Written by Paul J Bucknell on March, 04, 2023
God’s Faithfulness and His Unchanging Promises
Everything about us is changing and in constant flux, but God never changes. His glory never needs to change to meet some unforeseen circumstance. In each episode of a superhero movie, the hero meets up with a crisis but not God. Even the most desperate, dire situation of His righteous Son being unjustly put to death on the cross was foreseen before the world was created. God never was caught off guard. No new plan was ever launched because no unforeseen event could arise. Scripture merely reveals His great plan to us.
God’s unchanging nature is revealed in the constancy of nature - the creation about us. The seasons, the stars, the rain, and the sun are constant factors that we cannot do without. Everyone depends on them, even though some deny the God who has provided for them.
God has built not only physical laws but also spiritual laws into the system of this world. We don’t think of moral laws as spiritual laws, but that is essentially what they are. The sooner we cease contesting these spiritual laws and begin obeying them, the better off we will be. I remember how God changed me when I became a Christian in Junior High School. I put away my anger, swearing, and stealing. My perspective of life was radically new. I could, for once in my life, enjoy life. Wisdom essentially recognizes and listens to these spiritual laws.
The promises of God are spiritual laws or principles built into the world. We can see them as favorable spiritual laws (though all His laws are good). Promises are positive actions that produce beneficial special effects. Here are three ways we can be blessed by God’s unchanging promises.
A. Gain the Wonderful Promises of God (Eph 2:12)
We need to believe in Him
An example of a general blessing happens when children obey their parents. This doesn’t matter whether the child or the parents are Christians or not. The Confucian society was prolonged because their ethic paralleled biblical teachings within the family.
But most promises are only for Christians. The first thing we need to focus on is how we are to gain the beautiful promises of God. We should remember that many promises are given only to Christians. The Bible is full of these extra promises given only to His people. When a person becomes a Christian, he becomes part of the family of God. He is adopted into His family, and so, God treats us as His children with all the benefits.
Ephesians 2:12 speaks about this special relationship Christians have with God,
“[Remember] that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
At one time, we all were separate from God, enemies rather than friends. But when we believed in Jesus Christ, we entered into a covenant or agreement by which a whole new set of spiritual principles operated. This new set of principles did not deny the old laws but was superscribed over the others because of their glorious nature. An example is how life overwhelms death. The scriptures say in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.” He who sins must die. 1 John 2:25, however says, “And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.”
If my parachute has been eaten by moths, I will fall to the earth like any other man. But we know there are spiritual promises for those in Christ, such as Psalm 91:11-12,
“For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
Are you unaware of how you have been specially protected because you are His child? One time I discussed with my wife a memory, and if she remembered driving down slippery and snowy Cemetery Road—we miraculously missed an accident. In other words, the evil one cannot bring about any situation so threatening or severe that God, if He so purposes, cannot save or deliver us from. When the devil tempted Jesus with this verse, Jesus did not dismiss this promise but just said one should not purposely put oneself into bad situations to test God’s promise. The Lord watches over all of His people.
We were once apart from God, but God has brought us closer in Christ. We were strangers “to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). But this relationship only begins many beautiful things. I don’t have time to discuss them all and undoubtedly not their depth, but we should know that this is just the beginning.
The promises of God begin with the command to believe in Jesus Christ, which in turn releases an avalanche of goodness into our lives. All of a sudden, being placed into the family of God, all His promises become ours to claim. Listen to Hebrews 6:17-20.
“In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Application
Have you believed in Jesus Christ? There is every difference between coming to church and belonging to God’s people, from being a stranger and being a son. As God’s children, we can bring our concerns to our Father. We have access to all of His unchanging promises to keep, strengthen, calm, and protect us so that we might grow up into the fullness of Christ.
B. Believe the Many Promises of God (Eph 1:13)
We need to believe them
Possessing His promises is not the same as believing them. We need to understand and appropriate the promises of God. Sad are those who think that our salvation is only having our sins taken away! Redemption sets us apart under a whole new plan of operations. One might liken it to a new operating system for one’s computer by which it, the same computer, can now speak a new language and operate in a whole new sphere of relationships. Where it once was dead, it is now alive and ready to function on a new level. This is how it is with salvation, being once dead, are now spiritually alive. Eternal life involves our lives on earth and in eternity, bringing us to experience God’s rich blessings.
