How reliable is God? How sure are His promises? Does He ever have (or need) a Plan ‘B’?
These are important questions to ask. How we answer them will greatly impact our approach to proclaiming the Gospel and applying the Great Commission, particularly in the dark and darkening culture in which our Lord has placed us. Ours is an American cultural battlefield largely defined for the moment by zombie churches preaching dead religion, an emerging anti-Christian totalitarian government, and a public programmed and encouraged to just sort of let it all go on while embracing the modern day “bread and circus” distractions of sports, entertainment, and food stamps.
In this context it is vital that we understand the nature of the One in whom we have placed our everything…the nature of the One in whom we have faith. Knowing Him rightly will inspire us as nothing else can, while knowing Him wrongly will lead (and has lead) to apathy, laziness, immaturity, and failure.
Faith is only as good (or bad) as the object in which it is placed. This truth highlights one of the defining lines of demarcation between biblical Christianity and every other worldview known to fallen man.
While all other worldviews or systems of belief center on something other than God as their ultimate authority, only true biblical Christianity rests completely on the nature of God as revealed in His Word as the authority and standard by which all things in all places at all times in His creation are to be tested.
If a thing is tested and found wanting in light of that Word, then the thing in question – whatever it is – is wrong. It is in error. It is in conflict with the very nature of God, and therefore cannot lead toward the genuine peace, joy, and promise that can only be found and fulfilled in the Lord, however innocent or trivial the thing in question might be perceived to be.
When Scripture tells us that “all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created” through Jesus and for Jesus, and that in Him “all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17), we are being told a whole lot about a whole lot in just a few simple, clear words.
Jesus made everything.
He defines and sustains everything.
It’s all His property – including every immaterial thing known (or unknown) to man…every concept, sense, feeling, value – even time itself…they are all a result of His nature as expressed in His creation as He intended from before the dawn of that creation.
When Jesus proclaims Himself to be “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), He is not kidding. He is not exaggerating. He is not crafting a clever illustration. He is clearly proclaiming the truth of His all-encompassing nature as it related to His creation – a creation that is entirely defined in light of His nature and sustained by the same.
With this creation-defining splendor and beauty of Christ in mind, I’d like to respectfully suggest two words by which we might better understand and adore the nature of our Creator.
Those two words are perfect and unchanging.
Grabbing hold of these two attributes of God as so lavishly proclaimed throughout Scripture can be a great help in building our appreciation of Him, while at the same time helping to inoculate us against ideas, concepts, and worldviews that are built upon perversions or dismissals of these beautiful attributes of our Lord.
The Lord our God is unchanging. (See: Hebrews 13:8; Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Revelation 22:13; Numbers 23:19)
The Lord our God is perfect. Since He is and has always been unchanging, then He is, has always been, and shall forever be perfect. (See: Matthew 5:48; Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 12:2; Psalms 19:7-11; Hebrews 7:26; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalms 18:30)
[Tweet “When Jesus proclaims Himself to be “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), he is not kidding. He is not exaggerating. “]
Our perfect God has no need.
He requires nothing, including any knowledge of anything in any place or at any time. As He is and has always been all-knowing, He cannot learn. None of His knowledge has been taken in through observation or anything of the sort.
His perfect peace and perfect joy are contingent upon nothing outside of Himself. He is the one and only Being who is or can ever be truly self-sufficient.
His creation is an expression of His nature, it is sustained by His will, and it has been brought into being – every last bit of it – for His purposes…and His creation will perfectly fulfill those purposes at every opportunity in every instance of time between the dawn of creation and the end of the present age (and it won’t stop then, in case you’re wondering).
This is why we who are His can completely, coherently, and confidently rest in the promise of Romans 8:28, which reads: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
This is why we can trust completely, coherently, and confidently in each and every prophecy and promise recorded in His perfect Word.
This is why our supernatural salvation, ordained by this God by His choice for His purposes from before the dawn of creation itself, should be so incomprehensibly marvelous and awe-inspiringly beautiful to each and every one of us who know, love, and happily submit to Him as Lord. (See: Ephesians 1:11-12; Romans 8:29)
This is why we have no excuse for lack of faith or disobedience right here and right now.
He has placed us here with all that we need – the supernatural Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Great Commission command to make disciples of the nations, teaching them to obey Him in all that He has lovingly, and clearly, commanded.
That is our mission.
Now let’s get to it…by His grace and for His glory…
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I hope that this consideration of God’s perfect and unchanging nature has been helpful. If you know of anyone who might be interested in this post, please share it. Thank you!
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Please see also:
7 Empowering Truths for Politically Active Christians
Why Americans don’t do repentance.
Politics, Religion, and the Threat of Spontaneous Combustion
The (church built) Zombie Apocalypse is upon us…
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© 2014 Scott Alan Buss – All Rights Reserved.
Couldn't agree more. Love the line: Faith is only as good (or bad) as the object in which it is placed.
We should never rely on our own understanding to explain God's wisdom and will for He is infinite. Though it's hard to trust and obey when things are uncertain, it's a good thing to remind ourselves that He is unchanging.