churches today choose to partake of the Lord’s Supper only a few times a year or perhaps not at all.
There are many other examples that could be given of modern variations from the New Testament teachings. But since we are to obey Christ and the authority of His word (John 12:48), wouldn’t it make sense to follow His will and not make any changes at all? The Lord never gave mortal man the authority to do so.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). He also stated in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Christ spoke of the total authority that had been given to Him by the Father after His death, burial and resurrection. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;” (Matthew 28:18-20).
There is no doubt that Jesus wanted mankind to obey Him. He provided the salvation that is available at the cost of His life and blood. He is the provider of salvation to those who will choose to obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). Does it make any sense to lose Heaven simply because we want to make some of our own changes instead of following the simple New Testament pattern?
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).
Let’s be sure to love Him enough to obey only His word. We are here to help.
