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From Heaven With Love
vital truth of God, like wine, would burst the old decaying bottles of
the Pharisaical tradition.
New Bottles for New Wine
The Saviour turned away from the Pharisees to find others who
would receive the message of heaven. In untutored fishermen, in
the publican at the market place, in the woman of Samaria, in the
common people who heard Him gladly, He found His new bottles
for the new wine. Those souls who gladly receive the light which
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God sends are His agencies for imparting truth to the world.
The teaching of Christ, represented by new wine, was not new
doctrine but that which had been taught from the beginning. But to
the Pharisees, Christ’s teaching was new in almost every respect,
and it was unrecognized and unacknowledged.
“No man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for
he saith, The old was better.” The truth given through patriarchs and
prophets shone out in new beauty in the words of Christ. But the
scribes and Pharisees had no desire for the precious new wine. Until
emptied of old traditions and practices, they had no place in mind or
heart for the teachings of Christ.
The Peril of Cherished Opinion
This proved the ruin of the Jews, and it will prove the ruin of
many in our day. Rather than give up some cherished idea or idol of
opinion, many refuse the truth which comes from the Father of light.
They insist on being saved in some way by which they may perform
some important work. When they see there is no way of weaving
self into the work, they reject the salvation provided.
A legal religion is a loveless, Christless religion. Fasting or
prayer actuated by a self-justifying spirit is an abomination in the
sight of God. Our own works can never purchase salvation. To those
who do not know their spiritual destitution comes the message, “For
you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing
that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I
counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may be
rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of