I Am The Lord I Change Not

Q: What does the Bible say about God's unchanging nature?

The Bible affirms God's unchanging nature in Malachi 3:6, stating, 'For I am the Lord, I change not.' In Malachi 3:6, God clearly states, 'For I am the Lord, I change not.' This verse emphasizes God's unchanging character and serves as a foundation for the assurance of His promises and covenants. His nature is consistent and eternal, providing stability and comfort to His people. The author highlights that God's perfection remains unchanged; He does not improve or deteriorate. This is of immense importance, as it reassures believers that their salvation and God’s justice remain steadfast through all circumstances.

Q: How do we know God's salvation is eternal?

We know God's salvation is eternal because it is rooted in His eternal nature and purpose, as explained in Hebrews 9. The concept of eternal salvation is affirmed throughout Scripture, particularly in Hebrews 9, which describes Christ's work as providing 'eternal redemption.' Because God is eternal and unchanging, His plan of salvation cannot falter. The permanence of salvation is rooted in God's covenant with His elect, where judgment has already taken place on the cross of Calvary. This means that once God's people are redeemed through Christ, their salvation remains secure forever, reinforcing that their relationship with God is based on His eternal promises rather than their fluctuating state.

Q: Why is it important that God does not change?

God's unchanging nature is crucial for the assurance of believers' salvation and the reliability of His promises. The importance of God's unchanging nature cannot be overstated in a world of constant change. It provides believers with immense comfort and stability, reinforcing that God's promises are sure and reliable. As stated in Isaiah 54:10, 'the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee.' This steadfastness means that God's purposes towards His people are fixed and unalterable. Thus, believers can approach Him with confidence, knowing that His love, mercy, and salvation will never change, reflecting His eternal character.

Q: How does God's unchanging nature relate to His promises?

God's unchanging nature guarantees that His promises are eternal and unwavering. God's unchanging nature is directly linked to the assurance of His promises. Because He is immutable, any promise He makes is guaranteed to be upheld indefinitely. In Hebrews 6:17, God swore by Himself to ensure the certainty of His promises to His people. This means that the covenant of His mercy and grace remains steadfast throughout time, regardless of human circumstances. For believers, this provides a secure foundation for faith, knowing that God’s commitments cannot be altered or revoked, offering profound peace and hope.

Q: What is the significance of Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Christ's eternal constancy assures believers that their salvation remains secure through all time. The significance of Christ being the same 'yesterday, today, and forever' is encapsulated in the assurance of salvation and the reliability of His character. This declaration, found in Hebrews 13:8, emphasizes that the work Christ accomplished on the cross and His love for His people does not change. This constancy means that believers can trust fully in His redemptive work and the ongoing relationship they have with Him, which assures them that they are safe and secure in His grace, regardless of circumstances.

Tony Moody there in Kingsport his. I've been there almost 14 years and his mother has been saying to me for 14 years. One of these days when you grow up, you're going to make a good preacher. And I keep telling her I can't wait and I can't wait. I'm very thankful to Brother John for inviting me. Very glad to be here. He just said that he was comfortable here. And so am I. I'm so comfortable with the Lord's people. It is truly so good to be with you. I cannot express to you how much I love each one of you. It's it's family and every time I get to see you, some of you travel to different conferences and It's just such a blessing. I just pray that the Lord will let us honor him and worship him and glorify him together.

Turn with me, if you would, to Malachi chapter three. Malachi 3, we're going to look at a verse that we know well and love very much. Last book in the Old Testament. Malachi 3, verse 6 says, For I am the Lord. And this is our Lord Jesus Christ speaking. The Lord, our God. And he said, for I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not concerned. I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not concerned. That's why you're not concerned.

Now listen to this little poem. I don't know who wrote this, Based on the honesty of it, it sounds like this person knew something of the truth of his or her condition before God. The poem says, If ever it should come to pass, that sheep of Christ might fall away. Alas, my fickle, feeble soul, would fall a thousand times a day. If ever it should come to pass that sheep of Christ might fall away, alas, my fickle, feeble soul would fall a thousand times a day. Aren't you so glad that's not a possibility? Aren't you so? Isn't that so true?

