That Which Never Changes

Mt 16:19 The Unchanging Principles of Heaven

• In this passage, Jesus refers to that which is bound and loosed in heaven.
  • To bind means to enforce something as law, to restrict within legal bounds.
  • To loose means to grant freedom in some aspect.
• Regarding those things which are bound:
  • We know that it cannot be the customs of the early church because they have changed over the course of years and culture.
  • We know that it cannot be restricted to the expression of law within the church because the expression of faithfulness through obeying the law has occurred within changes in the law (Heb. 7:12).
• Peter, and the apostles, did reveal the law of Christ, to which all Christians are legally bound to follow.
• However, Jesus said that what Peter would be binding would be those things which were already bound in heaven.
• The church would be governed by unchanging Heavenly law!
• The unchanging law of heaven is founded on the unchanging nature of God.
• So, what would be bound in the church, while expressed in specific legal requirements, were based on unchanging Divine principle.

Some Examples of Unchanging Divine Principle:

• The Nature of God:
  • Malachi 3:6
  • Hebrews 13:8
  • The nature of God doesn’t change!
  • He has had changes in the law for His people (Gal. 3:17; Gen. 26:5; Heb. 7:12).
  • However, in every dispensation, God’s law had as it’s foundation the unchangeable nature of God.
• The Principle of Modesty and Decency:
  • 1 Tim. 2:9
  • Deut. 22:5
  • 1 Cor. 11:14
  • Styles and customs have changed over the years.
  • But the Divine Principle is the same!
  • An immodest display of the body is always ungodly.
  • Men are to be men and women are to be women.
    • Effeminate men are indecent!
    • Manly women are indecent!
• The Principle of Worship
  • John 4:24
  • Mark 7:7
  • The way in which worship was expressed to God by the Patriarchs and by the Jews, is much different than the way Christians express worship to God.
  • Even the way Christians of today express worship to God is very different in may ways from those our early brethren – concerning culture and tradition.
  • But the principle of acceptable worship is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Isa. 1:10-15, 16-17; James 4:8; 1 Tim. 2:8).
• The Principle of Salvation:
  • The terms of salvation have changed from Patriarchal to Mosaic to Christian.
  • However, the principle of how men are saved has never changed!
  • Grace + Faith + Works = Salvation
  • Psalm 3:8
  • Titus 2:11
  • Rom. 1:16
  • James 2:24