in the book of Malachi chapter
3. Tonight we'd like to say a few
words about verse 6 of chapter 3 and it is just a delight to
rely upon an unchanging God He changes not I am the Lord I change
not Now that would be good if that's
all we had. But the rest of that verse is
much a message to us. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Not destroyed, not put away.
So for I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed. Changeableness is the mark of
all things earthly. Isaac Watts summed it up in that
song we just sang. The scriptures share many times
that we're like the grass. I love seeing the grass come
out here in the Dalles on the Klickitat Mountains. And yet,
it's almost too short a time. And then it will be a burn up.
When you have about an inch of topsoil, it doesn't take long
for all the moisture to dissipate, and those green leaves shrivel
up to nothing. So I change on, the scriptures
talk about that, about humanity. As long as we may live, it's
still just a breath, just a mist, a shadow. And so we are delighted
to find out that the scriptures teach about the God who is unchangeable,
eternal, everlasting, and changes not ever. He's not changed since
the beginning. He will not ever change. He has
given his decree all at one time in the beginning, and we can't
go back that far. We use a term about God in the
beginning, but with God there is no beginning. There's just,
we can't get back that far. Changeableness is what we deal
with all the time. We deal with changeableness with
our life. We are ever changing. We're all,
from the very beginning of our birth, we're changing. The mountains
change every time there's a rainstorm and some dirt falls down in the
Columbia River and carried out to the delta. This world is always
changing and yet we find with God I change not Underline it
put it in great big type. I Change not God is void of all
variableness There is no shadow of turning with God He is we
use another term immutable The immutability of God is a great
study and yet it is the great rock that the church is fastened
to is his immutability. We depend on it every day for
our eternal life. It is not based upon us and our
faith, it's based upon God and his word that I change not. That
is what we're dependent upon. It isn't how good we're doing,
how well we're doing, it's upon God that changes not. James chapter 1 verse 17, we
alluded to that, but would you turn over there with me to the
book of James chapter 1 verse 17. We find here this wonderful
passage of scripture with regard to the Lord, with regard to God,
and this is shared that there's a statement made here many pages
from the book of Malachi many years after Malachi wrote we
have the Apostle James is commissioned by the Holy Spirit and the Holy
Spirit changes not God the Father changes not the
Lord Jesus and his purpose of grace changed not even though
he gave up the glory that he had with the father and came
down and spent that 33 and a half years in humanity His purpose
of grace did not change. His purpose of what he was intending
to do did not change. So here we find in the book of
James, there in James chapter one and verse 17, it says, every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Now that's not
what we get for Christmas. That's the spiritual blessings.
That's the new birth. Nothing is produced on our end. It's all is produced or brought
down from God. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights
with whom is no variableness. There's not even the minuscule
thought of a change. There's no variableness, neither
shadow of turning. When James wrote that by inspiration,
you know what he did? He fell down and thanked God.
Because he's just human like you and I are, and if it was
dependent upon us, we would not have anything. But it's dependent
upon God, so we have everything in Christ Jesus. There's no variable
in us, neither shadow of turning. In Numbers, would you go back
to the Old Testament with me again, to the book of Numbers.
Numbers chapter 23. This principle that is laid down
for the benefit and the comfort of all believers. for the church
from the very beginning. I'm convinced that even our brother
Abel was blessed by the very thought that his God changed
not. To us it looks like there's all
kinds of changing going on, but with God there has been no changing
whatsoever. His mind was made up in eternity
and he is carrying it out to the very fullest. Nothing has
moved him from the right hand or to the left hand. No prayer,
no problem, no minister, no devil, nothing has changed him from
one iota. He has always had a direct line
of history, and that's going straight forward, and that's
exactly what He continues to do in our day and time, that
He is a God that changes not. The world is changing every day. New diseases, my goodness, what
we hear today. It's amazing that 10,000 people
die from flu in the United States, and nobody says a word, and one
person dies of coronavirus, and it's somebody's fault. This God
changes not. And everything that falls out
is absolutely all-knowing to Him. In fact, He has purposed
it for His glory, for His honor, and for the salvation of the
elect. Nothing happens that doesn't happen for the furtherance of
the gospel. That's God's everlasting direction
towards eternity. Here in the book of Deuteronomy,
excuse me, Numbers. In the book of Numbers chapter
23. Numbers chapter 23 and verse nine, God is not a man that he
should lie. Neither the son of man that he
should repent or change his mind. How many times did we change
our mind today? Sometimes on purpose, and sometimes
we were forced to. We just don't have a direct line.
