The NT calls to our attention several things
about our God that are unchanging or enduring.
Here are three more.
·
The faithfulness of God endures, 2 Tim. 2:13. This is not a redundancy. God’s faithfulness has to do with His keeping
His word. The question is this: is there
ever a time when God decides He will no longer keep His word? Particularly, will He renege on keeping His
word if I fail to keep my word? Often we
have the thought that our sins will nullify God’s word. For that reason, we have a double positive
which is more emphatic.
God’s faithfulness applies to His promises as
well as His warnings. Again, it applies
to all of His word. His word is pure and
there is never a need to alter it.
Further, it applies to God’s conditional and unconditional
promises. For example, Israel’s idolatry
triggered the consequences of the Mosaic Law (cf. Lev. 26; Deut. 28), which was
conditional. But her idolatry never has
and never will cause God to renege on the unconditional covenants with
Abraham/Isaac/Jacob (Gen. 12:1-3), or David (2 Sam. 7:12-16) or His Son (Ps.
2:6-9).
·
The kingdom of God endures, Heb. 12:25-29. This passage builds on the previous point
concerning God’s faithfulness, even when we sin. Hebrews is written to Jewish believers. The nation is about to be obliterated by the
Romans. It was common for the people of
Israel to wonder if they had pushed God too far. Read Isaiah 40:27-31 where the prophet calls
Israel to task for believing their way was hidden from God and that they had
been passed over by God. He reminds them
that God is not worn out nor neglectful.
They need to be those who “wait on the LORD.” The believers receiving the Hebrews letter
would have wondered the same thing as they knew the destruction of 70AD has
nearly upon them. The truth they are
given is that, though the kingdom of their day was about to be destroyed, they
had received, in Christ, a kingdom which cannot be shaken. They are still servants of God and should
worship Him appropriately.
·
The word of God endures, 1 Pet. 1:22-25. God’s word is “living” (cf. Heb. 4:12). It is through His word that we have life
through faith in Christ. Because His
word endures, then we know that it will never cease to give life to those who
have believed. Our life is bound up in
His Word, so let us continue or endure in it.
Never go beyond it (Num.
22:18). Believe every word of it (1 Ki.
22:14). Don’t add to or take from it
(Pr. 30:5-6). Let us find it faithfully
coming from our lips. Speak it boldly
(Ac. 4:20,31). Do not neglect it
(6:2). Accept it as God’s word
(8:14). Continue to increase in it and
spread it (12:24) that the word of God might spread (6:7) in our families,
communities and nation.
Let us praise our unchanging God!
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