DOES GOD CHANGE?

Does God change?  That is a good question, isn’t it?  A question that some answer without hesitation with a resounding no while others say with all confidence, Yes…Yes he does.  The ones who argue that he does not change will use passages like Malachi 3:6 to support their claim.  In this verse, God says very clearly and plainly that he does not change.

Those on the other end will turn to verses like Jonah 3:10, where it says that God relents or repents and will argue that he does change on occasion.  So which one is it?  Does God change, or not—which verse is right?  Well, both are right.  We have to affirm both and interpret Scripture with Scripture.

First, the Bible teaches that God does not change in terms of who he is—in terms of his essence and his attributes, yet it does teach that he changes in the way he relates to his creation.  For example, he does not become more holy, more righteous, and more loving over time.  This, of course is a good thing because if he could change in one way he might be able to change in another and become less holy, less righteous, and less loving. 

With that being said, Scripture is also clear that God does change in terms of the way he relates to His creation.  At times, he blesses other times he curses—sometimes he rewards, other times he punishes.  For example, in the book of Jonah, before Jonah went to Nineveh God was against the Ninevites, but after they repented He then turned his wrath away from them.  In this book, we learn that repentance changes the way God responds, and we see this truth all throughout the Scriptures.  Jesus says in Luke 13:3,

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Now, of course, when we say that God changes in the way he relates to us, he changes in a way that is different from us.  We are not all knowing, so we do not know for sure what is going to happen from one moment to the next—he does.  God is all knowing.  He knows how we are going to respond beforehand, so he then knows how he is going to respond.  

God knows when he first calls Jonah to go to Nineveh that Jonah is going.  He also knows that the Ninevites are going to repent and that he is going to relent.  With that being said, repentance is still key.  It is a key part of God relenting.  Though God is sovereign and knows how it is all going to play out, Scripture is clear that we are responsible and that unless we repent, we will perish.

"Quote" of the Week

"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  Luke 13:3

SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD

One of the main truths we learn about God from the second chapter of Jonah is that Salvation from start to finish is from God.  It is solely a work of His.  At the end of chapter 1, Jonah was in a bad spot.  He was on the verge of drowning in the midst of the sea and notice what he says in chapter 2:2.  He says, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and He answered me."  He says, “I remembered you and cried out to you and you heard me and reached down to me and rescued me—you saved me.”

This was solely a work of God.  Notice, God did not throw Jonah a life jacket for Him to swim to, nor did He provide him with a boat to row His way out.  Instead, he appointed a fish to swallow Jonah up, and he also commanded the fish to vomit him out on dry land.  Jonah played no part whatsoever in any of that.  His salvation was solely from the Lord.

And not only did God provide the means and do all the work in saving Jonah, but he also gave him the desire to be saved.  Look again at chapter 2:3.  Jonah says,

For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.

Notice Jonah says, “God, you cast me into the deep." Jonah understands that though the sailors threw him overboard, God is ultimately responsible for him being where he is.  Notice he refers to the waves as “God’s waves.”  He says, “Your waves and your billows passed over me.”  Jonah understands that God is ultimately in control and has led him to this point, which is why he says in chapter 2:9, "Salvation belongs to the Lord."

"Quote" of the Week

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

GOD IS EVERYWHERE

When thinking about God’s presence everywhere, there are many applications one can make.  One in particular is that because He is everywhere present, there is no place you can go to get away from Him in your sin.  Though you may put on your best face in front of friends and family—neighbors and fellow church members, you do not fool God. The reason being, you cannot get away from Him as you can them.   

Scripture is clear that God is always there with you—fully present—all the time, in your home, in the work place, in your car, behind closed doors…everywhere.  He even knows your thoughts and the condition of your heart.  And what he knows is what matters, because he is the one we all answer to.

"Quote" of the Week

"Few other truths are taught in the Scriptures with as great clarity as the doctrine of the divine omnipresence.  Those passages supporting this truth are so plain that it would take considerable effort to misunderstand them.  They declare that God is immanent in His creation, that there is no place in heaven or earth or hell where men may hide from His presense.  They teach that God is at once far off and near, and that in Him men move and live and have their being."  A.W. Tozer

THE INCREDIBLE CHRISTIAN by A.W. Tozer

The Christian believes that in Christ he has died, yet he is more alive than before and he fully expects to live forever.  He walks on earth while seated in heaven and though born on earth he finds that after his conversion he is not at home here.  Like the nighthawk, which in the air is the essence of grace and beauty but on the ground is awkward and ugly, so the Christian appears at his best in the heavenly places but does not fit well into the ways of the very society into which he was born.

The Christian soon learns that if he would be victorious as a son of heaven among men on earth he must not follow the common pattern of mankind, but rather the contrary.  That he may be safe he puts himself in jeopardy; he loses his life to save it and is in danger of losing it if he attempts to preserve it.  He goes down to get up.  If he refuses to go down he is already down, but when he starts down he is on his way up. 

He is the strongest when he is the weakest and weakest when he is strong.  Though poor he has the power to make others rich, but when he becomes rich his ability to enrich others vanishes.  He has most after he has given most away and has least when he possesses most.

He may be and often is highest when he feels lowest and most sinless when he is most conscious of sin.  He is wisest when he knows that he knows not and knows least when he has acquired the greatest amount of knowledge.  He sometimes does most by doing nothing and goes furthest when standing still.  In heaviness he manages to rejoice and keeps his heart glad even in sorrow. 

The paradoxical character of the Christian is revealed constantly.  For instance, he believes that he is saved now, nevertheless he expects to be saved later and looks forward joyfully to future salvation.  He fears God but is not afraid of Him.  In God's presence he feels overwhelmed and undone, yet there is nowhere he would rather be than in that presence.  He knows that he has been cleansed from his sin, yet he is painfully conscious that in his flesh dwells no good thing.

He loves supremely One whom he has never seen, and though himself poor and lowly he talks familiarly with One who is King of all kings and Lord of all lords, and is aware of no incongruity in so doing.  He feels that he is in his own right altogether less than nothing, yet he believes without question that he is the apple of God's eye and that for him the Eternal Son became flesh and died on the cross of shame. 

Tozer, A.W.  The Radical Cross:  Living the Passion of Christ.  Camp Hill:  2005.  pp. 102-103.

"Quote" of the Week

"The cross stands in bold opposition to the natural man.  Its philosophy runs contrary to the processes of the unregenerate mind, so that Paul could say bluntly that the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.  To try to find a common ground between the message of the cross and man's fallen reason is to try the impossible, and if persisted in must result in an impaired reason, a meaningless cross and a powerless Christianity."  -A.W. Tozer

Be sure and put "first things first" this year!!! 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  Matthew 6:33 

To hear a sermon about our church's New Year's resolution, click HERE and listen to "The Three E's of 2013."