We're moved at the purpose and dispensation of Almighty God,
and He will move our mind to do according to His eternal purpose.
But we have had to change today, several times, no doubt. And
yet, God is not like a man that has to change. Goes on to say,
should repent. He hath said, and shall he not
do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall
he not make it good? We just stand in awe at this
one who is able to say that and do it. What supreme almighty
power has he exercised in the very fact that he changes not
and he lets us know that. That there is no variableness
nor shadow of turning with him. Never has been, never will be. He is not influenced by man,
weather, disease, or any being. He has all things, does all things
after the counsel of his own will and there's nothing that
influences him. to move him, change him, alter
him. And the church has ever been
thankful as we reside upon the rock of his unchangeability.
We are thankful that he does not change because he goes on
to share with us there in the book of Malachi, therefore ye
sons of Jacob are not consumed. I will not change my mind about
you. My covenant is eternal. It will always be on the behalf
of my children. It will always be. And those
that the Father hath given me, I have lost none of them. We find the Lord Jesus saying
in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 12, but thou art the same and thy
years shall not fail. We just are not accustomed to
being around anybody like that. I remember coming home from Texas
and we went down in January of 1971. We came back in the late
spring or summer of 1971. The first thing I noticed about
my mother, she turned gray. I went in the bedroom with Nancy
and wept. She had changed in less than
six months. Our children, first thing I noticed
about our grandchildren, they've changed. They're growing. They're talking, they're walking,
they do all kinds of things. They change before our eyes,
but it's really apparent when we don't see them for a short
time or for a long time. Yet with God from a thousand
years, he is unchangeable. His ways do not change, his word
does not change, his purpose does not change. He is everlasting,
the everlasting. I am that I am. This is the God
of the church. This is the God of salvation.
This is the God of the blood of Christ. This is the God of
eternity. This is the God that He has declared. It's interesting to read some
commentaries because there's a lot of folks that just cannot
stand to have a God that does not change. They think by some
impression that men have that he will change in their direction
never has happened and never will God may give that impression
once a while in the scriptures And that is only to the folly
of men if they can't take the word of God Plainly saying I
change not and apply it to all the verses in the scriptures,
then it's just to their folly Why would you have a God that
can change? I? It is so ungodly. It is unholy to think that God
would change when he has said time and time again, I'm not
like a man. I don't need to lie. That verse really strikes you. I'm not like a man. I don't have
to lie about it. So I am God, there is no one
else, and I change not, and therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.
It says about Jesus Christ in the New Testament, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. I've had people say, well, all
those gifts that God had in the New Testament era, they're still
continuing. That's not what it says. Jesus Christ, the same
yesterday, today, and forever. It's Him that changes not. If
He purposed that in time there would be no longer any need for
healing, that's what He did, and that's what happened. There
would be no longer any need for those miracles to take place,
and that's what happened. Now, it's not to say that God
does not perform miracles on you and I or someone else when
it comes to health or those issues Doctors have been able to describe
what has taken place. That's the purpose of God, but
he doesn't need Speaking in tongues. He doesn't need raising the sick
He doesn't need all of these extra things that he used in
New Testament times to declare him as God that changes not today
and if people are depending upon those to I've had people say,
if you don't speak in tongues, you're not saved. Well, that's
not what the Bible says. The Bible says, if you don't
have the blood of Christ, if you haven't trusted Him, if He's
not your Savior, you're not saved. So, that's the criteria. With
God, there is no possibility of failure. No possibility of failure. Noah failed. Abraham failed. Jacob failed. Isaac failed. David failed. Solomon failed. Paul failed. Peter failed. God fails not. He's the only underpinning that
the church has. He is the only security that
the church has. He is the only hope the church
has. It is the only way we have eternal
life is in Christ Jesus the Lord and not in ourselves. He changes
not. I will not remove my covenant
