Committed To Doing Something

Committed To Doing Something

Romans 12:6-12 

INTRO.- ILL.- Lawyer and statesman Daniel Webster was a powerful orator who gave early evidence of his quick mind and his way with words. One day Webster’s father, who was to be absent from the home, left Daniel and his brother Ezekiel specific work instructions. 

But on his return he found the task still undone, and questioned his sons about their idleness. "What have you been doing, Ezekiel?" he asked. "Nothing, sir." "Well, Daniel, what have you been doing?" "Helping Zeke, sir."

That sounds like some people today. “Why should I do something if no one else is?” Some reason this way: “I don’t see anybody else around here doing anything, so why should I?”

Or some may think, “Why should I do much of anything? Isn’t this what we pay people for?” That’s the thinking that many people have when it comes to the church. “Isn’t this what we pay a preacher for?” 

We may incorrectly assume that if a church is to grow it’s the preacher’s responsibility to make it happen. And if it doesn’t happen, then it’s his fault. It doesn’t work that way, however.

What did you do this last week? I mean, to serve the Lord and to serve someone else? Did you just live for you or did you do something kind, something good for someone else?

And what plans have you made to serve the Lord within the programs of the church? Are you thinking about volunteering to do something in the church?

ILL.- The sign on the stage proclaimed: "The Motionless Man: Make Him Laugh. Win $100." The temptation was irresistible. For three hours boys and girls, men and women, performed every antic and told every joke they knew. 

But Bill Fuqua, the Motionless Man, stood perfectly still. Fuqua discovered his unique talent at the age of fourteen while standing motionless in front of a Christmas tree as a joke. 

Doing nothing is really impossible--even for the Motionless Man. He may not laugh at your jokes, but he readily admits that he still has to breathe and blink--occasionally. Sometimes, however, he appears so motionless during his routines at shopping malls and amusement parks that he is sometimes mistaken for a mannequin. 

"The Motionless Man.” Sounds like a lot of churches today. They have mastered the fine art of doing almost nothing. Is this also true of us personally when it comes to the Lord and serving? 

Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”

PROP.- Let’s examine these last four basic spiritual gifts in order to help us find ways to serve.

1- ENCOURAGING

ILL.- There is a story about a preacher leaving a church. At his farewell dinner, he tried to encourage the members, saying, “Don’t be so sad. The next preacher might be better than me.” One member replied, “That’s what the last preacher said, but it just keeps getting worse.”

Those words certainly didn’t encourage that preacher! That’s kind of like saying, “Don’t let the door hit you on your backside as you leave.” What a left-handed slap that was!

ILL.- William Arthur Ward said, “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you.” 

The gift of encouragement is very special. And obviously, not everyone has that gift. Some people just seem to have a knack for making others feel good and for building them up.

And that’s what encouragement does. IT BUILDS UP PEOPLE.

Romans 15:1-2 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”

I Cor. 14:12 “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.”

ILL.- I’ve heard it said that if it doesn’t build up people then don’t do it. This goes for the programs of the church and all of life. I know of a church that changed their youth program from Wednesday night to Sunday nights and the attendance fell off. They didn’t change back to Wednesday but the falling attendance should have told them something.

Likewise, if we adopt some program in the church and the people don’t get too excited about it then perhaps we shouldn’t do it. If people don’t support some program with their attendance, then it must not be something that builds up people.

II Cor. 10:8 “For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.”

Eph. 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

We’re in the building business regardless of whether we are extremely gifted at it or not. We ALL should speak words that build up people. Anybody can say something nice to someone if they think about it.

ILL.- During quail season in Georgia, an Atlanta journalist met an old farmer hunting with an ancient pointer at his side. Twice the dog ran ahead and pointed. 

Twice his master fired into the open air. When the journalist saw no birds rise, he asked the farmer for an explanation. "Shucks," grinned the old man, "I knew there weren’t no birds in that grass. Spot’s nose ain’t what it used to be, but him and me, have had some wonderful times together. He’s still doing the best he can -- and it would be mighty mean of me not to encourage him at this stage of the game!"

I guess everybody needs encouragement, including dogs. But why is it that dogs get more encouragement than humans? 

Eph. 6:21-22 “Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.”

Paul was sending his brother Tychicus to give encouragement to others. I’ve heard that some people encourage with their appearance and some with their disappearance. WHAT ABOUT YOU? 

