Jesus: Consistently Perfect
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
— Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Consider what it means to be the same forever. What would it look like for someone or something to be the same forever? Is there anything in this world that truly remains the same forever?
We could say the ocean is always filled. The sky is always blue. The moon is always influencing the tides. The gravity on earth is always a certain level. We bank on earthly systems and rules of nature and physics to continue to operate within the same sets of patterns that we’ve come to expect. Yet still, how much permanence do we think these systems have as we discover new information?
In fact, it seems that what we currently understand about these systems is indeed temporary to the time period that we exist in. To give an illustration, imagine fast forwarding 200 million years, and the sun will grow so large that earth is not habitable. The systems that many of us may have assumed would never change would indeed change. The oceans would dry up, the atmospheric composition would change, the density of the gravity would be altered, the moon would no longer be controlling tides because there are none.
Everything that we know about in this modern world is a slice of human knowledge within a single time period of human existence.
We’re not going into the land of relativism here, we’re not going to be talking about the post modern idea that everything you experience is relative to you, or everything you believe is relative to you. Ask any physicist or engineer and you’ll learn quickly how important it is that we know the objective nature of worldly systems that we utilize to manufacture, innovate and build.
What we are talking about is a God who created the entire universe, with its systems, with its laws and with the people in it. What we are talking about is a Creator who lives outside of the confines of space time, who is today and forever in our small perspectives going to remain utterly the same from life through death for every generation — He’s not going to suddenly become something else while we’re not watching. Who He is today, who He was yesterday is who He is tomorrow. This is because of His nature, and how very different it is than our own.
Scripture tells us that God’s existence extends beyond human existence — God’s existence extends into this place called forever where to Him there is so much presence and awareness that a thousand earthly days are like a single day to him, and yet His presence and awareness extends to deeply into the details that a single day is like a thousand years to Him.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
— Psalm 103:14-17 ESV
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
— 2 Peter 3:8-9 ESV
This God who created everything is not like us. He exists outside of the confines of our universe with space and time. He lives outside of these restrictions. And from His very mouth we are told that He is the same yesterday today and forever.
I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
— Revelation 1:8
It would be pretty silly if the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come” couldn’t be recognized at some point in time because He changed dramatically in appearance, personality or character. What good would a creator God have to gain by convincing His creation that He doesn’t change if He indeed somehow changes out there in the heavens? Wouldn’t that make His credibility shaken? If He claims to not change but really does?
Furthermore, if He had something in mind to gain, could He not exercise the same power that created the universe to fool us into believing? And instead He invites us to perceive that He stays the same. He invites us to trust Him in His utter holiness — so different than us. He invites us to accept His forgiveness, love and mercy. He invites us.
The one who created you does not force you to accept Him. And you think that He has something to gain by somehow convincing you that He is God or that He does not change?
Doesn’t it make more sense that He is telling the truth about who He is? What does He have to gain by deception when He could wipe us out and start over from scratch? He could exist with a people in earth who are deceived into believing good things about Him, things that aren’t true, but what ruler wants to live in that world?
Maybe a human being with his innate self motivated desires could conceive of wanting that world. But let’s break it down for a minute though, even for a human there would be a constant need to remember to put up a front so you aren’t found out. Existing with imposter syndrome constantly. Quickly being proven to not be who you claim to be, especially in the view of those closest to you.
And yet God invites us to get to know Him personally, have a close relationship with Him, and find out everything we can about Him.
How could God do this… Why would God do this… if He was simultaneously lying about who He is? It doesn’t make sense.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
— Hebrews 13:8 ESV
No matter what a persons relationship with God has been through their life, He invites all of us into a deeper and closer relationship with Him.