God never changes
“For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come. Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:14-15
In pursuing godly lives, the Hebrew Christians had the worthy example of those who they can emulate. They were the ones who brought God’s Word to them and exemplified it in their faith and manner of life. But as time passed by, with tremendous persecutions and the rise of false teachings, the circumstances surrounding the readers were changing. In all of the changing conditions of life, however, there is One who remains eternally the same: Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He never changes. The message concerning God to which every believer had committed themselves remains constant. He makes available to all of His children, in every age, the same strength, courage, and direction. Our faith is grounded in the eternity of our Lord and the unchangeableness of His being. He is, indeed, “the same yesterday and today and forever.” Since Christ is eternally the same, those who trust in Him will not give up on their faith for their strength lies in the grace of God. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The appeal then from the text and the whole of Scriptures is to have a strong commitment to Christ. Christians live for the future, not the present. No matter how appealing life in the present is, believers are looking for the city that is to come. Christians look for the life that God prepares which lies ahead. Believers who move forward for Christ like a mighty army find encouragement from common commitment and enthusiasm. So instead of complaining and grumbling about the present condition of life, Christians are admonished to present a sacrifice of praise. This praise is to be constant. When we hold on to the truth that God never changes, it is not a text for calendars just to revive the spirit. It is a promise, and a challenge to let him work in and through us by his risen power. “Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
