So often we have heard the question, “is it possible for people living today, to simply be New Testament Christians?” The question is an old question about the ability to be like “The Church” that Jesus built in today’s world. So much is said about change – and there has been much change in the world. Transportation, communication, lifestyles, are constantly changing. The real issue is does the gospel of salvation need to change to fit the changing world or is the message of Christ and His sacrifice still sufficient for people today. In an effort to answer this age old question we must look at what has not changed and how it relates to the times in which we live.

Man has not changed. In what is considered to be oldest book of the Bible (Job), Job’s friend said that a man “drinks iniquity like water!” (Job 15:16). That could be, and is, a description of people today. Today man still struggles with the same things as those in times past. “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”. (Gal.5:19-21) Human nature is the same today as it was when man was first created. Man has always been given the opportunity to do good or evil (Deut.11:26) and has always – to some degree – chosen evil, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Man’s problem has not changed. In the days of Noah, people were wicked: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen.6:5) Today, in our world, sin is still a problem. Man is sinful – un-God-like, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good, and does not sin.” (Eccl. 7:20) There is not one person among us in the world today that does not have a problem with sin – who has never sinned – who will never sin (Rom. 3:10-18, 23) The common problem in the world on man is – SIN.

Man’s hope has not changed. Jesus is our only hope. Paul spoke of, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) Jesus took our sins and carried them upon the cross. Jesus took all the pain and suffering of our sin with Him and paid the price once for all mankind. “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” (1Pet. 2:24) Without the death of Jesus, man would have no hope. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” (1Pet. 3:18) Our hope is in the fact that Jesus suffered the pain of sin – that He paid the price for our sin – that we do not have to suffer and die. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.6:23)

Man is the same; sin is the same, man’s hope is the same. The question, “is it possible for people today to be just as the Church established by Jesus?” The answer – Yes. It is only by returning to The Word, and following The Word that a person can truly be called a Christian – a Child of God. It requires that we learn about Christ and God’s Plan of salvation for all. We must believe in Christ and be willing to humble ourselves to His will. This leads us to the necessity of repentance – to change our direction in life and decide to follow Christ and His will. The result is confession of our faith in Christ and baptism for the forgiveness of the sins we have in our lives. Many people are comfortable to stop at this point and think all is well. We teach the steps of salvation – hear, believe, repent, confess, baptism – and they are important to know and understand that these are the things which will take place in the life of a person who is going to give their life to the Lord. These steps are not the end of the road but just a new beginning of a new life that we begin as Christians. “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph. 4:23-24)

Think about it!!! Mike