Jesus always insisted that He wasn’t teaching a new approach to God; instead, He was explaining what God meant all along as He spoke through Moses and the rest of the Prophets.

The reason He gave for this insistence is simple:  He said, “The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.”
John 7:18

There are some today who claim offer us a new, more progressive approach to God. If you listen to their reasoning, you will always find that they are hoping to attract a bigger following for themselves, to “widen the tent” by being more inclusive - of what the Bible has always called sin. They believe that getting more people to join their following is more important than being true to the Word of God. In other words, they seek their own glory.

But one who faithfully represents God simply gives the message that God’s Word has always given: God condemns sin and calls us to leave it behind, while offering forgiveness for Jesus’ sake to everyone who responds in repentance and faith.

It’s not a popular message. It’s offensive to a world in rebellion against God. It’s not what I want to hear, if I’m determined to cling to my sin and still want to “feel good” about myself. But as the Lord Himself said, ”If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on My own authority.”

If I want to do God’s will, I’ll recognize that what God has always said is still the truth, and a true representative of God doesn’t change it.

Lord, help me to be faithful to Your message, to be more concerned with being true than with being popular. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles