The Lutheran Hour
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"God Never Changes"
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Text: Malachi 3:6
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PRAYER: Blessed heavenly Father, in a society constantly changing and in a world filled with uncertainty, we cannot thank You enough that Your Holy Word states clearly, “I change not!” And because You never change, O Lord, Your promises are always trustworthy and totally reliable. Your forgiveness in Jesus is 100 percent certain and Your promise of heaven for all Your children in Christ is as solid as a rock. O Lord, thanks be to Thee for Thy “changelessness.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Several months ago the Omaha World Herald newspaper carried a front page story explaining the different generations that now make up our society. This newspaper spoke about the 76 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964. The Omaha World Herald also discussed part of our population now considered as part of Generation “X,” born between 1965 and 1975. Finally, they also mentioned the 72 million “echo boomers” born to the boomers.
Now we can use all kinds of names to describe different groups of people. Even older folks are called the “goldenagers,” or the “retirees,” or some other name. Obviously, the label given to a certain age group is not all that important. The concern, however, raised by Nebraska’s largest newspaper certainly is. This is a concern shared also by other major media outlets. And, this concern springs from the philosophy of those 43 million people now called Generation “X,” born between 1965 and 1975. According to the World Herald, Generation “X “is named after a mathematical variable meaning “no value.” This means many now part of Generation “X” have adopted a philosophy or a world view which says there are no absolutes, there is nothing we know for sure. According to this modern Generation “X” philosophy, one and one is not always two. And, it is not always wrong to steal from your neighbor. Sex outside of marriage is not always wrong. Christianity is not necessarily the one true religion. Living together is OK and its rightness or wrongness depends only on the opinion of those involved. Nothing is certain, nothing is sure, everything is always changing.
Now, into this vacuum of nothingness and into this world of emptiness comes the loud and clear voice of God spoken through the prophet Malachi. Our gracious Lord says, “I am the Lord, I change not!” In the New Testament book of James we read: “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). In the Old Testament we read, “God is not a man and that He should change His mind” (Numbers 23:19).
Oh yes, there may be thousands or even millions who have permitted the devil to convince them there are no universal standards; that absolutes are mere traditions; and there are no universal guidelines either in morality or in science.
Oh, thank the Lord according to His own words, He is one who “changes not.” Because we know God does not change, we also know His promises never change. Therefore, even though the devil may be tempting you to doubt the gracious promises of God, listen to what the Lord is saying to you: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (Isaiah 43:2).
Oh, indeed thank God His attitude toward us sinners does not reflect Generation “X,” where no one can be sure of anything. To the elderly, and even the young, and those afflicted by cancer or other terminal diseases-rejoice in the unchanging words of Jesus when He said: “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son [the Lord Jesus Christ] and believes in Him shall have eternal life; and I, Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).
Today, especially in Africa, people afflicted with AIDS are dying by the thousands. These pitiful people have no medical hope whatsoever. Nevertheless, they too, even in their despair, can rise up in spirit and thank God their future is not tied to the philosophy of many in the “X “Generation. That is, nothing is certain and there is no future hope. These afflicted mortals can with Christ-centered confidence, look death square in the eye and say, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
Now, these words are the Spirit-inspired promises of God spoken by the Apostle Paul. The joy of it all is this: God’s Word and promises never change. The psalmist says, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of His heart are from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11). Again, the psalmist says: “But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end” (Psalm 102:27).
So, friends, as you examine your life and look to the future, don’t be guided by the opinions of men or the philosophy of skeptics. Build your life instead on the solid rock and upon the immovable foundation of Jesus’ life, His death, and His glorious resurrection. No matter how hard you might try, you cannot live a life perfect and pleasing to God. In your place, however, Jesus lived “the” perfect life for you. And, as a result of your sins, in God’s eyes, you deserve death and eternal punishment. Nevertheless, through His death on the cross, Jesus defeated the power of death and sin and the devil. Most important, when you are baptized, as St. Paul explains in Romans: God, through His miracle of baptism, then unites you to Christ and His glorious and victorious resurrection. Oh, indeed, in the midst of an increasingly doubtful and uncertain generation, join me and other Christians as we repeat the “life-lifting” and resurrecting words of the Apostle Peter when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will never fade away” (1 Peter 3-4).
Dear friends, no matter where you are at this hour, do not despair. Even if the whole world agreed that life has no meaning and no one can be sure of anything, even with all this against you, fix your eyes on Jesus. Jesus Christ is the author and perfector of your faith. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
In a day and age when guarantees on cars are limited to miles or months, and at a time in our culture where all guarantees are limited, the precious promises of God are not limited for “a lifetime.” God’s promises are forever. Through the prophet Jeremiah, your heavenly Father is saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” God’s love is a love that is pure; God’s love has no strings attached; God’s love in Jesus Christ forgives your past mistakes and failures through the blood of Jesus. Yes, God’s love is not like the post-modern love, a love that may be here today and gone tomorrow. The love of God is a love that never changes.
