MEDDLE NOT WITH

THE MASTERS OF CHANGE

 by Bob Allgood, Editor, The Cords of Truth

     "My Son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both" Prov. 24:21-22

     We live in a world of change. Some is good, some is bad and some seems to matter very little to most of us. Everyday change takes place from the natural forces set in place by our Omnipotent God. Each day we experience changes from circumstances, emotions and aging. "To every thing there is a time and a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Eccl. 3:1). These changes can not be avoided and are not under consideration.

Everyday changes take place in technology through the inventive skills of those who have been gifted to bring them about. Again some are good and some are bad. All of us appreciate the changes that enable us to have a better quality of life, while at the same time we must be careful to guard against greed and materialism. As Primitive Baptist there are many modern technologies that we use to try to serve one another more efficiently. However no technology will enable us to better serve the Lord if it is not used with a pure heart and motive and in accord with truth.

When it comes to the subject of change, people are divided into one of several groups; Conserva- tives, Liberals and Moderates. A conservative is "inclined to preserve the existing order of things, and oppose change". A Liberal on the other hand, "inclines towards opinions or policies favoring progress or reform, as in politics or religion". A Moderate falls in between "keeping within rea- sonable limits; not extreme or excessive; temperate". (All the definitions in quote are from the Readers Digest dictionary).

Everyday in the "political world" men try to bring about changes in the laws that govern our land. Again some can be good, and some can be bad. Everyday in the "religious world" changes take place in the minds of some men who are driven by their own selfish desires for glory or the deceptive wiles of Satan to bring about change to the hurt of God's people and his church. These are the " THEM THAT ARE GIVEN TO CHANGE " in our text, and this is what is under consideration.

The word MEDDLE in our text is not the usual word which means to participate or interfere. This word is translated MEDDLE only twice in the Bible, and means to "braid, intermix, to give support to or to give surety to". Therefore God is telling us NOT TO intermix or give support to them that are given to change. God tells us to take a conservative position concerning this change.

The word CHANGE in our text means to "fold or bend, to transmute (that is to change in nature, form or quality) to alter, disguise or pervert". The word GIVEN in our text means "to be devoted to, dedicated to" as in a professional or master of some activity. So Gods word is telling us MEDDLE NOT WITH THE MASTERS OF CHANGE.

We are not to support the changers who would: 1. Change the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man (Rom 1:22-23) 2. Change the truth of God into a lie (Rom. 1:24-25) 3. Turn (change) the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 3-4) 4. Change the teachings (doctrines) of God's word into heresies (II Peter 2:1, Acts 20:28-30) 5. Change the practices of God's church (which are based upon doctrine and sound tradition) into the vain polluted ways of the religious world that has a form of godliness but the denies the Lord that bought them. (I Tim. 4:1-3, II Tim 3:1-7 and 4:1-4).

THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT DO NOT CHANGE: God does not change ! In Malachi 3:6 he says "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed". With God there "is no variableness (transmutation), neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17). With God there is no change in nature or principal. He is not fickle as man is, always shifting, wavering and inconsistent. God does not change with time and circumstances as we change. Jesus Christ does not change ! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. (Heb. 13:6) Christ does not, has not and will not change, therefore "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines" (Heb. 13:9). God's Word does not change ! "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psalms 119:89). Man may rewrite and water down the word of God, "But the word of the Lord endureth forever" and it shall never change or pass away. (I Peter 1:24-25). Doctrine does not change ! The same doctrines that Jesus and the Apostles taught the "First" (Primitive or Original) Baptist Church in Jerusalem are the same doctrines we are to teach in the churches today. It makes no difference as to the location or the size of the flock, if the church is to be a New Testament church, the doctrines must be the same.

Practices do not change ! Church practices based upon sound doctrine do not change. We have the word of God to guide us in these matters. Practices based on sound tradition do not change ! "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful me, who shall be able to teach others also" (II Tim 2:2). An Old Baptist Elder once told my wife that he "was not a rubber stamp Primitive Baptist". Well, I AM A RUBBER STAMP PRIMITIVE BAPTIST, and I don't know how you can be anything else and still be an Old Line Primitive Baptist preacher. Practices based on meaningless tradition is not what is under consideration. But those practices such as "Closed Communion, the non-acceptance of alien baptism, and non-fellowship with individuals and churches which are not in order are certainly practices that should not change with time.

UNGODLY CHANGE ALWAYS STARTS WITH FALSE TEACHERS: Peter said "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (II Peter 2:2) Solomon said "Meddle not with them that are given to change; for their calamity (or judgment) shall rise suddenly" (text). The Bible is full of warnings for the children of God to "Be Ware of" and "To take heed" of false teachers who will bring in "ungodly changes".

HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE THE MASTERS OF CHANGE: Not by their appearance ! We are not talking about men who wear attention getting religious garments such as the Pharisees wore. But we are talking about: (1) Men who have crept in unawares, or; (2) Men who have been among us and were with us, but who have departed from the faith being subverted heretics (Titus 3:10-11); (3) Ministers of Satan who are transformed as ministers of righteousness. We are talking about men who dress like, look like, talk like, walk like and even smell like Primitive Baptist preachers, but in fact they are false teachers - masters of change.

NOT EASILY BY THEIR MESSAGES !! For the Bible teaches that they use (1) Fair speeches (Rom 16:17-18); (2) Enticing words (Col. 2:4); (3) Philosophy and vain deceit (Col. 2:8); (4) Cunningly devised fables (II Peter 1:16); and (5) FEIGNED WORDS (II Peter 2:1-3).The word 'FEIGNED' comes from the Greek word "plastos" (where we get our word plastic) and it means "molded, formed, and artificial". These men HAVE A FORM OF GODLINESS but deny the power thereof. It is difficult to detect their heresy because of "folding or bending of words".

WHAT THEY DON'T PREACH IS AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT THEY DO PREACH. If a false teacher does not believe a doctrine, he will not preach against it thereby calling attention to it, but he will simply not preach the truth about the doctrine. It is Heresy by Silence. If one does not believe in a literal lake of fire called hell where the wicked will spend eternity, he simply will not preach about it. Or he may just use the word HELL in a general sense which can also mean the grave or a time of torment in this life. If one does not believe in closed communion he will not say that the table is for members of this church and those of like faith and order, but that the table is for "this con- gregation" (which includes all who are present, regardless of their baptism and membership, etc.). If one does not believe in the continuity of the true local church, he will usually speak of the church as some universal, invisible mystical body to which all the family of God belong and present baptism as being scriptural as by mode only, omitting the Biblical authority of the church and the properly ordain Elder.

THERE ARE A FEW SAFEGUARDS against false teachers. (1) Set your eyes upon Jesus Christ and not upon preachers. Many of God's people have been led astray because they became "worshipers of preachers" (I Cor. 3:4-7, Col. 3:1-3). (2) Search the Scriptures - Prove all things - Be established in the faith - know your Bible and the doctrines taught therein. (Col. 2:6-7) (3) When in doubt, seek first the leadership of God's Spirit, who is our guide into all truth (John 16:13-14, I John 2:26-27).

This has been written in love with the hope that it might be used to spare some little child of God a great deal of grief and sorrow. May the Lord bless each one of you. Elder Bob Allgood