So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things (his promise and his oath), in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. – Hebrews 6:17-18
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
but you are the same, and your years have no end. – Psalm 102:25-27For I the Lord do not change (Regarding patience, long-suffering and mercy); therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. – Malachi 3:6
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. – Malachi 3:16-18
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. – James 1:16-17
The circumstances in which we live are changing more rapidly every day. We cannot depend on the stability of the government. We cannot depend on the stability of our economic circumstances. The moral and religious nature of our culture is changing. These are all human actions, and we ignore them at our peril.
God does not change
However, God does not change; He is the eternal, triune, creator, and sustainer of all things. He is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. He is our Rock of stability and sanity on which we anchor our lives. These are facts that do not change.
He is wonderfully distinct and separate from us, and he is not subject to the changing world in which we live. While he is separate and distinct from us, he has, by his own initiative and eternal purpose, joined with us in this uncertain world to redeem us and join us to himself in Christ for eternity to a new earth that will not be unstable.
Our Response
This calls forth from us awe. It inspires our worship and undergirds our prayers.
Yes, we may need to reinvent ourselves for a new career because the old one was swept away in the latest flood of change, but the one who ultimately sustains us and provides for us is unchanged and has bound himself to us by his oath and promise, two immutable things on which we can depend as we navigate our way as pilgrims to our final destination.
The Guarantee
There are no guarantees that our economy will be strong or that our culture will again acknowledge our Christian heritage as a nation, but our God is unchanging in his purposes. He will accomplish what he has decreed which includes ultimately the establishment of his kingdom on earth as the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21.
Do you find yourself being affected by the rapid pace of change around us? How have you coped with this rapid change? Does the unchangeableness of God encourage you? If so, please share with us how that has worked out for you.