Col. 2:2-3 “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

My purpose. What is your purpose in life? Those who have the gift of encouragement live for others! Their aim in life or purpose is to bless others! With or without the gift of encouragement we all should think more about encouraging one another.

ILL.- Warren G. Harding said, “There’s good in everybody. Boost. Don’t knock.”

ILL.- Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

ILL.- Charles Schwab, US president of Carnegie Steel (1897), US Steel Corp (1901), Bethlehem Steel (1903) said, “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.” 

If you are quick to spot the good in others, then please, do not keep quiet about it. Commend them. Encourage them.

2- CONTRIBUTING

Phil. 4:10-13 “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

A renewed concern. What is Paul talking about? I think he is talking about a renewed financial concern. The Philippians helped Paul financially. And there needs to be more people like this in our churches. I realize that it’s hard enough to take care of yourself without also trying to take care of someone else, but contributing to the needs of others is a great way to bless others. 

I know because I’ve had this sort of thing happen to me on different occasions when I was having financial difficulties.

ILL.- After my son Shane had surgery at the age of 8 days old, I had whopping hospital bill 25 years ago. 

How much? $5,000 much and no insurance. In 1980 that was a lot of money for anyone who lived from paycheck to paycheck. 

Shane was born at the St. Mary’s Health Center in Jefferson City, Mo and that’s where he had his exploratory abdominal surgery. When I went to the finance department to make arrangements for paying the bill in payments the lady said, “You qualify for Catholic charity. They will pay a portion of your bill. Do you want it?”

Now what do you suppose I said? Later, at my church there were also some people who made special contributions to me in order to help me pay that hospital bill. WASN’T THAT KIND AND GRACIOUS OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE? Amen.

Do you have this gift? The gift of contributing? How can a person know if they have this gift? Well, let’s put it this way. DO YOU HAVE ANY EXTRA MONEY IN THE BANK THAT YOU COULD SHARE WITH SOMEONE IN NEED?

Of course, just because some people have money it doesn’t mean they are going to share it, but there are some people who just have a great heart for sharing with others. THEY ARE BLESSED WITH THE GIFT OF GIVING.

ILL.- I have a preacher friend who told me that one of the members in his past church who is a multi-millionaire, said to him, “Let me know if you need any money. I have plenty for both of us.” And I keep asking him if that church needs a preacher!

3- LEADING

ILL.- Winston Churchill was not only an inspirational leader against the terror of Nazi Germany, but he was also something of a humorist. Adolf Hitler had announced at a Nazi rally during the Battle of Britain that Germany would wring England’s neck like a helpless chicken. 

Churchill spoke the next day in Parliament and said that Hitler was in for a big surprise because he would find out that England is "some chicken with some neck." 

Churchill’s words, his cigar, his hat, and his proper London suit were humorous jabs at terrible fears. As Churchill demonstrated, leaders need to rise above their circumstances. 

ILL.- News writer, Cal Thomas found himself called a "Christian leader" by a leading Christian magazine and he wondered what that meant. More speaking engagements? Perhaps an appearance on a Christian talk show? 

He said, "It would certainly give me the right to start putting Scripture references under my signed name in books I have written. I would surely sign more Bibles, which I find a curious practice since I didn’t write that Book." 

Thomas wonders if we have reversed things. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness, the apostle Paul said. 

He said, "In a church I once attended, there was a man of tremendous faith. His wife is an alcoholic. His daughter has psychological problems. He was often poor in health. Yet, week after week, he never complained. He always smiled and asked me how I was doing. He faithfully brought to church a young blind man who had no transportation. He always sat with the blind man, helping him sing the hymns by saying the words into his ear. That man was a `Christian leader’ if ever there was one." 

ILL.- Preacher Tony Evans said, “Leadership in the local church should be determined by spirituality, not notoriety.” 

Just because someone is notable in a community it doesn’t mean they’ll make a good leader in the church. Spirituality should be the dominating factor. 

ILL.- A preacher friend in Missouri had a deacon one time who was a self-defense instructor; a judo instructor, I believe. And that’s not bad because generally they are very self-mastered or self-controlled people, but not this guy. My friend said he would get mad in board meetings and then challenge some other board members to go outside and fight, knowing he could whip them.

Such a man should NOT BE on any church board or in any kind of leadership position. 

I Tim. 3:2-3 “Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”

ILL.- Bible scholar Matthew Henry went to London, met a young lady who was wealthy, and they fell in love. She went to ask her father if she could marry him and he said, "He’s got no background, you don’t know where he’s come from." She said, "Yes, I know, but I know where he’s going and I want to go with him." A leader knows where he’s going and it’s a good place.

4- DEMONSTRATING MERCY

ILL.- I don’t know if this story is true, but it sounds good. In the early days of his presidency, Calvin Coolidge woke one morning in his hotel room to find a cat burglar going through his pockets. 

Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep. Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet -- which he had also persuaded the dazed young man to give back, declared it to be a loan, and advised the young man to leave the way he had come so as to avoid the Secret Service! 

If this story is true, then President Calvin Coolidge was a man of mercy! He could have easily had the man thrown in jail. Most of us would have.

ILL.- After Lee’s surrender, Lincoln spoke to a large crowd from the balcony of the White House. He told them about the considerate policy he had in mind for the South. At the end of his speech, Senator Harlan asked, “What shall we do with the rebels?”

The vindictive crowd shouted back, “Hang them!” Tad (his son) then turned to his father and said, “No, no, Papa. Not hang them. Hang on to them!”

“That’s it!” replied Lincoln joyfully. “Tad has it. We must hang on to them!” At the time, Tad was only eleven. 

Hanging on to someone in spite of their guilt and sin is an act of mercy. And mercy is what we want but we don’t always give it. We should, however, and here’s a very good reason.

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Titus 3:4-6 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

We read a lot in Scripture about God’s mercy and this should tell us something. He wants us to be like Him and demonstrate mercy and not law. 

ILL.- If Jesus had laid down the law, the woman caught in adultery would have been stoned. If Jesus had laid down the law He would not have talked to the Samaritan woman about living water. If Jesus had laid down the law no lepers would have been healed. If Jesus had laid down the law no one could be saved.

God help us all to demonstrate mercy.

CONCLUSION-----------------------------

ILL.- Erma Bombeck is quoted as saying, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.”

We must be committed to doing something in life for others. We must use whatever God gives us to bless others, anywhere, any time, etc. 

THIRD OPEN CARE GROUP MEETING

 

WHAT IS AN OPEN CARE GROUP

v  Primary purpose: Evangelism

v  Prelude to Close Care Group

v  Temporary in nature, can be dissolved anytime

v  Open Care Group meetings should not exceed to one hour

v  Snacks are optional

v  Choose a suitable venue

Opening Prayer: (1 minute)

Ice Breaker: (10 minutes)

      Get to know each other

Introduction

      Thank attendees for coming

      Introduce yourself.

Word (15 minutes)

      The Bad News

v  We are sinners (Do you agree?) – How can we commit sin? 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Matthew 15:19-20

v  There is a penalty for our sins and the penalty is death

v  Death comes in two forms—1. We will die physically and go to hell (Hebrews 9:27, Revelations 21:8); 2. On earth we will die on our spirits and be so far away from the Lord (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1-2, Ephesians 2:1,5 )

      The Good News

v  God has a gift for us, it is for free, someone already paid for it (1 Peter 1:18-29)

v  God doesn’t want us to go to hell; He wants us to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

v  This gift was given through Christ Jesus

v  This gift can be received if we:

§  Believe – Ephesians 2:8-9

§  Repent – Acts 3:18-20

§  Confess – Romans 10:9-10

§  Will be united in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:26-27, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:14-16)

Sharing and Ministering: (15 minutes)

      Would you like to receive this free gift of eternal life from God through Jesus Christ?

      Lead prayer or read prayer of assistance. You have to make a choice. Mark 16:16

      Assure him/her of his/her eternal life in heaven

Work: (10 minutes)

§  Invite to church

§  Set day, time and venue for next week Care Group meeting

§  Encourage them to bring their friends

Successful Christian

Successful Christian  (June 28, PCC)
Junrey Belando

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Philippians 3:12-3:14 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Jas 1:2-4 - 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

Introduction

What is a “successful Christian”? Who will hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant?”
Will it be the one that stops sinning? Will it be the elders or those on the board? Will it be the pastors of the mega-churches? Who can expect to hear those words of highest praise, “well done good and faithful servant?”            Will you?

