New and Improved

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

When I managed grocery stores, way back when, one of my responsibilities was to make sure we kept up with all the new products that came out, and see that they got shelf space in some way. One day I was placing a new item in the bake-goods aisle. It was a brownie mix made by a well known manufacturer. Boldly written in a banner underneath its name, it said, “New and IMPROVED. Made with real imitation chocolate!”

As a Christ follower for over 45 years, I’ve watched with great concern as some have endeavored to come up with a “New and IMPROVED faith.” Unfortunately, that new faith is less biblical and God-centered, and more mystically, non-biblically man-centered. Some of it has to do with people claiming extra-biblical revelations directly from God.

Since my early days as a Christ follower, I have believed in the uniqueness and centrality of the Bible. I take it over man’s word any day, any time, anywhere. I lean on God’s Word rather than man’s word because it implies that the Bible is insufficient for Christian living. In suggests that we need something additional to fill a gap or void in Scripture. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Paul taught Timothy that Scripture was sufficient to fully equip a Christ follower for their work [see 2 Timothy 3:16]. If that is true, what more is necessary? In fact, the Bible is the Standard by which we are to test all things. It follows logically that if a revelation doesn’t conform to the Bible, it must be rejected. If the revelation conforms to the Bible, it isn’t a new revelation. In either of those cases, there is no need of additional revelation.

God is jealous of His Word and went to great lengths to preserve it for us. He has also warned us to go to great lengths to guard it—protect it from corruption of any kind. From beginning to end, nothing was to be added to, or taken from, it [compare Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18-19].

There is no “New and IMPROVED Faith.” There is only “THE Faith,” once and for all given to the saints. Scripture contains everything you need to know for godly living.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  Jude 3