Jesus answered them and said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. John 7:16-18.
Some things can be seen very easily as truth. For instance, the Bible makes Christians and Christians only. The Bible is the source of God’s Word for us. It gives us the truth concerning our Christianity, i.e. what to believe and how to understand God’s will for us.
Jesus had this sentiment in mind when He spoke in John Chapter 7. He spoke very clearly saying, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
Jesus was directing His audience to the source of His doctrine. It is very clear that Jesus was teaching that even He could not change God’s doctrine. Rather, He was to declare what God has spoken to everyone who had ears to hear. He was not to change the doctrine, rather He was to herald the doctrine without change.
We find ourselves in a predicament of sorts in the world we live in. There are many different brands of Christianity, and many different ideas of what Christianity means and how to interpret the Bible. What is absent from our society is the understanding that God’s Bible is absolutely authoritative and is the source for all things Christianity.
We often hear the argument among secular Christians which states your interpretation of the Bible is different from my interpretation of the Bible, therefore live and let live because, “God will love us all”. This argument could not be further from the truth. God loves those who keep his commandments (John 14:15). God loves those who are steadfast in the doctrine which He gave and call themselves Christians and nothing else because they follow His doctrine alone.
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42
The first Christians understood that they must stay steadfast in the apostle’s doctrine. When considering this, we must understand that the apostles received their doctrine by the Holy Spirit. The apostles were promised by Jesus in John chapter 14 and chapter 16 that they would receive the doctrine that comes from God. Thus, the first Christians understood the doctrine that they were to stay with was given by God and was not any sort of personal interpretation of the apostles. It was given to them as God had intended with purity and love and delivered to the people as such.
Today it is clear to see that people have thrown the idea of following the Bible for what it is out the window. Therefore, you see different brands of religion all over the place in the name of Christianity. The truth is they cannot all be right. The truth is, the Christianity that is right is the one that is guided by the authoritative Word of the Bible and none other.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 2 john 9
When one becomes a Christian they give their lives to Christ, therefore they are following Christ and His teaching. This teaching is only found in the Bible. So, when we decide as people to change how we follow Christ or how we worship God based on our own understanding, not verifying it with scripture, we have transgressed God’s doctrine and find ourselves lost.
It is very clear in John’s teaching. If you transgress, that is to go against God’s teaching through Jesus Christ doctrine, you no longer have Jesus or God. The question one needs to ask themselves at this point is, if I don’t have Jesus nor God, do I have salvation?
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20-21
The short answer is this. Peter speaks very clearly in declaring that God’s scripture is not up for interpretation. This means we cannot use the argument of interpretation towards the scriptures. “Your interpretation is as good as my interpretation even though they differ” is invalid and far from what God wants (1 Corinthians 1:10).
When we realize that Christianity and the doctrine that God has given us is not ours to change, then and only then can man come back to the Bible and 1st-century Christianity in its purity.
Indeed, the words of purity and following God’s Word are of the utmost importance. Let us heed the teaching of Paul and Timothy.
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 1 Timothy 4:6
CHRISTIANITY IS NOT OURS TO CHANGE IT IS ONLY OURS TO BE A PART OF.