If the Christian life is a race – my question this morning – are you running the race to finish it? Are you preparing yourself, your family, your spouse, and your children to finish the race? I will never forget what Pastor Frank told the principal sponsors of the newly wed couples Malou and Ardianno last May 26 right before they got married—it was their spiritual responsibility to guide the newly weds to walk in Christ. Last Sunday night as well, when we went to our Brother Patrickson’s house, he was admonished about his responsibility for his son, Patrick Lou Hynes. And for all of us right here, it is  our  duty to make sure we are  in church, active in fellowship and growing in our relationship with God.

ILL. The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously heart-rending moments. American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100 meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier. She agonizingly pulled herself to her knees & crawled the last five meters, finishing fifth - but finishing, nevertheless. Even more emotional was the 400 meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond tore a hamstring & fell hard on the track. He struggled to his feet & began to hobble, determined to complete the race. His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but Derek refused to quit. He leaned on his father, & the two limped to the finish line together, accom-panied by the deafening applause of the thousands assembled there that day. (John E. Anderson, "What Makes Olympic Champions?" Reader’s Digest, February 1994, p. 120)

I like to hear stories about people who won't give up. Quitters aren't much of an inspiration, but people who stay with a commitment even though the going gets tough are a source of inspiration to us all.

Sometimes I think we get the idea that we should be running this race, but we’re in it all alone – Actually the opposite should be true – the church should be a place of confession, encouragement and love – people who are willing to run beside you in this Christian life. Really the goal of the church should be to take those who are inactive runners and help them – start or start up again, and then run beside them. Unlike church league softball this isn’t about winning this is about finishing.

I don’t want you to quit – I don’t want you to walk off the track, I don’t want you to look around, make excuses or get discouraged. Yet I know the very nature of the Christian life – it’s sometimes easier to walk off the track than it is to keep going. Church, I’ve been there in my own Christian life – at different stages ready to walk off the track. I’ve had good friends – men I would trust with anything, walk off the track, away from Christian service. My prayer for you this morning – is that we together would keep running this race that is the Christian life – and although discouragement might come our way – although challenges might present themselves – we would keep running, to finish.

Are you running the race to finish it?

Turn with me if you have your Bibles to (Advance) Hebrews 12:1-3 (Read)

I see three things this morning – three things that will encourage you to keep running – your Christian life – Remember the goal is long term.

I. Look Behind you (1)

98% of the time when you are running a race this is not the proper thing to do. In fact the quickest way to lose a foot race is to look behind – take your eyes off the finish line and put them on those who will only pass you if you slow down.
a. We should look to our past – for encouragement
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…
i. We can receive hope and encouragement
1. From those who have gone before us
2. Those who remained faithful and did things because of their faith.
3. Those who suffered loss, and kept going
4. Those who had excellent victory because of their faith.

II. BE PREPARED FOR THE STRUGGLES THAT WILL COME

The second piece of advice from the writer of Hebrews is to prepare for the struggles you will face. He says, "...let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles, & let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
ILL. As I read the words, “…the sin that so easily entangles…” I think of the old Tarzan movies. When I was a boy Johnny Weismueller was Tarzan, & in almost every movie there was a scene where Tarzan, with his knife between his teeth, jumped into the water & swam to the rescue of Jane or boy or whoever was in the water. Then the music would intensify & you knew that at some point something bad was going to grab him. Oftentimes it was an enormous octopus. At first you could just see its eye. Then a tentacle would suddenly reach out & wrap around his ankle. But that’s no problem. Tarzan can get loose from that. But then here comes a second tentacle. It would grab the other ankle. Then another tentacle & another one, & soon he is all entangled & can’t get loose. Is this the end of Tarzan? Oh no. Remember that knife in his teeth. Somehow he is able to grab it & start cutting off the tentacles, & soon an inky cloud comes out of the octopus. And Tarzan is free!

The writer of Hebrews says that sin is just like those tentacles, & that we must throw off "...the sin that so easily entangles, & …run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

ILL. Now I'm obviously not a marathon runner. But marathon runners tell us that there are two critical times in the race. The first one is at the beginning. When you begin to run you feel so good, & the temptation is to run too fast too soon, depending upon your own strength & skill to pull you through.

The second critical time in a marathon is at the half way point. You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as you've already run & your strength is giving out. Runners call it "hitting the wall." You've come to the end of your endurance & you're not sure you can put one foot in front of the other anymore.

To keep that from happening in your life remember this promise, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
If you’ll trust Him, He will be the source of all you need to finish your race.