Thank God. He said, I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Thank God that is not a possibility. Thank God. This is a sure word of a sure promise, and it brings so much comfort to God's people. So much comfort. I want to just break down each line here. Consider it. Enjoy it. I hope be blessed by it. We'll begin right here.

Verse six says, I am the Lord. That is the authority of this verse. That right there is the authority of this verse. I am the Lord. When Moses said, Lord, who should I say sent me? He said, you tell him I am sent you. I don't believe he could have given a better answer. I know he could not have given a better answer. You tell him I am sent you.

I am that I am. What does that mean? What does that mean? That means I am God. That's what it means. I am God. The eternal God, the eternal authority. The eternal authority. I am the Lord. We could get lost in that one statement for eternity. I believe we will for eternity. I am the Lord. Our Lord is.

He said, I am. Because he is. He always is. It's not that he was or he will be that that's, you know, we see it like that sometimes, because that's the only way we can understand it. Long time ago, we talk about before the foundation of the world. OK, in the beginning, he is. And we're looking and hoping and waiting for one of these days, you know, in eternity to come. And in the last day, in the end, He is. He is. He is the beginning. He said, I am the beginning. I am the end. He is the eternal almighty God. He's the eternal almighty God.

Turn with me, if you would, to Deuteronomy 33. This is a good one. Deuteronomy 33. Look at verse 27. It says, THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS. AND HE SHALL THRUST OUT THE ENEMY FROM BEFORE THEE, AND SHALL SAY, DESTROY THEM. THE ETERNAL GOD. THE ETERNAL GOD IS YOUR REFUGE. And underneath are the everlasting arms. If his arms are underneath you, they are everlastingly underneath you.

Turn with me over to first Timothy chapter one. First Timothy one verse 17, it says. Now unto the king eternal. I love that. I truly am so thankful to know that there will be no votes in glory. He is the king eternal. No one else will ever. Doesn't that make you so happy? Nobody else will ever take over. Never be turned over to anybody.

Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. The king eternal. Everything about our God is eternal. This is the Lord eternal. The scripture says in Romans 1 verse 20, his power is eternal. His eternal power. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 17 says His glory is eternal. Ephesians 3 says His purpose is eternal. His eternal purpose. Hebrews 5 says His salvation is eternal.

People, have you ever had anybody ask you, do you believe in once saved, always saved? I've had, I used to hear preachers say, you know, that phrase, I've had people say that to me. You believe in once saved, always say if the eternal God saved us. Yes. Yes, absolutely. His salvation is eternal. Hebrews six says his judgment is eternal. Now think about this. Thank God his judgment is eternal.

He judged his elect people on the cross of Calvary. All of God's elect people were judged in Christ. We talk about the judgment judgments coming. You see people put signs, you know, on the interstate judgments coming, not for God's people. It's already passed. The judgment of God's elect people took place in the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, and not only is it over, it's eternal.

It is eternal. That judgment that He bore will last forever. That one is good forever. It's eternal. Hebrews 9 says His redemption is eternal. Eternal redemption. You know, everybody, we're such sinners. All we do is spend our time trying to redeem ourselves from something. And it's just a continual, we just can't, we can't redeem ourselves. He can. His redemption is eternal.

Hebrews 9 says His Spirit is eternal. Hebrews 9 says His inheritance is eternal. The inheritance that He has received, that He has freely given to His people. It'll never run out. The inheritance will never run out. Because He's eternal. He will never run out. 1 John 2 says His life is eternal. Everybody is trying to figure out how to live as long as they can. His life is eternal. The life He gives to His people. is eternal. It is eternal life for him to say, I am the Lord means this is the eternal God speaking. This is the eternal authority speaking.