God is unchanging and, therefore, in His great and eternal will, has destined that we, His people, should be blessed people. God will not back down from His grand purpose in His unchanging and beautiful faithfulness. God’s unchanging purpose toward His people is the root of these blessings. It doesn’t depend on how horrible or wicked our past ways might have been, but everything to do with God’s purpose in Christ. So one of the elementary prayers of Paul for God’s people is in Eph 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
If God has so arranged for our success, should we be discouraged or dismayed? No. I do not deny difficult circumstances. But because God is unchanging, we can see from this side of the cross that the work to secure our salvation and God’s promises are also completed. Now it is up to us to believe and accept them.
Let me give you one assuring proof of God’s great work in our lives. Eph 1: 13 says,
“In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
They were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise as they believed. Some people say a second work follows salvation, where we get committed. This is not what the scriptures say of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given entirely to every believer. He is the heart of the new operating system. We need to understand these new principles and put them into operation. How many of you read manuals? I know they put much nonsense in the manuals because they do not want to be liable for anything, but when you find instructions on how to use things properly, they can save you much struggle. We need our eyes enlightened to know the hope of His calling and the glory of the riches of His inheritance in His saints.
Application
Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” When are we going to start living in the promises of God? Have we been fooled into thinking God will only help us get to heaven? Even though the world scoffs at us, our house burns down, our body falls apart, our job is lost, and we believe in the unchanging promises of God. We live by faith and not by sight, and God Almighty, our Father, will certainly watch over our every need.
C. Understand the Rich Promises of God (2 Cor 1:20)
We need to use them
I don’t know how many promises are given in the Bible, but there are many. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”
Promises are concrete pledges that God will work for our good in a certain way during a particular circumstance. Usually, they are promises of help during hard times. Sometimes there are conditions on these promises, sometimes not. We must obey to receive them. We need to believe to appropriate them. For example, someone might have left you $10,000. in a particular account for you upon their death, but if you never go and cash it, it serves you no evident purpose.
In my early Christian life, I was encouraged by “The Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book” compiled by David Wilkerson. He lists 800 promises of God for all different situations. When one begins to see the different categories, one wonders why one might ever worry, get depressed, or lose hope. Let’s look at a couple of these promises.
• Do you ever get anxious thinking you might have just missed out again on something good? You are beginning to fall into self-pity, where you doubt God cares for you. Ps 84:11 is for you.
“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
God will withhold nothing good from those who walk uprightly. They can’t lose. So confess your sin and trust God to work for you rather than against you.
• Do you ever feel that your sin is so bad that the Lord cannot or will not forgive? Do you wonder why you didn’t give up a long time ago? You wonder whether you have any hope. I Cor 6:11 says,
“And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.”
Christ cleanses us from all sin. He makes us white as snow.
• Do you think that God has forsaken you? You can’t find a job or at least the one you need. Or you wonder whether God will ever find a life mate for you.
Ps 37:5 says,“Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” or,
Ps 73:24 says,“With Thy counsel Thou wilt guide me, And afterward receive me to glory.”
We need to trust God as He leads us through difficult times. We don’t know the way. We just put our hand in His, announce everything we don’t know and ask Him to help us.
• Or do you feel hatred growing inside of you? You know you should love, but the anger is so intense—it is overpowering. Just turn your thoughts to the promise of God’s Spirit working in you. Galatians 5:22-24 say,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Confess your inability to handle the anger. Admit it. Accept the limitations of your flesh. Give up and ask God to take over. He gives love so you can overcome hate and lack of concern. He gives joy to those gloomy sadsacks and provides peace for the anxious and kindness for the ungracious. He provides goodness for those who seem only to receive the bad and faithfulness for the faithless. He gives gentleness to others and self-control to overcome all those lusts. This is the fruit of the Spirit. These changes in our hearts are the most incredible miracles you could ever witness. And only the Lord, not the psychiatrist, the doctor, nor even the pastor, can give these things to you. They are promises of how the Spirit of God can work in your lives, not just some other person.
Application
Don’t you think the time has passed for us to serve our lust and flesh and the evil one? We now have to turn aside from our simple ignorance and refusal to use these promises. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:4,
“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
We will be fools if we allow the evil one to dominate our lives instead of the Lord. May we trust our great and awesome God to do mighty works.
Summary
God is unchanging. He doesn’t lie or lead us astray. He only wants us to trust Him. We trust the advice in self-help books, doctors, counselors, financial advisors, etc., but do we trust the Lord? We are weak and sick because we have become self-reliant. In these circumstances, the Lord will let us run until we fall. At that point, we will call on Him and find hope in His promises. Wouldn’t it be better for us to seek and live by these promises? Trust in the unchanging, beautiful promises of God. God, who made these promises to His people, will never change.
