"No man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, end the wine is skilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles." Mark 2:22

Related readings: Deuteronomy 30, Psalm 75, Psalm 76

When the Lord was in the world, the scribes and Pharisees accused Him of not keeping the Law. The verse preceding our text is, "No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment." The old garment is Judaism, the new piece Christianity; the new wine is the truth of the Christian religion. The truth within the Old Testament is not in conflict with that of the New. The Lord came to fulfill the Law, not to do away with it. But the Lord pointed out that the scribes and Pharisees had not interpreted the Scriptures rightly, that they had drawn false teachings from them. Their doctrines were but an outer garment to cover their spiritual corruption. The new wine is the genuine truth of the Word. It cannot be contained in wrong beliefs about the Lord and His Word.

Today many people are confused as to what the Bible really does teach; there are so many different beliefs in the world that they have given up trying to understand doctrine, and put their emphasis on the need of leading a good life. This is a hopeful sign, for the desire to live a good life is the first essential of religion.

There is going on a widespread breaking down of traditional beliefs, for any of the beliefs professed by the churches are illogical and contradictory and these must be rejected before truth can be accepted. As the Scripture puts it, men do not put new wine in old wineskins, lest the skins burst and the wine be spilled. This is a universal principle. Before truth can come into the mind, error must be removed. That the effort to uphold and perpetuate wrong ideas about God is disappearing is a sign of preparation for mental emancipation and for a truer spirituality.

But of course it is a grave error to think that theology is not necessary. Theology is knowledge of God and the science of spiritual living. Religion cannot exist without knowledge of God. There can be no such thing as a mathematician who knows nothing of the science of numbers or an astronomer who knows nothing of the movement of the heavenly bodies. The same is true of religion. Science has its proper domain and its domain is definable. It has to do with the universe of nature and our relation to it. It enables man to understand, and make use of the things of this world. Religion has its domain, and its domain is definable. It has to do with man as a spiritual being created to learn and to do the will of his Creator. It reveals the real purpose of life. It has to do with the happiness and peace of the soul. It reveals the way to genuine good, to heaven, and to the Lord. That is, just as the natural sciences teach us to understand the world, so spiritual truths enable us to understand ourselves, the Lord, and His purposes for us.

Of all created things man alone has freedom of choice. All creation except man moves in automatic obedience to Divine laws. Animals are endowed with instincts which unerringly direct them. Man alone has to acquire knowledge for himself. But man is not left without a guide. From the beginning the way of life has been revealed to him. God revealed Himself in the childhood of humanity as the one supreme Authority and Guide. Later He gave the commandments from Sinai and through His chosen prophets wrote the Word. Still later He came as the Word made flesh and dwelt among us in the form of man. Now through the Second Coming in the opening of the Word, He has revealed still more plainly the way of life. The Divine Life stands revealed in history and through history. God has never remained beyond the stars at an infinite distance, invisible and unknown.

"For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it" (Deuteronomy 30:11-14).

The things revealed in the Word are the truths we most need to know in order to live sane and happy lives, in order to meet the trials and disappointments and the temptations that come to us. Truth concerning the Lord and our relation to Him is the light of the mind. Just as the sun is to the world of nature, so is the Lord to the souls of men.

There are some general truths which are the foundation of all Christian life, and which everyone should know and believe. They are the basis of our creed:

- The Lord Jesus Christ glorified is the only God of heaven and earth, our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior.

- The Sacred Scriptures are the Divine Word, having an internal meaning which treats of the Lord, of heaven, and of the Church.

- Man must keep the Commandments.

- Evils must be shunned as sins against God, before good can be done.

- We should do good as of ourselves, acknowledging that all goodness if from the Lord.

The Lord has made His Second Coming by the opening of the Word through the instrumentality of a man, and by means of the new truths now made known the world has been given a new and adequate weapon against evil and darkness, a weapon which must be received and used.

These are the general truths which underlie all the truths now made available to the new age.

The world has advanced through various ages. We are born into the world in a specific time and place. We did not choose our time or environment, the arena in which we are to live our lives. But we are responsible to our age. For life at this time we were created, to live up to the fullness of its possibilities. We cannot think of religion and of our Church without thinking of our country and of the world. The mission of the Church is to be a light to the world. The duty of its members is to learn and live according to its truths and to make these truths everywhere known. It is not for ourselves that we are to live.

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

We are to look forward with confidence to the fulfillment of the prophecy that the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. To further this fulfillment is our particular task. We believe it is the work which our Church has to do. Let us make ourselves strong in faith for the work for which we are commissioned, remembering the Lord's words to the men whose sight He restored:

"According to your faith be it unto you" (Matthew 9:29).