III. FIX YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

 The final piece of advice is this, Fix your eyes on Jesus. Listen again to a part of vs’s 2 & 3, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith… Consider Him… so that you will not grow weary & lose heart."
Jesus was opposed. Jesus was persecuted. And yet He stayed the course. He ran the race. He paid the price for our sins.

Every Christian needs to hear this because it's so easy to quit. It's so easy to say, "I don't have to do this anymore." But the writer of Hebrews says, "Fix your eyes on Jesus. He's the author & the perfecter of our faith," & one day each one of us will stand before Him as our judge.

The  writer of Hebrews says, "Fix your eyes upon Jesus because the only hope we have is our hope in Him."

So run the race with patience. Don't lose heart. Don't become discouraged. Don't quit. Keep on running the race that has been set before us.

This morning if you're not a Christian, we invite you to come to Jesus & accept His mercy, His love, His grace, & His sacrifice on the cross. We offer you the opportunity to begin a whole new life in Him. Will you come as we stand & as we sing together?

Does God Ever Change His Mind?

All people are fickle, in varying degrees. I suspect we’d be shocked to learn how many times in the course of a normal day we change our plans, reverse course, or pull out an eraser to delete an appointment or a task we had set for the week. Changing our minds feels so natural to us as humans, it’s hard to envision life without it. In most instances the changes are harmless and typically result from unforeseeable circumstances, as well as the alterations that other people make that directly affect us. But what would it mean for God to change his mind? Does he? Could he? Or are all his plans and purposes immutable? The importance of defining our theological terms with precision is most evident in the case of divine immutability. Here is a word that in contemporary evangelical circles evokes either protest or praise. Some see it as a threat to the biblical portrait of a God who does indeed change: he changes his mind (“repents”) and he changes his mode of being (“the Word became flesh”). Others are equally concerned that a careless tampering with this attribute of God will reduce him to a fickle, unfaithful, and ultimately unworthy object of our affection and worship. It is imperative, therefore, that we proceed cautiously, and yet with conviction, in the explanation of the sense in which God both can and cannot change. Immutability as Consistency of Character The immutability of God is related to, but clearly distinct from, his eternity. In saying that God is eternal, in the sense of everlasting, we mean that he always has existed and always will exist. He was preceded by nothing and shall be succeeded by nothing. In saying that God is immutable we mean that he is consistently the same in his eternal being. The Being, who eternally is, never changes. This affirmation of unchangeableness, however, is not designed to deny that there is change and development in God’s relations to his creatures. Consider the following: We who were once his enemies are now by the grace of Christ his friends (Romans 5:6-11). The God who declared his intention to destroy Nineveh for its sin “changed” his mind upon its repentance (more on this below). Furthermore, this affirmation of immutability must not be interpreted in such a way that “the Word became flesh” is threatened (John 1:14). We must acknowledge (our salvation depends upon it!) that he who is in his eternal being very God became, in space-time history, very man. Yet the Word who became flesh did not cease to be the Word (no transubstantiation here!). The second person of the Trinity has taken unto himself or assumed a human nature, yet without alteration or reduction of his essential deity. He is now what he has always been: very God. He is now what he once was not: very man. He is now and forever will be both: the God-man. It is a simplistic and ill-conceived doctrine of immutability that denies any part of this essential biblical truth. Thus, to say without qualification that God cannot change or that he can and often does change is at best unwise and at worst misleading. Our concept of immutability must be formulated in such a way that we do justice to every biblical assertion concerning both the “being” and “becoming” of God. Clearly, then, to say that God is immutable is not to say that he is immobile or static, for whereas all change is activity, not all activity is change. It is simply to affirm that God always is and acts in perfect harmony with the revelation of himself and his will in Scripture. For example, Scripture tells us that God is good, just, and loving. Immutability, or constancy, simply asserts that when the circumstances in any situation call for goodness, justice, or love as the appropriate response on the part of the Deity, that is precisely what God will be (or do, as the case may be). To say the same thing, but negatively: if God ought to be good, just, or loving as the circumstances may demand, or as his promises would require, he will by no means ever be evil, unfair, or hateful. Immutability means that the God who in Scripture is said to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent has not been, is not, and never will be—under any and all imaginable circumstances—localized, ignorant, or impotent. What he is, he always is. To be more specific, God is immutable in respect to (1) his essential being(which