THE UNCHANGING GOD

Text: Heb. 13:8, 6: 9-20

Many times believers start out on a particular endeavour or action based on the instruction received or conviction from God. But along the line when challenges come up, we tend to forget where we are coming from and continue to lead our lives based on circumstances around us just like unbelievers would do. Irrespective of how things turn out in the course of our lives, we must bring to mind where we started from and realise that God is still with us. Even if you think the initial choice was a wrong one, we must know that God is with us in any circumstances that we face (Isa. 49:14-16). A good example to illustrate this is the marriage institution. Many believers go into a marriage relationship based on a conviction from the Word of God. But when faced with challenges in the course of the marriage, they tend to look outside the Word of God for solutions. We must learn to look unto God for comfort during our crisis moments. This is because when God gives us a Word concerning a situation, He does not change His mind along the line and we can always go back to His word whenever there are challenges.

In Heb. 6:9-13, we see a character of God which is His consistency in keeping His word. Whether it concerns general promises of God in scripture or specific word that are spoken by God to us, God is faithful to keeping them. For instance, when scripture says we have been forgiven, or that we have been healed or that we have been blessed; we must believe that is exactly what God has done, because He is not a man that He should tell a lie nor repent from His word (2Cor. 1:20, Num 23:19). Human beings can make promises and later back down on the promises just because the circumstances have changed or when they do not have the resources to fulfil them. But in the case of God, it is not so because whenever God makes a promise, He already made provisions to bring it to pass. He is always faithful and true to His word. The promises of God as we see in scriptures are not ordinary pronouncements, but rather,

they are God-breathed and we can stake our lives on them (2 Tim.3:16). Irrespective of the peculiar situation we believers may go through, we must bear in mind that God’s word concerning us does not change. The right question to ask is: has God said anything about this situation or what is God saying about this situation? Then stay focused on what God has said because therein lies the solution to that problem. God’s word is ever-dependable.

 We can see from the passage above how God related with Abraham concerning His promises to him. The word spoken by God to Abraham could have been enough for him, but God had to swear by Himself to Abraham since there was no one greater that he could swear by, in other to show the extent of His commitment to keeping His promise. It is not because if He did not swear He would not do it, but to convince Abraham. He made a promise to Abraham and it came to pass, even though it took a long while as man could not fathom why it was so, but it came to pass as God had promised at the right and appropriate time. God is ever faithful and does not waver (2 Tim.2:13). He is ever the same and true (Heb13:8). Man could be subject to change due to situation and circumstances or environment, making him go back on his words but nothing can change God’s mind as touching His words. Faith is not seeing God as means to get things done but rather it is the absolute trust/believe in the Person of God, His sovereignty, His might and loving nature, knowing that He is eternally committed to us as our Father.

In Heb11 there is an account of some people that walked with God in faith. These are people who took actions based solely on the instructions given to them by God. Despite the fact that majority of them never had any precedence to guide them in the actions that they took, yet they held on to God’s word and accomplished tasks set before them. For instance, by faith Abel was able to offer a more acceptable sacrifice to God (vs.4), Enoch pleased God and was translated into Heaven without seeing death (vs.5-6), Noah received instructions to build an ark even though it had never rained before (vs.7) and Abraham was instructed by God to leave where he was, to go to the place He would show him and Abraham went not knowing where he was

going, but he trusted the person of God, His words and instructions. In Heb11:17-19 God instructed Abraham to go and offer up Isaac, the only son on whom God’s promise was hinged, but Abraham concluded in his heart that God is able to raise him up.

This kind of implicit trust in God as demonstrated by these heroes of faith is what is expected of us believers. Even though in our daily experiences, we go through things that question the presence and the ability of God in our lives, we must realise that God’s mind about us does change. Believers do not experience the power of God in our daily experience simply because we do not trust God for His word. For instance, many people find it difficult to believe in eternal salvation because they do not believe that the death of Jesus Christ is enough sacrifice to pay for their past, present and future sins, as we see from scriptures (Heb.7:25-27, 9:12). We must learn to believe that whatever God’s word says about us is true and not subject to change based on our performance. We start experiencing the victory and blessings we long for when we begin to appreciate those things that are true about us (Phlm1:6, Rom.6:14). When we place our troubles and fears side by side with God’s word, our problems become insignificant in the sight of God’s word (2 Tim.1:7). It is not our responsibility to rationalise how God intends to accomplish what He has promised. He is ever faithful and ever true.

