2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I wiII not be negligent to put you aIways in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
It is a temptation of the flesh, when speaking, teaching or preaching, to have something new to say. The flesh wants to have the scoop, to enlighten others regarding that which they have never heard before. Acts 17:24 For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing. Some even presume to have direct and unprecedented revelation from God Himself and they are more than glad, in their self-importance, to let us unenlightened ones in on the secret. Others have billboards or marquis upon which they consider the Word of God of less priority to display than the most lately conceived cute saying.
The poor Apostle Paul had no such ground-breaking theme or imaginative cliche and had to resort to the plain old gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the One of whom the prophets of old spoke (John 5:46; Acts 10:43) and by faith in whom Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Heb. 11:4). How could God ever use him to turn the world upside down with nothing better than this to say?
There is no question but that God does give fresh light upon the old truths of His grace in Christ. We know nothing yet as we ought to know (1 Cor. 8:2) and we by His grace are always increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). This is a learning more and more of the old gospel of salvation by grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not a revelation of any new truth. God has declared that any who adds to His complete revelation shall be forever cursed (Rev. 22:18). If I desire to speak or you desire to hear anything better than, more exciting, more pleasing to the flesh, in addition to or in opposition to the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord, may we perish together rather than be allowed to say or hear it.
Christ is new, fresh and (dare I say) exciting to all who hear and worship Him. He does not excite the flesh, but causes the believer to rejoice in spirit and nothing or no one else can. Why would we say or hear anything else?
Chris Cunningham*