Dependability

We all have people who are or have been in our lives that affect the way we live. I am one of those who were blessed with a dad that taught me more than life skills – he instilled in me life lessons. One of the things that I learned from him is that most, if not all, opinions of a person are based on actions, not words. Over the years, I have observed that he always does more than what he says he will do. When he accepts a task or a responsibility, my father always goes the extra mile. At the end of the day, he has always finished the job he agreed to do, but there are other things that he has quietly taken care of at the same time. That’s how he defines dependability.

Hebrews 13 (NLT) ⁸Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ⁹So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your spiritual strength comes from God's special favor, not from ceremonial rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.

This passage is one that we hear quoted often. It is a comfort to Christians to know that, whatever happens in the world around us, Jesus never changes. We know that even if we do not follow Him, as we should, Jesus never changes. Mountaintop or valley, sickness or health – Jesus never changes. That is a foundation block of the church. However, there is more to this passage than comfort. Looked at in the context of the preceding chapters, there is also a warning.

Two chapters back in Hebrews, we find the Hall of Fame of Faith. Listed in this chapter are examples of the exploits and trials of those who chose to follow God through faith. Some of the stories present extraordinary events that came about because someone was willing to trust in the fact that God was in control of the situation in spite of all the physical evidence to the contrary. Others are less spectacular, but just as much a picture of a walk of faith. There are two things that all of the heroes of faith have in common. Hebrews 11:39 states: “All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith.” It goes on to say: “yet none of them received all that God had promised.” They had faith in God even though they never saw the completion of His promise.

Jesus never changes. Our approval in the eyes of God comes from our faith in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ. God declared the heroes of faith righteous because of their faith, not their works. We have the joy of salvation because of our faith in the Son. However, when we start to try to take care of things on our own and stray from the walk of faith, we must be ready to accept the consequences. In Hebrews 12:6, the writer quotes from Proverbs saying: “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.” Because we are justified by our faith, we must be corrected when we allow our faith to waver.

The way to the Father has not changed one iota since before time began. Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life – and He always has been. The Old Testament heroes based their faith on the promise of the coming Messiah. We base our faith on the completed work of that same Messiah and all who are justified by faith look forward to the return of the Messiah.

Jesus never changes.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!