from my people. I will not take it away. As bad
as David was, God said to him, and David repeated it, He hath
made with me an everlasting covenant. And you know, to a lot of people,
David was a scoundrel. To God, he was my son. And to the rest of us, that's
the only thing he can say to us. They're rascals, but they're
my rascals. They're rascals, but they're
my saved rascals. I have given my son's blood on
their behalf. I change not. That was the eternal
purpose. There was a lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, carried down through all the Old Testament,
30 years after the birth of the Lord Jesus, 33 years after the
birth of the Lord Jesus, He fulfilled all covenant promises in submitting
himself to that task that was poured out on him when he cried,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And the church says,
he changes not. He's done that. He's performed
that. He's done that. And so there
will be no double jeopardy. My children are secure, therefore
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. I change not. There's no possibility
of failure. He's infinite and wisdom has
provided for every emergency His infinite foreknowledge foresees
all obstacles that ever did ever Arise and will arise for the
church and has put them aside because he changes not There's
not an obstacle that arises in our life. He has not known and
he changes not the The person to whom the unchangeable God
is a benefit is the children of God's election You know His
wrath is unchangeable, too Eternal wrath is unchangeable
it will not Stop in time it is unchangeable That's God. I've purposed it. I will carry
it out. It will be unchangeable. But
all my elect will be found and they will be given grace to have
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because it is called the faith
of God's elect. And I changed not. When I exercise
that in them, and they have the faith of Jesus Christ given to
them, I will never renounce it. I will never give up on them. They are mine, signed, sealed,
and as we read in the book of Romans chapter eight, just as
good as delivered. Signed sealed and delivered it
tells us they're glorified I sometimes I have a little I Have a little trouble wrapping
my hands all around that because I know where I am and I know
what I am But his word said you're already signed. You're already
sealed and you're already glorified promise of it and I change not
I 1st Samuel chapter 15 would you
turn there with me? 1st Samuel chapter 15 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse 29
and also The strength of Israel. Did you notice those capital
letters? The strength that this is another name of God the strength
of Israel Will not lie nor repent or relent
or change his mind For he is not a man that he should
repent." Sometimes our only way out is to say, I'm sorry. And I appreciate being able to
say that from time to time, and I appreciate other people saying
that. But you know what? God has never had to say that.
God has never ever had to cross across His lips, using it metaphorically,
and saying, I'm sorry for what happened. Why? I change not. I don't have to. I am God and I change not. I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. And in the Psalms, would you
turn with me to the Psalms, Psalm 102. Psalm 102, verse 12. Psalm 102, verse 12. Thou O Lord shall endure forever
and thy remembrance unto all generations then would you drop
down with me to verse 25 of Old hassle laid the foundation of
the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands They shall
perish, but thou shalt endure yea, I 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 the
years shall have no end. The children of thy servants
shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee."
What a promise God has given to the Church. your children
will never pass away. They will never, ever lose, be
lost to you. And the reason, they shall perish,
but thou shalt endure. We're gonna pass through the
valley of the shadow of death. That's just the way it is. All
that have sinned shall die. But that second death that has
concerned many folks That second death, even though people say
they don't believe in hell, they get down to it, that second death,
now that's the problem. That second death will never
be an issue to the church. That second death was taken care
of on the cross. Jesus Christ was able in the
time there, able to take care of eternal second death for all
his children. And he said, I'll change not.
I will not go back on this. This will be the purpose of God,
to deliver all his children whole. He is unchangeable in all things. He's unchangeable in his purposes. He's unchangeable in his being. He just changes not. There is no variableness, neither
shadow of turning. You can't even look out on the
ground and see a leaf moving with regard to the God of heaven. He changes not. There's no movement. You know, some people say they
had to put a stake down to see if this person was actually moving.
