February 28: DOCTRINE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LIFE
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven . . .” Matthew 5:43-45a
These words of Jesus were a call to clear up the misunderstandings that had been taught by those with religious authority. Our Lord made numerous “You have heard . . . but I say . . .” statements. This is not because He was somehow changing His mind, but because the original doctrines had lost their original meanings. They had been mishandled, and Jesus came to set the record straight.
For the religious setting of the day, this was the equivalent of God’s earlier calls to come out of the surrounding culture. Through additions, deletions, and shallow comprehensions of the written word, the Lord’s intended meanings had been twisted and altered, corrupted and misrepresented. This resulted in false teachings regarding the character of God, causing many to misunderstand and reject Him. Others, in accepting the misguided teachings that had multiplied into systemic errors over time, were not serving God at all. In actuality they were serving the devil (see the words of Jesus in John 8:38-44).
Wine (the Greek is oinos, meaning the juice of grapes) is used as an apt metaphor for Biblical doctrines. It is a particularly good one because new wine, freshly squeezed from grapes, is pure and uncorrupted. The ancient, original doctrines of Almighty God are like new wine. Fresh! Full of vital, life-sustaining nutrients!
When new wine becomes fermented—or corrupted—it has a toxic effect on the body and mind. It is unfortunate that our modern understanding of the word is that all wine is alcoholic wine. Studying the Biblical use of the word, whether literal drink or a metaphor for doctrines, therefore requires discernment as to its condition in the context; new or old; pure or corrupted.
If doctrines are wine, then our hearts and minds are wineskins. Isn’t it great to know that the Lord can give us new hearts and renew our minds for the asking? It was with confidence and authority that Jesus taught the fresh, pure doctrines just as they were originally meant to be understood. His word has a powerful, purifying effect; it will not pass away. And, best of all, in it is the supernatural power to preserve each of us for eternity!
“…no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Luke 5:36-38