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.

CHOSEN IN CHRIST

Recap

The Book of Ephesian is full of revelation of who we believers are in Christ Jesus. In Eph.1:1-3 we see that we have been separated and blessed in Christ Jesus. The story of a woman called Hetty Green can be used to illustrate the attitude of believers to the riches that we believers have in Christ Jesus. She was a very rich American woman who lived in the 20^th century (1834-1916). At the time of her death she was worth more than $100 million. However, she lived her life like a pauper, she was a typical miser. History has it that her son had his leg amputated due to gangrene, because Hetty refused to pay for his treatment. She wore just one black dress and underwear, which she only replaced when the dress and underwear are totally worn-out. She ordered her laundress to only wash the dirtiest parts of a dress in order to conserve soap. History also has it that she spent a night searching her carriage for a lost stamp worth 2cents. Despite the riches that she possessed, she lived a live of a pauper.

It is rather unfortunate that most believers too struggle through life simply because we are ignorant of the abundant riches and privileges that we have in Christ Jesus. Even those who are quite aware of how blessed believers are in Christ do not care to explore it. A good understanding of who believers are, what we have and the riches and privileges that have been given to us in Christ Jesus will make us walk tall and live above any limitation. A good view of this our immeasurable riches in Christ Jesus really humbles us, when we realise that all these things are freely given to us by Grace.

Ephesian 1:4 

The teaching that believers are chosen or elected in Christ is not common. However, we find it very prominent in scripture the idea of God choosing believers unto Himself. In the history of the Church many people do not agree that God chose believers individually. They believe that God chose the church collectively as a whole, but not individual believers. However, the reference in Eph.1:4 is to individual Christians chosen in Christ Jesus, and Paul includes himself. When we look closely in scripture we find out that it is a pattern by which God related with people.

Scriptural pattern of God choosing people

In the Old Testament, God chose specific people and called them out (Hagg 2:23). In Neh. 9:7, the Israelites recounted how God chose Abram. God’s choice of Abram was not because he was better than his contemporaries. In fact, Abram was also an idol worshipper just like the people of his time, yet God chose him. In Gen 21:12, God communicated with Abraham about His choice of Isaac to be the heir in preference to Ishmael. Moreover, in Rom.9:11-13, we find an account of God choosing Jacob over Esau, even though Jacob was a supplanter.

Likewise in the New Testament, we see the idea of God choosing us (Act 13:46-48, Eph.1:4, 1Pet.1; 2-3). Most of the

time we try to analyse and rationalise the Sovereignty of God, in relation to human responsibility, with our limited human minds. The fact that God is sovereign and chooses according to His will does not remove human responsibility. God has created us with an ability to exercise our choice, such that we have to believe in other to bring about the purpose of God in our lives.

Scriptural evidence of God choosing believers

In Gal.1:15 Paul described himself as being chosen by God to do something in particular, and that is to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. One would have thought that Paul should be an apostle to the Jews because he was raisedin Judaism, he understood the law, he understood their thought pattern, and their customs and all that had to do with Jews. One would have thought Peter was good enough to be an apostle to the Gentiles because he wasnot as versed as Paul in Judaism, but God chose otherwise. Again we see in 2 Thess. 2:13Paul wrote in His letter to the Thessalonian church, stating that God had chosen them and called them to salvation before the foundation of the world.Another term that is used to describe the concept that we are chosen in Christ is the word “Elect” (1Pet1:1-2). Some people have used the foregoing scripture to explain that God looked through the corridor of time and knew that we would believe, and that was why He chose us. However, the Greek word translated as “foreknowledge” does not simply mean God looking into the future. The same word is used in 1Pet.1:20 and it means that God from time immemorial predetermining and planning a relationship with us. Even the death of Jesus Christ did not just happen, it was pre-planned by God that Jesus would die to redeem man (Rev.13:8). So more than God simply knowing,He predetermined and ordained some things to happen.