Conclusion

Irrespective of what we go through we must not lose focus on God’s word and promises. God is unchanging; He does not repent on His words. If He says He has done it, then that is how it is. Faith is the only thing that pleases God. Nothing is impossible to a man full of faith in God. We must cultivate a lifestyle of trusting God daily, even in mundane things. We should remind ourselves daily of God’s unchanging love, His unchanging presence in our lives and His unchanging Grace.

Comfort In The Place Of Prayer

It is not unusual to find people praying and spending long hours in meetings doing so. Sadly if most people examined what they call prayer in the light of scriptures, they will probably use their time in a better way. Listening to the content of most people’s prayers will make one wonder how far they can go in life with it. Unfortunately, that is the bondage that most people find themselves in, simply because they never found out the truth, or because they refused to study the bible, or because they were never taught the right things by their instructors. Irrespective of how such a sorry state arose, it is clear that God cannot go outside the bounds of His word. He would not say because someone has spent several hours in prayers, praying amiss outside His will, that He should countenance such prayers. That is why it is very good for us to keep in mind why we do things.

Prayer is not a tool that we use to get God to do what He does not want to do, or to do what we want Him to do. The fact that God tells us to ask and receive will expose us to disappointment if we take it to mean asking for anything outside His will. We see scriptures instructing us to pray without ceasing and at all times. James 5:13-17 speaks of different situations that confront men, and commends prayers in certain instances. However, before we open our mouths to pray, we should ask ourselves certain questions to be sure that we are doing the right thing. Many times we find ourselves in circumstances that are unpalatable and we seek a way out.  Most of the time people are quick to turn to prayers, but before going ahead, it is important for us to be in the right frame of mind. We should realize that prayer, rather than a tool for getting things from God is a medium of relating with God, finding out His will and aligning ourselves with that will.  Before we open our mouths to pray, we should have settled at the back of our minds what is propelling us. James 5:11-17 and Philippians 4:6 gives certain insights in this regard.

Php 4:6 commends us to eschew anxiety, but rather commit our burdens to God in prayers. Anxiety basically means fretting and worrying over situations. Essentially we learn from here that before we get ourselves into prayer we should get ourselves into a state where we are not worried such that our prayers are not motivated by anxiety, but by faith in God. Sadly a lot of us take decisions that are not motivated by God’s word, but by our present circumstances, forgetting that we are dealing with a great and wonderful God – the One who is in charge of our lives. As a consequence, we are downed by circumstances. The Bible says we should not be anxious about anything. It is only when our trust is in the living God, that we can do this. Rather than worry about our circumstances, we should see that God is in there with us. He has not left us alone in our trials. If a person born again realizes this truth, it will fill him/her with confidence.

Before we open our mouths to pray, we should ask ourselves if we trust in the Person of God with whom nothing is impossible. Granted we may be going through difficult, situations that should cause us to worry, nevertheless we are instructed not to entertain anxiety. There is someone in charge of our situation who has not lost control and who will always be in charge. Our problems stems primarily from the fact that we cannot see God in our situation. We think He is not acting on or behalf or is oblivious of our situation.  However, that is not true, for his commitment to us goes beyond what we can see or do not see. His posture towards us does not change (James 1:17). We should never allow circumstances rob us off confidence in God. Irrespective of our situations we should not be anxious, knowing that He is in control. God never stops working on our behalf. Things may be rough and unpalatable, but it does not change the fact that He is committed to us and that He is working things out. 