The shadow. Well, God doesn't move. Shadow's
never different, always the same. And the second part of that verse
is where we benefit. It's wonderful to read about
God that changes not. It's wonderful to read about
God that is not like men, that changes not, that endures. A thousand years is as a day,
and a day is a thousand years. There's just no way of measuring
God in that sense, in the sense of time. He's forever been, always
has been as He is. He has always had decrees. He's
always had purpose. He's always had a covenant of
grace. We try to use terms that back it up as far as we can,
and yet there's eternity behind it. There is no shadow of turning
with him. He changes not. And then we get
to the part that we can just sing hallelujah about. Therefore,
ye sons of Jacob. Now that's the church. Now there
was a part that that applied to Jacob himself and to his children. There was something that had
to take place through this family. God had promised it, God had
purposed it, and he would carry it out. The Messiah was coming
through Jacob. You know, we find that the disciples
from time to time, one of them is my favorite, says, would you
like us just to call lightning down from heaven? Now, we don't
have that ability, but I'm sure that there have been times that
we've just about thought it. I'd just like to take care of
this. And yet, we don't find that happening. Now, the sons of Jacob, some
of them were scoundrels. Judah was a scoundrel. Those
folks were just natural men. I can say it again. The heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can
know it? Every one of those guys that we read in the line of the
Lord Jesus Christ was just like Adam in the fall. They had the
same scabs all over them, same diseases all over them. And when
we were going through the book of Leviticus, there are times
when we think, well, I don't have a problem, and then we got
a pimple. Our skin, our body tells us that there was a fall,
and we're part of it. And we follow that down through
time, and yet we find that God, in His purpose, used that line
to bring in the Savior of His folks, the Savior of the church,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He just did that. And so, He
watched over that line. But when we get to talking about
the spiritual children of Jacob, we're talking about the church.
And he is saying, the church will not be destroyed, upheavaled,
or anything. I will protect every one of my
children. Well, some of them went to the
cross. Where do they go next? Some of them were executed. Where
do they go next? We're going to find out that
this is everlasting life that he gives to his folks. They passed
through the valley of the shadow of death, and they went through
it in an inglorious manner. But, the next step was eternal
life. Abel was beaten to death by his
very own brother, and yet the next step is in the presence
of God Almighty. I change not, therefore you sons
of Jacob are not consumed. I'll present you spotless. That's
the promise of this everlasting, eternal, unchanging God, is that
we will have eternal life, and no man can take it away. God's
not going to renege on it. Man can't destroy it. And I've
had people say, well, we can wish ourselves out of it. No,
we can't. Once the deal is done and by
God's grace, there's no. And God's people are never going
to say that about that. is I'm thankful I am what I am
by the grace of God. Now, we find out that the church
itself, as God has spoken, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.
We have nothing in ourselves. The church, the existence of
the church does not arise from our faithfulness. The eternality
of the church does not reside in our faithfulness. If it did,
we're all in trouble. Because it's going to have to
be 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven in, seven, seven, every day,
if that's the requirement. And we don't have it in us. but he has it in his hands to
provide all that. It is the faith of God's elect,
and there are a number of places that we read that it's the faith
of Jesus Christ. He's the one that gives us that
faith, and therefore, we have nothing in ourselves. The church
does not arise from its faithfulness, but from God's unchanging mercy
and purpose. That's our only security, is
someone else. Child security in one of our
parking lots is not theirs It's ours to take care of it. And
so it is with God. It's not ours, but it's his that
he takes care of us It's God's faithfulness to us now the I Had something here God certainly does not change. We find that repeated time and
time again. Arthur W. Pink said, he cannot
change for the better, for he's already perfect. And being perfect,
he cannot change for the worse. He's perfect. He cannot rot. You know, if he has to change,
it's either for the better or for the worse. When we change,
it's either the better or for the worse. And usually, God does not change. He doesn't
get better. He doesn't get worse. He's perfect
in all his attributes. I change not, or I am not changed,
is what we find there. Man would often have become weary
of men's wickedness. Oh, boy, it doesn't take us long
to read through the scriptures and say, man, I'm tired of that
already. I'm sure that there were people that were tired of
that. But we're thankful that God endured all the way and let
you and I be born. There were times, Sodom and Gomorrah,
he destroyed it, but guess what? He took his one out. Lot, justified Lot, was taken
out before that could happen. The covenant people, the sons
of Jacob, it's the sons of God, the object of his everlasting
covenant that God has purpose to give eternal life to. and
that he changes not. You know, turn with me to the
book of John. We got a couple readings in the
book of John I'd like to read here as we think about God's
unchangeability and Jesus Christ shares a whole lot about that
in his words here in the book of John chapter 10. John chapter
10. It's not our faithfulness. Now
that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be faithful. But nobody's going
to be dependent upon their faithfulness. We want to serve God. We want
to love God. We want to do what's right. We
should wake up every morning and say, God help me from sinning.
