Discussions concerning the Bible often lead to questions like, "Does God
really consider that sin?" or "Does God really require to me to that?".
In order to understand the answer to these types of questions we must first
understand that God has provided man with an authoritative and objective standard,
and that standard is found in the Bible. In John 12:48, Christ says "He
who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-the
word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day". Since the standard
has been given, all we need to do is to determine if God is serious about applying
it. So, the real question is this: Does God really mean what he says on any
subject?
From the Bible, we know that God is all knowing, all powerful, all present,
all good, all loving, all merciful and all just, but one particular aspect of
God's nature that is especially pertinent to our investigation is God's truthfulness.
God is truth and because of this, we find that God cannot lie. We see this truth
revealed in Hebrews 6:17-18 : "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly
to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an
oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the
hope set before us.". Paul in Titus 1:2 speaks of the " hope of eternal
life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began;
In these passages God seeks to comfort and encourage Christians on the basis
that He promised eternal life to those who remain faithful to Him. Christians
can know without a doubt that such is the case because God promised it. Since
He cannot lie, it follows that the promise must be true in every respect. God
cannot lie because such an act would contradict or deny His nature. Therefore,
whatever God says must be true. Not only that, but what Jesus has said is also
true because Jesus Christ is God's ultimate revelation of Truth (John 1:17).
He is the very image of the God of Truth (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore, when Jesus
says in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through Me", we can know without a doubt that there
is no other way to God but his way. The Holy Spirit is just as the truthful
as the Father and Son. In fact, the Spirit is described in John 16:13 as the
Spirit of truth who was to guide the apostles into all truth. Therefore, the
Word that we have been given from God, by Christ, through means of the Spirit
inspired apostles, is the Truth (John 17:17, Ephesians 1:13).
What does all of this mean? When God speaks, you can count on it because it
is the Truth. If He has declared that something will occur without condition,
it cannot fail to occur. If He has declared something will happen when certain
conditions are met, then when those conditions are met, it will come to pass.
If this was not the case, we could never rely on God's promises or His threats.
God tells us that only those who obey His Son in this life will escape condemnation
(Mark 16:15-16, Hebrews 5:9, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Passage of time and changes
in cultures do not alter God's word. In other words, the Bible is as valid today
as it was hundreds of years ago, even thousands of years ago. God is not slack
concerning His promises, and He is serious about His word. He is so serious
about it that he sent His only begotten Son to this earth to redeem the world
through his blood. There is no question that God is serious about His word.
The question is are we? Won't you obey the gospel today?