A lot of us have faced situations where we have wasted our time worrying, and did all sorts of things all to help ourselves all to no avail, only to wonder why we wasted our time worrying when things were resolved so simply when God “showed up”. We chastise ourselves for not having waited patiently, without anxiety, trusting God to act – which is the state that God wants us to be in no matter how bad circumstances may be. This attitude will keep us unmoved and confident, much like someone who had been guaranteed a job by the CEO, who only knows that turning up for an interview is a mere formality. That is how we ought to conduct ourselves as believers. Because God is in charge and always at work, we can have our hearts assured rather than worrying. If we do not have the perspective that God is bigger than our situations, it will be extremely difficult for us not to worry. We should never repose our confidence in man, for vain is the help of man. There are several circumstances in life such as terminal diseases which show the helplessness of man. Consequently, our confidence should always be in the living God. The fact that things are not working our way does not mean we should be fretting. It is only a matter of time; God will come in His own time. Our challenges are not unique to us; several others have experienced same or similar challenges. We should keep trusting in God.

Furthermore, we should always have at the back of our minds before praying that God has a purpose for everything. There is a reason why He allows trials to come our way, though we may not immediately comprehend it. Mindful of that reality, rather than questioning Him we ought to trust in Him. We may not know how things will be in the future, yet we should trust in the living God who is in charge of our lives, circumstances, and the future. When we adopt these attitudes our outlook will be positive and we shall experience peace even amidst turmoil (Php 4:7) -  a peace which defies earthly logic which only God can give. This can only happen when our trust is in God and not in Man. God has a plan and purpose for us and it will be good – ultimately. God works through us and He will bring forth His counsel and reveal His glory in our lives, even amidst our circumstances. He does not work arbitrarily and everything in the world – our circumstances, us and the universe, works together to fulfill the good pleasure of His will. We ought to see things this way so that we can make progress believing that He can do absolutely anything.

This is the right frame of mind which will enable us derive comfort in the place of prayer. Before we pray, we should ask ourselves if we really believe in our God, the God of all possibilities (Heb 11:6). Is our trust in Him alone? We live in an age where there is a tendency to trust in many things – our intelligence, our grade, our plans, our visions, our connections, our certificates, men, etc. It is no wonder that our plains fail to work out according to plan. We must always remember that God is the One in charge of our lives. We need to pause and return to dependence on God, and ascertaining what He will have us do in every situation. If truly we believe in the Person of God and believe that with Him nothing is impossible, then we should allow Him have His way in our lives. We need to always subject ourselves to seeing His will realized in our lives, irrespective of our well-laid plans, rather than suffering the repercussions of living outside His will.

Conclusion

As believers we need to come to terms with the sovereignty of God and His all-sufficiency. It is only when we do this that we can live our lives without being anxious when faced with contrary situations. Rather than being anxious, we should talk to God and let Him have our burdens in prayer. Is it a job we are looking for, we should trust in God. Is it a child, we should never let our trust in God wane.  We saw God fulfil His promise of a child to Abraham, despite his faith wavering, and despite his attempt at self help by sleeping with Hagar. God came through at His own time. That is the kind of God that we serve. He is ever faithful to His word. He might not do it the way we expect it, but He will fulfill His promise because faithfulness is His very nature - He cannot deny Himself. He does things according to His own plan and His own season. There is a time and season for Him to do what He wants to do in our lives, which we can be rest assured will not pass us by. However, we need to keep our trust in God. He is the only One that will never fail us.  

UNDERSTANDING THE GRACE OF GOD

The grace of God is the bedrock of your Christianity. Understanding it enables us to live a fruitful life, and see things from God’s perspective. You will appreciate what you have better with a full understanding of the grace of God; how God is the all in all.

Most view the grace of God merely as “unmerited favour” bestowed on us through salvation. A favour bestowed on us, not because we deserved it and yet we could not have worked for. However, it goes beyond that. The grace of God is a concept that reveals God’s character. It is a concept that brings joy and gladness; that depicts the character of God.

Also others view it narrowly, and see it as a concept limited to the New Testament. This is however untrue.. It is not limited to the Old Testament; rather, it cuts across both the Old and the New Testaments.

The manifestation of God’s grace can be seen in the Old Testament. For example Jonah expressed the fact that God was a gracious God. He verbalized this in Jonah 4:2 and cited it as the reason why he did not want to obey God by prophesying about the judgment of God that was coming on them for their sins. He knew that God was gracious and he could change his mind if they repented. This was exactly what happened.