But it is not that that is our security. Because we're failures. It's not our security to have
faithfulness, it's our security to have Him who is faithful. And here in the book of John,
and in chapter 10, verse 27. John chapter 10, verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. And I know them. And they follow
me. And I give unto them eternal
life. I change not. Therefore you sons
of Jacob are not consumed. The church is not consumed the
moment we have a bad thought about God or a bad thought about
God's providence or a bad thought about someone else or a bad thought
about ourselves. I give unto them eternal life.
And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. I and Father are one. I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore
ye sons of Jacob will be presented spotless. I am the Lord, I change
not. I give unto them eternal life
and they shall never perish. Now we don't have a grasp of
that yet, do we? We appreciate it. We enjoy it. We sing about it. We delight
in it. We read scripture about it. But eternal life is that
which we will recognize the moment we pass through the valley of
the shadow of death. We say, I have eternal life.
How do you know that? Because that's what the book
says. Turn with me, if you would, to
the book of John chapter 17. John chapter 17. Verse 1, 2,
and 3. John chapter 17. These words
spake Jesus. These words spake Jesus. and lifted up his eyes to heaven
and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy son, that thy
son also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. There in verse two it says, as
thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give
eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. I am the Lord,
I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
always kept perfect in my power and will reside with me all through your life and through
eternity. I like it when the Lord said
that he walks beside his church, he walks with us. We're not left
here defenseless. He is our guard and guide. He is the one that overshadows
us. And then it tells us in the book of Romans, but the gift
of God is eternal life. That's what he means when he
says, ye sons of Jacob shall not be consumed. I'll not change
my mind about you. I'll not change my mind about
you ever. I'll never change my mind about
you." And we say, I love that thought. Never have God, ever. He lets us know that His decree
has purposed eternal life for all that the Father gave to the
Son. and all that the Son went to the cross to die for, and
all the Holy Spirit has ever went out and sought and found
and brought in and gave the new birth to. I change not. You are my family. You are my
children. You are the sheep of my pasture.
I will defend you. I have defended you. I will defend
you to the end. You will be in my presence for
eternity. And I'll be able to say to all
of you, welcome my good and faithful servants. And we, I don't know
if we'll even think about it then, but we think now, how can
he say that about us? Because he changes not. Therefore
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. One other verse I'd like to read
and that's found over in the book of Titus, Titus. Titus chapter 1. I'm sorry, there are two verses
I want to read. Titus chapter 1. Verse 2. In hope of eternal life,
which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. I am
the Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob shall
have eternal life. And then finally, if you turn
with me to the book of Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. His unchangeableness is evident
in this passage of scripture also. Matthew chapter 25. The controlling that people say
they're going to have before God All please look at my works
Please examine them Have we not? Have we not done many mighty
works in thy name have we not even cast out demons Have we
even raised the dead I? We've done all sorts of things
for you, Jesus. Now, let's control. Let's bargain. You know, God is not a bargainer.
Never has been, never will be. God changes not. His mind is
made up in eternity. And here in the book of Matthew
25, and verse 46, and these shall go away into everlasting punishment. but the righteous into life eternal. Thee shall go all the bargainers,
all those without Christ. shall go into everlasting punishment,
but the righteous into life eternal. And so in the very next verse,
we'll get to next week. The Lord brings us out over there
in the book of Malachi, but we go back to verse six. He says,
I am the Lord. I am Jehovah. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Therefore ye sons of Jacob have
eternal life. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
my children, marked out, marked by the Spirit, branded if you
please, and I will guide you to eternity.