is to say that God can neither gain nor lose attributes); (2) hislife (God neither became nor is becoming; his life never began, nor will it ever end); (3) his moral character (God can become neither better nor worse); and (4) his purpose or plan (God’s decree is unalterable). Let’s look briefly at each of these in turn. Constancy of Being, Life, Character, and Plan Immutability is a property that belongs to the divine essence in the sense that God can neither gain new attributes, which he didn’t have before, nor lose those already his. To put it crudely, God doesn’t grow. There is no increase or decrease in the divine Being. If God would increase (either quantitatively or qualitatively), he would necessarily have been incomplete prior to the change. If God were to decrease, he would be, necessarily, incomplete after the change. The Deity, then, is incapable of development either positively or negatively. He neither evolves nor devolves. His attributes, considered individually, can never be greater or less than what they are and have always been. God will never be wiser, more loving, more powerful, or holier than he ever has been and ever must be. This is at least implied in God’s declaration to Moses, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14), and is explicit in other texts: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17) I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) When we talk about the immutability of God’s life, we are very close to the notion of eternality or everlastingness. We are saying that God never began to be and will never cease to be. His life simply is. He did not come into existence (for to become existent is a change from nothing to something), nor will he go out of existence (for to cease existing is a change from something to nothing). God is not young or old: he simply is. Thus, we read: Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. (Psalms 102:25-27) Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalms 90:2; cf. Psalms 93:2) Immutability may also be predicated of God’s moral character. He can become neither better (morally) nor worse than what he is. If God could change (or become) in respect to his moral character, it would be either for the better or the worse. If for the better, it would indicate that he was morally imperfect or incomplete antecedent to the time of change, and hence never God. If for the worse, it would indicate that he is now morally less perfect or complete than before, and hence no longer God. It will not do to say that God might conceivably change from one perfect Being into another equally perfect Being. For one must then specify in what sense he has changed. What constitutes God as different in the second mode of being from what he was in the first? Does he have more attributes, fewer attributes, better or worse attributes? If God in the second mode of being had the same attributes (both quantitatively and qualitatively), in what sense would he be different from what he was in the first mode of being? To deny immutability to God’s purpose or plan would be no less an affront to the Deity than to predicate change of his being, life, and character. There are, as I understand, only two reasons why God would ever be forced or need to alter his purpose: (1) if he lacked the necessary foresight or knowledge to anticipate any and all contingencies (in which case he would not be omniscient, contrary to the claims of open theism); or (2) if, assuming he had the needed foresight, he lacked the power or ability to effect what he had planned (in which case he would not be omnipotent). But since God is infinite in wisdom and knowledge, there can be no error or oversight in the conception of his purpose. Also, since he is infinite in power (omnipotent), there can be no failure or frustration in the accomplishment of his purpose. The many and varied changes in the relationship that God sustains to his creatures, as well as the more conspicuous events of redemptive history, are not to be thought of as indicating a change in God’s being or purpose. They are, rather, the execution in time of purposes eternally existing in the mind of God. For example, the abolition of the Mosaic covenant was no change in God’s will; it was, in fact, the fulfillment of his will, an eternal will that decreed change (from the Mosaic to the new covenant). Christ’s coming and work were no makeshift action to remedy unforeseen defects in the Old Testament scheme. They were but the realization (historical and concrete) of what God had from eternity decreed. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. (Psalms 33:10-11; cf. Psalms 110:4) The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand. (Isaiah 14:24) I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,” calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:9-11). Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. (Proverbs 19:21) But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does. (Job 23:13) “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2) So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath. (Hebrews 6:17) Can God Change His Mind? No treatment of the doctrine of immutability would be complete without a discussion of the problem posed by God’s alleged “repentance.” If God’s plan is unalterable and he is immutable, in what sense can it be said that he “changed his mind”? The Hebrew word typically translated “change his mind” or “repent” is nacham. This word actually has a rather wide range of meanings, including everything from experiencing emotional pain such as grief or sorrow (cf. Genesis 6:6-7; Exodus 13:17; Judges 21:6, Judges21:15; 1 Samuel 15:11, 1 Samuel 15:35; Job 42:6; Jeremiah 31:19), to the experience of being comforted (cf. Genesis 24:67; Genesis 27:42; Genesis 37:35; Genesis 38:12; 2 Samuel 13:39; Psalms 77:3; Psalms 119:52; Isaiah 1:24; Jeremiah 31:15; Ezekiel 5:13;Ezekiel 14:22; Ezekiel 31:16; Ezekiel 32:31), to the more extreme notion of relenting from or repudiating a course of action previously embraced (cf. Deuteronomy 32:36 = Psalms 135:14; Judges 2:18; 2 Samuel 24:16 = 1 Chronicles 21:15; Psalms 90:13; Psalms 106:45;Jeremiah 8:6; Jeremiah 20:16; Jeremiah 42:10), as well as retracting a statement or changing one’s mind regarding a course of action (cf.Exodus 32:12, Exodus 32:14; Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29;Psalms 110:4; Isaiah 57:6; Jeremiah 4:28; Jeremiah 15:6; Jeremiah 18:8, Jeremiah 18:10; Jeremiah 26:3, Jeremiah 26:13, Jeremiah 26:19; Ezekiel 24:14; Joel 2:13-14; Amos 7:3, Amos 7:6; Jonah 3:9-10; Jonah 4:2; Zechariah 8:14). This compels us to acknowledge the ambiguity of the English wordrepent and cautions us to be careful in ascribing it to God. Human beings repent of moral evil. We transgress God’s law and acknowledge our sorrow for having done so and our determination to change how we behave. Obviously, whatever else God’s “repenting” might mean, it does not mean he has sinned and is changing his ways. If that were the case, he would hardly be worthy of the title God; still less would he be worthy of anyone’s worship. This is why most English versions (except the KJV) use the word “relent” or “retract” or something similar. Let’s look specifically at two passages, both of which use the wordnacham. God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers23:19) And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” (1 Samuel 15:28-29) Note well that 1 Samuel 15:11 and 1 Samuel 15:11 say that God “regretted” making Saul king. Yet here in 1 Samuel 15:29 andNumbers 23:19 it says that God cannot repent, “change his mind,” or “regret” an action he has taken. Scholars have generally said that there are four possible ways of responding to these texts: The statements in 1 Samuel 15:11, 35 and 1 Samuel 15:29(as well as Num. 23:19) are contradictory. The statement in 1 Samuel 15:29 (and Num. 23:19) must be interpreted in light of 1 Samuel 15:11, 35. The statements in 1 Samuel 15:11, 35 must be interpreted in light of 1 Samuel 15:29 (and Num. 23:19). The statements in 1 Samuel 15:11, 35 use the word nachamto mean “regret” or “feel emotional sorrow,” whereas in 1 Samuel 15:29 it means “deviate” from or “change one’s mind” concerning a stated course of action; thus, in point of fact, there is no inconsistency between verses 11, 35, and verse 29. Open theists contend that Numbers 23:19 means that whereas God generally can repent, in this particular case he chooses not to. However, were that true, Bruce Ware asks, “does it not follow from this text [Num. 23:19] that, while it is generally true that God can lie, in this particular case he chooses not to? That is, the parallelism of lying and repenting indicates that just as God cannot lie, he cannot repent. The question becomes, then, can God ever lie?”1 Assuming that all would answer the latter question no (cf. 2 Timothy 2:13;Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18), it would appear that “the parallel relation of God’s repentance with lying would lead one to conclude that this passage is teaching more than simply that in this particular historical situation God chooses not to lie or repent. Rather, just as God can never lie, so He can never repent.”2 One should also take note of the contrast made between God and man. God is said not to be like humans, who both lie and repent. Ware observes: Does not the force of this claim evaporate the instant one reads it to say, in this particular situation God is not like a man and so does not repent? Do men (i.e., human beings)always repent of what they say they will do? If so, the contrast can be maintained. But if human beingssometimes carry out what they say and sometimes repent and do otherwise, and if God, likewise sometimes carries out what he says and sometimes repents and does otherwise, then how is God different from humans? The only way the contrast works is if God, unlike men, neverrepents. It is generally true, not merely situationally true, that God does not repent.3 This applies as well to the texts in 1 Samuel 15. In other words, “to say that God sometimes repents (e.g., 1 Samuel 15:11, 1 Samuel15:35) and sometimes doesn’t (1 Samuel 15:29) would be to argue that he sometimes lies and, in the same sense as with ‘repent,’ sometimes doesn’t. But the truth is that God never lies, and so this text requires also that he never repents.”4 Two additional observations are in order. First, many have appealed to a common figure of speech known as anthropopatheia oranthropopathism (from the Greek anthropos, “man,” plus pathos, “affection, feeling”). Thus, an anthropopathism is a figure of speech in which certain human passions, feelings, mental activities, and so on are predicated of God. This, of course, is related to the more well-known figure of speech called anthropomorphism (again, from the Greek for “man” plus morphe, “form”), in which there are ascribed to God human body parts (e.g., eyes, mouth, nostrils, hands). Ware defines anthropomorphism as follows: “A given ascription to God may rightly be understood as anthropomorphic when