 Other scriptures in the Old Testament underscore this fact of God as being gracious [Nehemiah 9:17, Exodus 34:6-7,Ps 78:38, Ps 103:8-18, Ps 145:8-9,Is 55:7-9,Joel 2:13].

However, the concept of the grace of God is better understood in the coming of Jesus Christ. What He came to do and made available to us showed us what grace is all about. A gift we did not merit in any way [John 1:14-17,2 Cor 9:15]. It was not about what we did, but about God and His gracious character.  Understanding the grace of God therefore cannot be fully comprehended outside the New Testament, or the work of redemption.  God demonstrated His graciousness in giving His son to die for us so we can be saved. [Titus 2:11, 2 Tim 1:9]. Indeed, every aspect of the work of redemption, from election to His incarnation, His vicarious death, our call to salvation, and our response to the gospel are attributable to the grace of God [2 Tim 1:9, Eph 1:4, 1 Cor 25-31, John 6:44, Titus 2:11, Titus 3:5-7. Even while on earth, Jesus Christ manifested graciousness towards people. For example, in Matt 9:36, seeing the crowd helpless and harassed like sheep without a shepherd, He was moved with compassion. Other verses also reveal this [Luke 4:22, Mk 6:31, Jn 3:16].

When we speak of the grace of God, we should realize that it excludes works or anything we could have done. (Different schools of thought in varying degrees try to ascribe the things salvation to some degree of works)???, thereby nullifying the role of grace. However, Paul understood clearly that God’s choice of us, our salvation, was entirely by His grace, and did not in any way include our works [Rom 11:6]. You were chosen and elected in Him. You did not decide on your own to be a Christian. Without the workings of God in you, you would not have chosen to give your life to Christ [John 6:44,65,  Eph 1:4]. Everything we see from Eph 1:4-14 which described our blessedness in Christ Jesus is punctuated at different parts with attributions of that blessedness to grace. Realize that your works in any way do not count towards your salvation. Emphasis on your works nullifies the work of grace!

We need to appreciate the priceless possession God gave to us because He chose to save us of His own free will [2 Tim 1:9, Rom 8:28-30]. It cannot be over-emphasised that the coming, death and resurrection of Christ is a demonstration of God’s grace. There was a substitution for you in that Jesus died for your sins, He took your place, so you can have life; it was not based on your good works, but only His grace! Rom 8: 28-30, Gal 6: 15. We were justified through redemption by the grace of God [Rom 3:24, Titus 3:7].Our perseverance and continuity in the faith is also by His grace [1 Pet 1:5, Jude 1:3, 24, 1 Cor 1:9,1 Cor 5:23-24].

Paul had such a profound understanding of God’s grace that He attributed all He was to the grace of God [1 Cor 15:10], and relied on that even amidst challenges [2 Cor 12:9]. God’s grace satisfies every need of man. The earlier we lived our lives in that consciousness, the better we approach life. We become more fruitful when we live consciously and deliberately in the reality of the grace of God. We know His grace is at work in us in all situations, and cease depending on ourselves but on the grace of God!

The Peace of God – Col 3:15

It is not impossible for a Christian to have his life void of peace because of what he goes through in life. However, irrespective of whatever we go through, good or bad it does not change the injunction upon the believer in Col 3:15 to allow the peace of God rule in his heart. This peace is a fruit of the spirit, with the implication that every man born again can experience it. This implies that if you are not born again you cannot experience this peace. They may run helter-skelter outside of God seeking it – but such search is futile, for true peace can only be found in God. For those who born again, Jesus brought us peace by His sacrifice at Calvary (Eph 2:13-14,Rom 5:1,Col 1:20). This peace was not given us because we have done anything, but as gift – and this is the basis of the peace which the believer is to allow rule his heart.

