Hey! Hey! so so I want to read two verses of
scripture. The first is found in the book
of Malachi. Book of Malachi. Chapter 3. And the second is found in the book
of Hebrews. Chapter 13 The Lord using the prophet Malachi Here in Malachi 3 and verse 6
makes a plain statement. For I am the LORD, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob, are
not consumed. Then if you'll turn over with
me to the book of Hebrews, hold your place there and turn to
the book of Hebrews, where the apostle, most likely
the apostle Paul, Says in chapter 13 and verse
8, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday
and today and forever. I notice in this particular and very political hour, there are so many cries for change. We need change. And this is a confession that
things are not as they should be or maybe even as we want them
to be. But the Word of God tells us,
and we know if we're honest by our own experience, there's only
one change that man can bring. And Paul describes it when he
says, but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving
and being deceived. That's the kind of change you
get with man. And this is true in the political
world. It's true in the business world.
And it's especially true in the religious world. The religious
world is always offering a change. But it's always from salvation
by one kind of works to salvation by another kind of works. That's
why we have all these denominations. They're all the same. They're
all salvation by don't do this or by don't do that. Deceiving
and being deceived. But in the book of Proverbs we
are admonished by the writer who says, My son, fear thou the Lord, reverence the Lord, and
meddle not with them that are given to change. For their calamity shall rise
suddenly And who knew it, the ruin of them both. And there are many changes taking
place, but they're not necessarily the changes we like. This world is a changing place,
changes in its morals, in its politics, in its economics, and we're characterized by these
changes that come to us and that come with us and that come in
us, in our bodies. Boy, have I found that out. Ever-changing. In our situation, in our relationships,
in our surroundings, in our circumstances. So real hope and real consolation
are not to be found in looking to man for change, but for who
you want, and what you want but there is no real hope to
be found in looking to man for a change or even seeking to change
ourselves. His foundation is in looking to God as he is
in Christ who does not change. That's what these words tell
us. And man vainly imagines that
he can bring about a change in this world for the better, but the reason he can't and the
reason he hasn't is because we cannot change the
root problem. Because it's us. We can't change us. And God has already told us this
very descriptively. He said, can the Ethiopian change
his skin? Or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that
are accustomed to do evil. Be easier for the egyptian to
change his skin, or the leper to change his spots, than for
you of whom there is none good to do good. So when we read these verses,
and especially this 8th verse of chapter 13 in Hebrews, we
find out definitely that Christ is God. Because unchangeableness applies
only to God. God never changes. It's amazing that the one thing
that ought to comfort us most is this one glorious attribute
of God. He changes not. I am the Lord
who changes not. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. There's no volatility. There's no unpredictability. There's no excitability. There's no fickleness with God. The psalmist said, Of old hast
thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the
work of thy hands, They shall perish, but thou shalt endure. Yea, all of them shall wax old
like a garment. As a vesture shalt thou change
them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy
years shall have no end. attributes by His Spirit this
attribute to His Son, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and
forever. In other words, He was before
all times, as the Scriptures say, and He continues in all
ages and will beyond all time so continue the same. He will
not change. He cannot change. John received the revelation
of Him. John to the seven churches which
are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace from Him, which is,
which was, and which is to come. In other words, he does not change
in his essence. He exists in an eternal constancy. And this is a constancy of perfection
which does not alter. His worth and his person and
his promises do not change in value. Your stocks may. They probably will. Your money,
your retirement, all these things. And this is why it proves so
foolish to have confidence in these things. Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon the earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves
break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal. I saw an article about a man
and his wife, they're both movie stars, they're both wealthy. And they had a great future,
they had lots of money, millions, that they had invested with Bernie
Madoff to make more millions. And then they wake up and find
out on the news that all that they had was gone. Things changed
for them in that day. But the Bible tells us that in
Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All the riches of God's grace. All the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. All the promises of God which
are yes and amen in him. All God's salvation. All of the internal inheritance. All the mercy of God. All the grace of God. All the everlasting love of God. and they have always been in
Christ, and they'll always be in Christ. Everything of value,
everything eternal, every true gift of God, every bit of salvation
is in the unchanging Christ. He is the same. He changes not. He is the rock. He is the sure
foundation. He is the light, the life, and
the truth. He is the I AM. When some men started talking
about a translation of Christ being made sin, and they spoke
about a change in Him, an imparting of sin to him, an infusion of
sin in him, I had to say no. Because in order for that to
happen, he would have to change and that would be to deny his
immutability. He's the same yesterday and forever. Sin is imputed to him or reckoned
to him or charged to his account, but he's not changed. He's the
glorious, perfect, and unchanging One. He doesn't change in His
essence. And also He does not change in
His will and purpose. All of religion about us speaks
of God changing, or you allowing God to do something. Well, in
order for that to happen, He'd have to change. And the scriptures say he's infinite
in his knowledge. He cannot be taught anything. You cannot give him information
that he does not know. Nothing can take him by surprise. And all his desires They say
God wants to, but you won't let Him. All His desires and all
His designs and all His decisions are all perfect and they are
the same as they've always been. With salvation, God surprises
His elect with salvation, but He's not surprised in their saving. He purposed to go to do it. All his glory depends on, all
his desires and his designs are all perfect and they cannot be
thwarted and they cannot be improved upon. The wise Solomon wrote, I know
that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever, nothing can
be put to it, nor anything taken from it, and God doeth it, that
men should fear before him." You can't add to it, improve
it, change it, alter it. He's the Lord. He changes not. And then in Isaiah, by Isaiah
the prophet, he says this, Remember the former things of old, for
I am God, and there is none else, I am God, and there is none like
me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure, calling a ravenous bird from
the east, and the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass, I have purposed
it, I'll also do it. He doesn't change. He desired to glorify himself
in the salvation of a people which he loved with an everlasting
love in which he chose in divine election in Christ before the
world began. He did not change that. And he predestined or he predetermined
all things in heaven and earth around this fact and sent Christ
into this world to accomplish all things necessary to justly
do it. Justly do it. And Christ was, and He is, and
He always will be their justification, their redemption, their righteousness,
their wisdom, their sacrifice, their surety, their substitute,
their savior, and he'll always be the same yesterday. The scriptures say he was the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And he was the Lamb, John said,
when he looked up from the place of baptism, to behold who takes
away sin. And he is the Lamb slain by wicked
hands according to the determinate counsel and for knowledge of
God. And he is the Lamb, John saw,
enthroned in heaven as newly saint. Always the Lamb. Always spoken
of in His sacrificial character. Always spoken of in His redemptive
glory. Always the Lamb slain before
the foundations of the world. The Lamb John saw. The Lamb crucified. And the Lamb glorified in heaven. John says this, or Christ says
this in the Gospel of John, and this is the Father's will. There's no contingency plans
with God. There's no since man rejected
Christ and crucified Him, there's a new plan. There's not one plan
in the Old Testament and one plan in the New Testament. And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up
at the last day. That is, that was, that always
will be the will of the unchanging God. Not only that, but He does not
change in His free and sovereign grace to His elect. James says it like this, every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down
from the Father of lights. Now listen to this description.