Scripture clearly presents God as transcending the very human or finite features it elsewhere attributes to him.”5 Thus, God is figuratively portrayed as “relenting” from a course of action or “changing his mind,” but in literal fact he does not. Open theists often contend that we adopt this approach to the problem because of an extrabiblical presupposition concerning the nature of God derived from the Greek ideal of perfection. This alien, philosophical criterion is imposed on Scripture rather than allowing God’s Word to shape our concept of God himself. However, contrary to this assertion, most evangelicals appeal to anthropopathism because of what they believe Scripture explicitly teaches concerning the omniscience and immutability of God. It is the “analogy of faith,” Scripture’s harmonious interpretation of itself, not Greek philosophical presuppositions, that governs their treatment of such problem texts. Passages such as Numbers 23:19and the others cited earlier are unequivocal: God is not a man. Therefore, he does not lie. He does not change his mind the way people do. He does not promise and then fail to fulfill. Those who appeal to anthropopathism insist that we are justified in interpreting the unclear in the light of the clear and utilizing a figure of speech generally acknowledged as entirely legitimate. Second, and even more importantly, we must recognize the difference between unconditional divine decrees and conditional divine announcements (or warnings).6 The former will occur irrespective of other factors. The latter may occur dependent on the response of the person or persons to whom they apply. Occasionally something explicit in the context will indicate which of the two is in view. Most often, however, statements of divine intent are ambiguous. That is to say, one must determine from other data whether the declaration or determination of God is unconditional or conditional. For example, what we find in the case of Jonah and the Ninevites is most likely not an unqualified and unconditional declaration of purpose. Consider carefully the nature of this passage from Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:5-12): Then the word of the Lord came to me: O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.” But they say, “That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.” That God declared his intention to destroy Nineveh, only to withhold his hand when they repented, is thus no threat to the doctrine of immutability. On the contrary, had God destroyed Nineveh notwithstanding its repentance, he would have shown himself mutable. William Shedd explains: If God had treated the Ninevites after their repentance, as he had threatened to treat them before their repentance, this would have proved him to be mutable. It would have showed him to be at one time displeased with impenitence, and at another with penitence. Charnock... remarks that “the unchangeableness of God, when considered in relation to the exercise of his attributes in the government of the world, consists not in always acting in the same manner, however cases and circumstances may alter; but in always doing what is right, and in adapting his treatment of his intelligent creatures to the variation of their actions and characters. When the devils, now fallen, stood as glorious angels, they were the objects of God’s love, necessarily; when they fell, they were the objects of God’s hatred, because impure. The same reason which made him love them while they were pure, made him hate them when they were criminal.” It is one thing for God to will a change in created things external to himself and another thing for him to change in his own nature and character.7 All this is simply to say that God’s immutability requires him to treat the wicked differently from the righteous. When the wicked repent, his treatment of them must change. Therefore, according to Strong, God’s immutability “is not that of the stone, that has no internal experience, but rather that of the column of mercury, that rises and falls with every change in the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.”8 Thus we see that it is a principle of God’s immutable being (as revealed by him in Scripture) that he punishes the wicked and recalcitrant but blesses and forgives the righteous and repentant. If God were to reveal himself as such (as, in fact, he has done), only to punish the repentant and bless the recalcitrant, this would constitute real change and thus destroy immutability. God’s declaration of intent to punish the Ninevites because of their sinful behavior and wickedness is based on the assumption that they are and will remain wicked. However, if and when they repent (as they did), to punish them notwithstanding would constitute a change, indeed reversal, in God’s will and word, to the effect that he now, as over against the past, punishes rather than blesses the repentant. Conclusion What all this means, very simply, is that God is dependable! Our trust in him is therefore a confident trust, for we know that he will not, indeed cannot, change. His purposes are unfailing, and his promises unassailable. It is because the God who promised us eternal life is immutable that we may rest assured that nothing, not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, shall separate us from the love of Christ. It is because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever that neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, no not even powers, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39)!