This is how it is. That's how that's what Malachi three verse six starts out saying. This is how it is. Count on it. Bank on it, hang your soul on it. Turn with me back to Malachi 3. Verse 6, it says, I am the Lord. That's the first glorious statement here. And then he said, I change not. I do not change. Oh, how wonderful that is. How wonderful that is. That is comfort to God's people. That is stability. That's the stability of this verse. We, we looked at the authority of this verse. That's the stability of this verse.

Our Lord does not change. He does not change for the better. He does not change for the worse. He does not improve. He does not deteriorate. He is absolutely perfect, just as he is, and he will never change from his perfect condition. Never, he will never change from his perfect condition. What he is. He told Moses, I am that I am, I am what I am. What he is, that's what he will always be. What is he? What is he?

Well, turn over to Deuteronomy four, go back to Deuteronomy again, go to Deuteronomy chapter four. Deuteronomy 4 verse 23, it says, take heed unto yourself, unto yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord, your God, which he made with you and make you a graven image or the likeness of anything, which the Lord, thy God hath forbidden, forbidden thee for the Lord, thy God is a consuming fire. Even a jealous God. What is he? Well, he's a consuming fire. And again, that's what happened on the cross of Calvary. A consuming fire on the sin of God's people took place. A jealous God. He's a consuming fire. He's jealous for his holiness.

Turn with me over to Psalm 99. Psalm 99 verse 1 says, The Lord reigneth, He's sovereign. What is He? He's sovereign. The Lord reigneth. Let the people tremble. He sitteth between the cherubims. Let the earth be moved. Verse 5 says, Exalt ye the Lord our God and worship at His footstool, for He is holy. He's holy. Verse nine says it again, exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy hill for the Lord. Our God is holy. He's a consuming fire. He's a jealous God. He's sovereign. He's holy.

Look at Psalm 145. Verse eight says the Lord is gracious. Isn't that amazing that a consuming fire could be gracious? How? There's one answer, one word, Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse eight says the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. That's only in Christ. It's only in Christ.

Slow to anger. How? If He's a consuming fire and a jealous God. If He's holy. You know what holiness has to do? What's right. And if I'm nothing but wrong, how could He be slow to anger? Only in Christ. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy. How? Only in Christ.

Verse nine says the Lord is good to all. And His tender mercies are over all His works. Verse 17, it says the Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him. He's near every soul that calls upon Him. in the heart, in sincerity and in need, not in lip service, not in assumption or pride or. Verse 18, the Lord is not unto all them that call upon him to all that call upon him in truth. What is truth?

Well, that's Christ. To everyone who calls in Christ, God be merciful to me in Christ in the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah 45 says he is a just God. But it says he's also a savior. In the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, what I am, that's what I will always be in Christ. Christ is the gospel. That man is the gospel. God, man, he is the gospel. Holy, just, right. That's what he will always be.

And in the judgment of Christ for his people. His eternal holiness, His eternal justice, His eternal righteousness in that judgment of Christ for His people. His eternal holiness and righteousness demands graciousness, mercifulness. That judgment demands mercy, love, forgiveness. It demands it. That's what he is. That's what he will forever be because he is the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ.

He changes not. It burns me up. I've heard people say many times God changes all the time. You ever heard somebody say that God changes? No, he does not. Thank God he does not, or we would all be consumed. He is the Lord and he changes not. Okay, go with me back to Malachi three. Verse six. He said, for I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. You sinful sons of the center. You sinful offspring of the center.

Because he is the Lord, because Christ is the Lord. I love how in Revelation chapter one, when John saw the Lord, he hit the dust. He fell at his feet as a dead man and the Lord laid his right hand on him and said, fear not. I'm the first and the last. Because I am the gracious one, because I am the merciful one, because my judgment has already come on you in the person of myself. Fear not. It's me.

He is the Lord because Christ is the Lord and because he does not change, he doesn't change from his purpose. What was his purpose? To save his people. To redeem his people. to give an inheritance to His people. How do you know He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world?