With whom is no variables, no change, no altering, no getting
better, certainly no getting worse, no changing his purpose
He has infinite knowledge of all things. And he has infinite
knowledge of all things before they happen because he knows
that he's the one that makes them happen. He doesn't change. In whom there is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning. And in this respect it's said
that his compassions His mercy endureth forever. His love is everlasting. His righteousness endureth forever. His truth is eternal. His word endures forever. This is manifested in that not
one tittle shall fail. And especially this, His gospel
is the everlasting gospel. There was not a gospel for Moses,
and a different gospel for Paul. All pointed to Christ. And not only that, but He does
not change in the efficacy and application of this Word. Because Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever in all His offices. What are His offices? Well, he
pictured them all in the Old Testament. There were three offices of which
were anointed. The men were anointed. And anointed
is the root word and meaning of Christ. He is God's anointed
one, the truly anointed one. And one was the office of the
prophet, to reveal God, and the other is the office of the priest
that was to represent men before God, and the other is the king. And so the only one to reveal God
to us, and the only one who has always represented us before
God as His people, and the only one to ever rule over us is Christ
who is the same yesterday and today and forever. He's the same as the one mediator
between God and man. He's the same and God will not
accept anyone but His Son and those in Him. Those saved by Christ. Those
washed in Christ's blood. Those made righteous by God in
grace imputing His righteousness to them. It is Christ who paid
the debt. It is Christ who delivered the
ransom. in himself. It is Christ who
is the surety satisfying the justice of God. It's grounded
in justice. It's grounded in truth. It's
based upon divine faithfulness and unchangeable. God's not going to look at his
people one day and say, well, I've changed my mind. And neither is he going to look
upon them in any hour of their days on the earth by virtue of
what they do and don't do and say, oops, I've changed my mind. Why? Because he's always looked
to the one who represents them, the one who came to save them,
the one that he's put in union with them, that's Christ. And
He never changes. He is the Rock. His work is perfect. For all His ways are judgment. A God of truth and without iniquity,
just and right is He. Look over at Hebrews chapter
6. Hebrews chapter 6. Verse 13 says, For when God made
promise to Abraham, And this goes for every promise
he's made. Because he could swear by no
greater, he swore by himself. Saying, surely blessing I will
bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so after he
had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. for men barely swear by the greater,
and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherefore God, willing more abundantly
to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, God showing the unchangeableness
of his counsel. his will, his promises. Confirmed it by an oath that
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope set before us, which hope we have as an
anchor because of his immutability. Most sure and steadfast, and
which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus made in high praise forever after
the order of Melchizedek. God didn't base this promise
on your faithfulness and certainly not on your unchangeableness. He based his promises to us on
his own faithfulness and his own unchangeableness and he made
them therefore all yes and amen in Jesus Christ who is the same
yesterday and today and forever. God's purpose, God's promise,
God's counsel and oath will never change or alter and from which
He never varies. This is what assures the full
salvation of all in Christ. They're saved. the work that he engaged in, which he engaged in on behalf
of the people God gave him, he declared finished. The death that he died in our
place for our sins, he died once. The sacrifice he offered to God
for our sins was one sacrifice for sins forever. The sufferings
he endured in the behalf of those who trust him brought them to
God. His work for us never changes. and he never changes, and his
work that brought his people to Christ, that brought his people
to God. That state of justifying, having
justified us, having declared us righteous, is an unchangeable state of justification. And we ought to go out daily with this on our minds. It's not me giving you some kind
of pep talk, inspirational encouragement. It's me telling you what God
says. Reminding you of this. I am the Lord. I change not. That would be true. It is true. But for such as we are, the glorious
thing is this. I am the Lord. I change not. This is the reason. This is the
only reason. You sons of Jacob, that's a name
given to his elect. Because of what they are by nature. Because of what he does for them
by grace. If you were looking for a political
candidate to run, you wouldn't pick Jacob because he has a closet
full of skeletons. That's what he calls us, connivers,
supplanters, ye sons of Jacob. Therefore, you're always changing. One thing that characterizes
man is change. You're always changing. But I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. You won't be consumed by your
sins. You won't be consumed by the
devil. You won't be consumed by your
own flesh. You're not consumed. You will not be consumed. You may prove yourself to be
on many occasions like Jacob, but you're not consumed. You're
not consumed. So when he writes to us concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday and today
and forever, He writes it in this context. He says, let brotherly
love continue, and be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby
some have entertained angels unaware. Remember them that are
in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity
as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in
all, and the bed undefiled, But whoremongers and adulterers God
will judge. Let your conversation be without
covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have.
For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the
Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto
me. Remember them which have the
rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose
faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." Jesus Christ. The same. Yesterday, and today,
and forever. And be not carried about with
diverse and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the
heart be established with grace, not with means which have not
profited them which have been occupied therein. And the Lord is Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday and forever. There's an old hymn. Swift to its flow, our lives,
it's our life's little day. Earth joys grow dim, its glories
pass away. Change and decay in all around,
I see. O thou who changest not, abide
with me. The only stable thing Our Father, we thank You this
morning for Your grace, and Your mercy, and all the things that
You've promised Your people, and all the works You've done
for Your people, and all the things that You've given us in
the Lord Jesus Christ. And we thank You that in all
these things, You've changed not. We pray in Christ, who is the
same yesterday and today and forever. We pray in his name. Amen.