The practicability of God choosing believers

On the issue of God’s choice, one may wonder that since we are already chosen, why do we still need to believe, or what is the essence of preaching the Gospel since there are the elects that have been pre-ordained for salvation? There may not be an analytical answer to these kinds of reasoning; but what we see in scripture is that God chooses but we still need to believe. In fact, it is when we believe that we get to realise that we had been chosen. Preachers have to preach because that is the only way those that are chosen get to believe. Many times we feel that our being saved was because we were smart enough to have accepted the Gospel. But fromJhn6:60-65,we see that there is a divine act of God where He personally draws the believer. Even though it is a man that makes the choice to accept the Gospel, yet there is an inner working of God that lifts the veil for the man to see the need to believe the Gospel and be saved (Jn.15:16, Act 9:1-8). In 1Thess.1:2-5, scripture shows clearly that God has chosen individual believers but we only realise this choice when we believe and come into the faith. This implies that we cannot predetermine who is elected for salvation and who is not. Scripture does not give us that kind of leeway. We just have to preach the Gospel and hope that the listener would believe and be saved. In Act 13: 46-48 Paul and Barnabas just preached and those who have been appointed for eternal life received the Gospel.

This tells us that the choice of God and human responsibility always go side by side. And we can to understand that in the finalanalysis, it is not so much about our desires or how good or wise we are, but the fact that we were chosen by God. So rather thanpride, the knowledge that we have been chosen in Christ fillsus with awe and humility.Rather than fear, it fills us with a lot of joy. We are filled with joy because one of the purpose for which we were chosen is so that we will be saved forever. When we realise that God has chosen us and He has effected a plan that keeps us saved, then we are no longer scared but filled with joy. God chose us and decided to work things out that way for His praise and glory (Eph.1:11-12,1Pet.2:9) so that nobody will boast before Him. Without the mercy of God, without the choice of God, without the Grace of God we would still be as sinful and wretched as the worst of men (Ps115:1. Ps65:1-4). More than the praise the psalmist could ever give, so should the praise of a believer be because God has brought us near to a Temple not made with hands.

Conclusion

It is such a wonderful thing to realise that God had us in mind before the foundation of the world. God chose us and predestined us to be blessed in Christ. Meditating on these truth should gladden our heart and encourage us to live for Him alone.

UNFAILING FAITH

The foundation of our Christianity as believers is our faith in God. Last year may have gone differently for all of us but what matters is our faith in God. For some, they may not have gotten the things they desired, for others it might have been a good year. Whether or not we achieved what we planned from the beginning of the year, the important thing is to ensure that that our faith in God does not fail.  The events of the past year might cause us to anticipate something new or a change in our circumstances as we enter into a new year, especially when find ourselves in a failed system as is operated in our country. Even though it is a new year and so people are expecting new things or changes in what previously obtained, we must realise that the most important factor in our seeing these changes is ourselves. It is not so much about what we want God to do in the New Year but about what we need to do. Truth is that personal or societal problems do not respond to a new year. The first of any year is just a continuity of time. Many times, we try to squeeze God into a mould to do things because it is a new year but God is not bound by that. We are the ones who need to take advantage of time. A new year is a reminder that a period of time has passed and another is beginning. The issue should be how we are responding to passing time. That is why the Psalmist says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”.

Is your Faith Strengthened or weakened?

In measuring our progress this year, our yardstick should not be the material things God has provided; rather it should be measured by how our faith in God has become stronger. This is not to say that we should not look up to God to supply our needs (Phlp.4:19), but at the end of the year, we should be able to ask ourselves if we are better Christians for things we have passed through. We will pass through things that tend to weaken our faith in God. The Devil’s sole responsibility is to weaken our faith in God, such that we begin to doubt if God truly loves us. Everything we go through can serve to either weaken or strengthen our faith in God. What determines the outcome is our response to those things. An example of a man whose faith was edging out gradually was Peter (Luk.22:31-32). On the surface he appeared to be strong, but Jesus could see that his faith is being weakened by the things he was passing through. Satan had asked of him to sift him like wheat. However, Jesus prayed for him so that his faith will not fail. The question we believers should ask ourselves is: has my zeal for the things of God waned because of the diverse circumstances and experiences I am passing through? The bible does not deny that believers go through challenging times, but each time we go through such trials, scripture admonishes that we should ensure that our faith is not weakened by such trials.

