“But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” Luke 5:38-39
There are many things that are common to all mankind. One of them is that most everyone has a fear of new things. New places, new ideas, new methods, and new experiences tend to bring out caution in people. Boarding a train was a thrilling experience for first-time riders in the early 1800’s because it was a new thing. Riding in a car was a thrill to one who had never rode anything but a horse. And, heaven knows the thrill and even fear that accompanies a first airplane ride. People do not like change even if the new is a much better idea than the old.
The main things that break down the fear or skepticism of the “new” are information and experience. Information provides one with facts about things we fear because we do not understand them. God’s word provides information about spiritual things that may be new to us. We learn about healing, for instance, from reading and believing the Bible. It contains information about healing. On the other hand, experience, can be the source of our enlightenment. Knowing nothing about healing, one may be in a place where people are being healed and be healed of an infirmity himself.
Even as the above verses imply it is very hard for people to accept new things to replace something they may be comfortable with. This is especially true of religious beliefs. When you consider the law and grace it is often hard to come to an accurate understanding of their relationship. It is important that we “search the Scriptures” as the Bereans did in Acts 17.