Verse of the Day:
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
The section of Hebrews 13:7-17 follows major themes of practical instructions for Christians, including perseverance, peacefulness, and praise. In this section, we also see a continuation that parallels components of the old covenant within Jesus' ministry. For example, in these verses, we see a comparison of the disposal of sacrificed animals with the crucifixion of Christ (both occurring outside the borders of the community)(Hebrews 13:13).
This verse, verse 8, connects two ideas: honoring living examples of faith and the importance of consistent doctrine. There is the inclusion of directions for Christian living (Hebrews 13:1-6), which included looking to the example set forth by Christian leaders (Hebrews 13:7); and this instruction, we find, mirrors the depiction of the legendary heroes of faith that are given in chapter 11.
This interweaving of the old covenant and old testament doctrine within the teachings of Jesus leads us to a key theme that we see in the book of Hebrews:
God's plan does not change.
The New Testament is not about God changing His mind or how the Old Testament doesn't apply anymore. The purpose is the opposite. It was always God's plan to replace the old covenant with Jesus (Hebrews 8:6-8).
While humanity may grow in our understanding/grasping of the truth (1 Timothy 3:9; 2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:26), the truth itself does not change. This is evident as Jesus instructed His disciples to spread His teaching (Matthew 28:19-20), not to develop their own. We even see this attention to maintaining the integrity of Christ's teachings as Paul sought to confirm that what he taught was exactly the same as that of the disciples (who were with Christ while it was being taught)(Galatians 2:1-10).
So how do we apply this verse to our lives, especially in this time of uncertainty we are in now as a country? We need to recognize while certain political leaders align with Christian values, morals, and principles far better than others, and it's our duty as Christians to vote for those people, ultimately, these leaders come and go. It is Jesus Christ who is "the same" (1:12) "yesterday" (1:1), "today" (3:7, 13; 4:7), and "forever" (1:8; 7:17; 21, 24, 28). Or as R.C. Sproul puts it, "He is the strong anchor amid sufferings and uncertainties (6:19)."
Jesus doesn't change, God's plan doesn't change, and His truth doesn't change (Isaiah 40:28). Since we've talked about how this verse applies to some immediate issues at hand, we wouldn't be following this page's mission if we didn't dive a little deeper.
The next application we're going to discuss is: recognizing false teaching. I know we discuss this a lot here, but we'll continue talking about it as long as it is an issue in Christian culture. Today, we're specifically referring to those who discuss "new" interpretations of the Bible that overturn the basics of faith itself. We see these "new" interpretations in various areas, such as regarding Christian doctrinal issues or as claims about the changing of moral principles.
And what's more, is that these claims can be tricky or hard to recognize at times. Rarely do people present their "new" interpretations as the twisting of Scripture. Sometimes you'll hear a group say they have a "different understanding" (Jehovah's Witness), or that they have a "new addition/testament" to Scripture (Mormonism), or that they have a more accurate perspective than the Biblical writers (the New Apostolic Reformation).
Yet the verses immediately following Hebrews 13:8 add to the point that Jesus is unchanging, giving Christians a warning not to stray from the established teachings and doctrines of Scripture (Hebrews 13:9). This is why God provided us with a written Word (1 Corinthians 4:6), so that we may learn from it, understand it, and discern what is of