Now, some of you may be thinking I am a bit paranoid and gone “off the deep end” regarding today’s philosophy. If so, listen to this. In 1991, the Barna Research Group found that over 66 percent of American adults do not believe absolute truth exists. Specifically, they agreed there is “no such thing as absolute truth. Two people,” they say, “can define truth in totally conflicting ways, but both could still be correct.” Even more disturbing about these Barna findings was that 53 percent of all ‘born again’ Christians, and most adults associated with the evangelical churches, maintained this relativistic view. When polled again in 1994, only seven years ago, a staggering 72 percent — almost three out of four — affirmed some kind of relativism. This means that most people in our current culture do not believe black is black and white is white, and the Ten Commandments are not always true and relevant, and that Jesus Christ died and rose again for the salvation of all sinners.
Furthermore, in order to deceive, especially young people that there are no absolutes or standards, the devil often uses Hollywood and television celebrities. These famous faces frequently state in public their utter disregard for the word and the will of God. In a special guest editorial in Newsweek, Benjamin Stein said: “It would be hard right now to imagine a more atheistic community than the people who make up prime time TV and feature movies. The result,” Stein says, “is that it’s almost impossible to find a Hollywood product with real human characters, those who make a decision based upon religion.” This means some of the leading mind-formers of young people today are those who have an absolute disregard for God’s Ten Commandments. If you’ve been tempted to believe God’s Ten Commandments are out of date or obsolete, be very careful. The Commandments of God remain the absolute will of God, and that will never, ever change.
Changeless also, praise the Lord, is the grace of God. This is why the lines of the hymn writer, Henry Francis Lyte, are so memorable. In the hymn, “Abide With Me,” Lyte, according to historians, was very aware the end of this life was near. He was equally aware for our sanity and peace of mind, and for a real hope as we face the future, we need the words of verse two of Lyte’s great hymn-a verse so moving and important. “Swift to its close,” the hymn writer writes, “ebbs out life’s little day. Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away. Change and decay in all around I see. O Thou, Who Changest Not, abide with me.”
O Lord, we pray, live in the hearts and minds of all listening to Your living Word today. Assure troubled hearts that even if the majority believes everything changes and nothing is absolute, even in these difficult days, followers of Your Son can rest their life on Jesus-the same yesterday, today, and forever. Focus our eyes, O Lord, on blessed Jesus who has saved us from sin through His bloody death, and who has given us, through His resurrection, a life eternal. This Jesus, O Lord, is our rock and our solid hope; now, and for eternity. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 28, 2001
ANNOUNCER: Dr. Schulz, in your message you explained there is a very strong movement toward what is called “post modernism.” This is an attitude which says there are no standards, no absolutes, really nothing we can know for sure. Dr. Schulz, where has this attitude come from?
SCHULZ: Mark, I’m absolutely convinced this confusion is caused by the devil himself. You see, there is no better way for the devil to discourage people than to get them to feel uncertain or unsure, not only about day to day living, but about spiritual matters, including heaven and hell and what happens when this life is finished. In fact, in his letter to the Christians in Corinth, St. Paul speaks about this very thing when he says, “The God of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the Gospel or the glory of Christ.” Of course, there are many places in the Bible which describe the devil as a deceiver and author of confusion. For example, in the New Testament book of Acts, we read where the Apostle Paul is speaking to a magician who is demonically possessed. The apostle says, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. You will never stop perverting the ways of the Lord” (Acts 13:10).
ANNOUNCER: So, Dr. Schulz, when somebody says there are no absolute standards of right and wrong and there’s really nothing we can be sure of, ultimately, this is the devil at work.
SCHULZ: Absolutely! From the beginning of time, God has spoken clearly in His Ten Commandments. The Commandments of God are His clear will, and never change. As a result, you and I can see how far short we have fallen from what our Lord desires of us in life.
ANNOUNCER: Well, that’s not a very encouraging thing to know.
SCHULZ: It isn’t! But, you know, the good news is that our heavenly Father is just as clear. That’s right. He’s just as clear and definite and unchanging regarding His Gospel message of forgiveness and hope. This is what I stressed clearly in my message today, and what I want to repeat now. For all listening who have been tempted by the devil to believe you cannot be sure of God’s love or Christ’s perfect forgiveness or the hope of heaven, I would simply urge you to reject totally these doubts of the devil. Instead, cling to the promises God gives you in Jesus Christ, assuring in the blessed Savior Jesus, your sins are totally forgiven. This is not a message that changes day by day or hour by hour. This is a message that is as solid as a rock. This Gospel for you continues from now on into eternity — forever.
ANNOUNCER: Even though we may not think of this Bible doctrine as important, or think of it very often, the changelessness of God is especially important today.
SCHULZ: Yes. God’s changelessness is at the very heart of who God is. God’s unchanging Word is at the foundation of His love and grace. God’s changelessness is the true foundation upon which His promises are built. Through His Word and Spirit, God gives us the gift of faith, and then builds this same faith upon a solid foundation of His unchanging Word. Consequently, there is no reason for anybody to despair. God is unchanging. His Word is unchanging. And, His promises of forgiveness and eternal hope in Jesus Christ never ever change.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Dr. Schulz. This brings us to the close of our program for another week.