Peace here speaks of an inner calm resulting from confidence in one’s salvation. May Christians do not experience peace, not because they have not been given it, but we do not always focus on what matters. As long as we are in this world we cannot avoid turbulence or problems. Tribulations are not something strange or unique to us (1 Cor 10:13). Peradventure we feel we are the only ones going through a difficult circumstances, the truth is that we are not. Jesus declared that as long as we  are in the world we shall have tribulations (John 16:33).What makes the difference is what Christ did for us which enables us to experience peace, irrespective of what we go through (John 16:33).

How can someone be at peace amidst calamitous or troubling situation? Only the peace of God can give that calmness. It is difficult not to be disturbed without it. It calls for constant refocusing on the truth when it eludes us. Situations are not just supposed to just keep us under. Whatever circumstances we go through is not indefinite or forever. It is a phase, and it  is not permanent. We have to constantly strive to ensure that our hearts are constantly in a state of peace. We might not be able to identify what the cause of our tribulations are, but nevertheless God’s word still makes it incumbent upon us to make peace our experience. This peace is not based on our circumstances or situation – rather it is a fruit of the spirit, just like joy and other fruit of the spirit(Gal 5:22). We should never let this peace elude us.

In Rom 8:35, Paul asked the question, “who shall separate us from the love of Christ”, and then went to list tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, death, life, angels, things present, things to come, height and depth, etc. The point is Paul concludes that nothing was potent enough to spate the believer from the love of God, not even tribulations. This should breed a sense of confidence and foster an experience of peace, irrespective of whatever problem we go through. Is it problems in the areas of a job, family, health, children or finances? We should know that God is more than enough and allow that to put our minds at rest. We should never allow such problems to let our minds be in a constant state of disturbance, but rather allow His peace rule constantly. This is why we have to remind ourselves who we are in Christ and what we have in God, then the experience follows .If He said take no thought for your life, then he means we should allow His peace rule in every spectrum of our lives (Mt 6:24-35).

THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY WHEN TROUBLE COMES OR WHEN PEACE ELUDES US

1.  See the invisible (2 Cor 4:16-18): Rather than focus on our troubles or tribulations which are temporal, we should rather focus on eternal realities, which though invisible are very much real. We should always bear in mind that whatever situation we go through all things work together for our good (Rom 8:28). We should never focus on our problems, but rather keep we should focus on God and keep looking unto Him (Heb 12:2) who is invisible (Heb11:27). We may not see Him, but He is real nonetheless. This calls for constant refocusing and redirection of our minds. When we are in turmoil, if all we can remember is that God is us that alone is sufficient. No matter what, we should remember God is committed to us forever.
1.  Pray (James 5:13) - it could be the last thing on Christians’ minds during when peace eludes, and even when it is resorted to it may not be inspired by faith. But James 5:13 specifically says, “if anyone is afflicted, let him pray”. This would promote the experience of the peace of God in our hearts, even amidst trouble (Php 4:6-7). You can also pray in d spirit, especially where you do not even have the words to pray. Praying in the spirit edifies believers and contributes to enabling us to allow God’s peace rule in our hearts.

Conclusion

There is a peace that ought to rule our hearts borne out of our relationship with God. We should never let it elude you us no matter what we go through. We should always keep our focus on God.

 

IN THE EVIL DAYS (Eph 5:16, 6:10-18)

When we see a scripture like Eph 5:16 which describe the days as evil, and Eph 6:13, which talks about the evil day, it begs the question – “What are the evil days?”  From scriptures, the days we live in are the evil days. The days are evil because of the evil world system orchestrated by the Devil, which is against the cause of Christians and Christianity. It is a major cause of the antagonism, battles, temptations and contrary situations and several challenges that assail us on several fronts. If there is anytime we need to walk as believers circumspectly, it is the days that we live in – for scriptures tell us how to walk in these evil days (Eph 5:15-16].

There could be a tendency to see the things that happen to us as accidental. But it is key for us to know that nothing happens to us by accident. As believers our lives and the circumstances that we face are predicated on God’s purpose, such that even when we face contrary situations, God’s purpose is to bring out the best in us. There is a perspective to adopt when we face situations in life, whether good or bad. It is important that we have a proper approach to facing the things that come our way. An understanding of the way the world system functions is strategic, if we are not to focus on the wrong things. For example, there is a tendency to focus on people who we consider enemies and situations, without looking beyond them to the real cause – the world system and its wiles orchestrated by the Devil.