Because He does not change from His work. Because He does not change from His covenant. Again, I love so much that Hebrews 6 says, because He could swear by no greater. He's the only man who could say. I swear to God, I'm going to save you. He swore by himself. Because of his name's sake. Because you can call his name Jesus. Because he is the Lord, our right. What's his name? The Lord, our righteousness. Because of his namesake, you chosen sinners in Jacob are not consumed.

All that sinful man does is change. That's all we do. That's all we do. We just change. Psalm 107 says, you know, man is up, man is down, man staggers to and fro. Turn with me over to Isaiah 57. Isaiah 57 verse 20, it says, but the wicked are like the troubled sea. That's what wicked man is like. The troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. That's all that can come from The back and forth current of sinful man. That's all sinful man can produce.

Man does something and then lies about it. Man makes a promise and then breaks his word. Man straightens up and then he falls. Right back into his. Folly again. We cannot put one ounce of our trust in man. People say, well, just trust yourself and just, you know, I wouldn't do that if I were you. We cannot put one ounce of trust in man.

But God. in God, in Christ Jesus, our Lord, everything concerning us in our eternal salvation is set in the stone. It's all set in stone. Look right here at Isaiah 54. Back a page to Isaiah 54 verse 10. It says. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed. but my kindness shall not depart from thee. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. He said, my kindness toward you and the covenant of my peace toward you and the mercy that has been shown through my blood to you. It's set in stone. It's all set in stone. I don't know what I would do with myself if I thought my salvation depended on my stability. It's all dependent on Christ's stability.

He said, I am the Lord, I change not. You do, but I don't. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed. Your sparing of destruction. It's not because of you. It's not because of you. It's because of me, it's all because of me, it's all because I made a covenant to do something for you and I will not change from it. I read this little story all the time. And I'm not tired of it yet. I have not gotten tired. I don't know if I will. Many of you, many of you have probably, I may have read it here. I don't know.

A vessel was wrecked one stormy night off the coast of England. All were drowned except an Irish boy. because the waves swept him onto a great rock. In the morning, he was rescued and they asked him, lad, didn't you tremble out there on the rock during the night? He said, sure, I trembled. But the rock didn't tremble once all night long. That rock didn't budge. That rock didn't move. It did not change one time. That's why I'm still here. Safe and sound.

Whatever our Lord's will and purpose was yesterday. That's what his will and purpose is today. That's what his will and purpose will be for all of eternity. Whatever he says, sometimes I read these these promises and I think, well, I could see how that would apply to, you know, David. But does he really mean that for me? Whatever he said. Whatever he said, if you're my if I chose you, if I redeemed you, if I've called you. Whatever he says is forever. is forever. His purpose is fixed. His will is stable. His word is settled. His judgment is sure.

If he said that he hates sin yesterday, he hates sin today. If he said he must punish the guilty yesterday, he must punish the guilty today. Thank God if he said he punished all of his guilty sinful people on the cross of Calvary and it's finished. If he said that yesterday.

If it was finished yesterday. Is finished today. People think you know what he saved me and that covers everything from here back. Now I'm on my own. If it was finished yesterday, it's finished today. And it's finished forever. Yesterday, today, forever. The Lord Jesus remains the same. This was our hope in the beginning.

You know, in the beginning, you don't know much. You don't know anything. You know a couple of things. I'm a sinner. God is holy and I need mercy. That's about all you know. That's about all I know right now. I believe that's about all I'm ever going to know.

That was our hope in the beginning. That's our hope right now. That's going to be our hope forever. He is our Lord. He changes not. Therefore, we sons of Jacob are not consumed. I think that's the best news my sinful, unstable, always changing heart has ever heard. I really do. Thank God for that. OK, Brother John,

I Am The Lord I Change Not

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's unchanging nature?

How do we know God's salvation is eternal?

Why is it important that God does not change?

How does God's unchanging nature relate to His promises?

What is the significance of Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

I Am The Lord I Change Not

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's unchanging nature?

How do we know God's salvation is eternal?

Why is it important that God does not change?

How does God's unchanging nature relate to His promises?

What is the significance of Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

More from Gabe Stalnaker

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Gabe Stalnaker

Suggested for You

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book