1Pet 1:6-7 talks about the numerous temptations believers go through and how that they bring out the genuineness of our faith. The bible obviously acknowledges that we go through some tough times. Just as gold passed through fire gets refined, the believer's faith ought to be refined as it passes through trials. But if we are not careful, those same trials may destroy our faith. When trials are prolonged, there is every tendency that our faith, the foundation of our Christianity, becomes shaken up. That is why scripture warns that those passing through persecution and have started doubting God, should ‘Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God’ (Heb.3:12). We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul (Heb 10:39). Our faith is strengthened or weakened by the way we handle the things that we pass through. We must not toy with our faith (Heb.11:6). Constant pressures tend to weaken our faith and if we do not respond appropriately, we find ourselves doubting the workings of God in our live. Unbelief is very dangerous because that is what takes people to hell. The sin that ‘so easily beset’ referred to in Heb.12:1 is the sin of unbelief.

The Example of John the Baptist (Lk.7:17-23)

John the Baptist was described as the greatest of all the prophets. In fact, he was the only one filled with the Hoy Ghost from his mother's womb. He was the fore-runner of our Lord Jesus, a fiery preacher. At some point, this great man began having doubts. Hope deferred makes the heart sick (Prov 13:12). John had spoken against Herod with regards to Herod taking his brother's wife and was thrown into prison. After a period of time, he began to doubt, and needed some form of reassurance, so he sent message to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah or if they should look for another. What is important is the response of Jesus and this is always God's response to every doubt of man. When John's disciples got to Jesus, He performed many miracles before them (Lk. 7:17-23). What Jesus did was not to convince John by miracles but to refer John back to scripture. Isa 35:5-6 is a Messianic scripture and this was what Jesus pointed John the Baptist to, knowing John knew the scripture. Christ fulfilled the things mentioned in that portion of scripture right in front of John's disciples and he told them to go tell him what they have seen. John's disciples had reported the miracles to him in Lk 7:17-18 but John still sent them to Jesus to confirm if He was

the Messiah. This implies that faith does not come by miracles. Getting answers to your prayers or the cravings of your heart does not bring faith. What brings faith is casting our mind back to all those benefits of Salvation as revealed in scriptures, because faith comes by the word of God (Rom.10:17, Phlm.6). Faith comes when we reassure ourselves again that the scriptures are true. We must reassure our heart that the word of God cannot fail. We must recon that the sufferings of the present time cannot be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us (Rom.8:18)

It is our choice to allow even our bad experiences to strengthen our faith in God. We can make a choice to say all things work together for our good because we have been called by God (Rom 8:28). When we are offended in
God, we begin to doubt his goodness and his love for us. At such times, we tread on dangerous grounds and our faith in God begins to ebb away. We should not mess with our faith but rather let it be refined. Abraham did not stagger at God's promises through unbelief (Rom 4:20) and we too can choose to do that.
Faith does not always mean the best possible outcomes in this world. Even though Daniel was able to stop the mouth of lions; some Christians have also been devoured by lions in the course of standing for their faith (Heb 11:30-38). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down for the king's golden image regardless of if God delivered them or not, even though they know He was able to deliver them (Dan 3:16-18). Once our faith fails, then our Christianity will no longer be effective.

Forgetting the past, pressing forward by faith.

We are to press forward, leaving the things that are behind. Christianity is a race and we have to keep moving. The world does not end because we are jobless or going through any other challenge. Paul, while in prison made progress. All the things drawing us back have been orchestrated by the devil to draw us back and when we do so we are only fulfilling his plans. We are to forget everything behind- our past glory, our past failures- and press forward. We must be self-driven because that is the attitude of victory. Paul admonished that “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philp.3:12-14)”
Paul could later on say in II Tim 4:7-8 that he had fought a good fight, he had finished his course and had kept the faith. Christianity is all about your faith in Christ. We should run the race looking unto Jesus. At the end of our life, after we have achieved all those legitimate things we long for, we should be able to say like Paul that we have kept the faith.