Ephesians 6 speaks of the wiles of the Devil. This connotes subtlety and deceitfulness. The system of this world operates in such a way that you are ensnared and taken unawares before you realize it. For example work is legitimate and bible encourages it, but there are some work places and demands which could constitute a stumbling block to our spiritual progress. There is a way to work and a way not to work. A backslidden state could gradually creep in when because of work demands a believer does not have time for study of God’s word, prayers, fellowship. Alternatively, it could be through wasting time on fleshly pleasures, films, internet and other things which we fill our minds with, which affects our thought life and decisions and reactions to circumstances beyond what we realize. These are some of the subtle means the Devil uses which we are often unaware of. Doubtless, the Devil is a great schemer, but for God through His Spirit within us, we have the greatest edge we ever need. To stand against the wiles of the devil in the evil day, Bible instructs us to put on the whole armour of God (Eph 6:11).

The instruction about putting on the whole armour of God in Ephesians 6:11 is prefaced by the charge for believers to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might in Ephesians 6:10. This is instructive as it emphasizes the God-factor as the key to our triumph when faced with challenges of the evil day. When you see your strength in the living God you can counter and overcome whatever wiles come your way. Your confidence should be in the Lord, knowing that all power is in His hands (Mt 28:17). Focus should therefore never be on the wiles, on a sin problem, but on the Lord. Furthermore, the responsibility of putting on the whole armour of God is on the believer, not on God or of the pastors. It is something which the believer must do himself. It must also be something that must be done on a continual basis.

Before examining the pieces or constituents of the Christian armour, it is important to see the emphasis that scriptures put on the word, “stand”. Thrice in Eph 6:11, 13, and 14 the word is repeated. In essence it is a war won by standing – standing in the faith.

Elements of Christian armour

Truth [Eph 6:14]:  The state of the heart answering to God's truth; inward, practical acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Him: the agreement of our convictions with God's revelation. Secondarily, it involves truthfulness, sincerity, straightforwardness (Col 3:9, Eph 4:25). Without truth we cannot stand against the wiles of the Devil.

Breastplate of righteousness [Eph 6:14]:  The breastplate protected the heart of the Roman soldier. In the same way, we are to allow the consciousness of the righteousness we obtained in Christ pervade and guard our hearts

Gospel of peace [Eph 6:15]: The same way the shoes of the Roman soldier protected his feet, and gave him surefooting, we are to allow the gospel do the same for us. The gospel breeds confidence, assurance and peace, irrespective of whatever circumstances we find ourselves (Rom 8:37-39)

Shield of faith [Eph 6:16]: This essentially speak of allowing trust and confidence in the ability of the living God be act as a shield of defence against the assault and wiles of the Devil, much the same way the shield of the Roman soldier was his defense from the fiery darts (arrows) of the enemy. We should let our faith/trust be in God. You know your trust is in God when a situation threatens to overwhelm you, but you are quick to rely on God alone, and not on anything external. We should realize that trust in the living God will never fail. Man could fail, but He that believes in Him will never be put to shame.

Helmet of salvation [Eph 6:17]:   The head is a critical part of the body, and the helmet offered protection for the head of the Roman soldier. For the believer, against the wiles of the Devil, and in spiritual warfare, salvation should play the critical role of the helmet. Consciousness of the integrity, security and reality of our salvation is an extremely potent weapon of defence against the wiles of the Devil.

The Sword of the Spirit [Eph 6:17]:  The weapon of offense, attack and advancement of the Roman soldier was the sword. In a spiritual sense, the equivalent for the believer is the word of God. This brings to the fore the importance of consistent study and application of the word of God. It programmes us to react appropriately when the wiles come, as they inevitably always do

Conclusion

If we are to stand in the evil days that we live in, we should learn to rely always on the strength of the Lord and put on His armour at all times. Finally, we should also bear in mind that it is our responsibility and not God’s or any other person to equip ourselves with that armour at all times.