Yesterday, Today, Forever

There are many days that I sit and think about how consistent God is, especially when I am faced with difficulties.  Likewise, I can always count on Jesus to be consistent, interceding on my behalf.  When I ponder on the wonder that is the Holy Spirit, I am overwhelmed with gratitude, joy, and amazement.  Each part of the Holy Trinity serves a purpose that was birthed at the beginning of time, and yet it remains relevant to this day. The same God who befriended Abraham and told him that he would be the father of all nations (Genesis 17:4-6), is the same God that continuously holds the world in his hands.  The same Jesus who was born in a barn over 2000 years ago (Luke 2:6-7), is the same Jesus who reminds God to have mercy on me for the daily sins that I commit.  The Holy Spirit that filled the house of believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) is the same spirit that lives inside of you and me.

But how do we know really know that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit remain the same?  How do we know that things won’t change one day in the future? The answer is simple…the Bible says so. It doesn’t matter what version of Bible you read - King James, New King James, New Living Translation, English Standard Version, New International Version, Amplified, The Passion Translation, etc., it’s all the same.  The word of God never changes and that’s a reason to rejoice.  Because of the Word, we have all the reasons we need to believe.  The Bible clearly states that God is not a man that he should lie. (Numbers 23:19) In the “As The Day Approaches” sermon series from our pastor, he drew multiple parallels from the things that Jesus shared when he walked the Earth, to what we can expect in the end times.  Much of what the Word states, has already happened.  The condition of our world is getting worse in many ways, yet, the love of Christ remains. (John 15:9) The Apostle Paul shared in Romans that the same spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead, lives in all of us. (Romans 6:10-11)

No matter what changes around me, Jesus is exactly the same as he said he would be. There is comfort in that. We don’t have to worry about doing something that will shift Jesus’ perspective of us. We don’t have to worry about falling short to the point that this time has finally crossed the line. No matter what we do to try to earn favor, no matter how successful we are, no matter how we fall short, we don’t have worry that Jesus will leave us.  In multiple places in scripture, God tells us that he will never leave or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6, 1 Kings 8:57, Hebrews 13:5) It’s up to us to believe the Word of God is true.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) That means we can always count on him. That means his love is everlasting. (Jeremiah 31:3) That means every word that Jesus spoke is true.  As we continue to live in this world each day while witnessing people, places, and things around us change, we must remember that this change is all part of God’s ultimate plan. We don’t have to wonder whether or not the word of God will stand the test of time, because it did yesterday, it does today, and will forever.

References
Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

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