As I See It…

There is a $35.00 word that theologians use to describe the changelessness of God: immutability. No matter what, God does not change. His character does not change. His abilities do not change. His love does not change. His righteousness does not change. God is changeless.

By contrast, everything in our lives changes. The very process of aging brings change with it. We grow from being very dependent infants to being somewhat independent adults.

For most of us, we change our marital status as we move through life. We change clothes with the seasons. Many of us change clothes within the seasons! We change our preferences in foods, what we drink. We change our diets as we face health concerns. While we age, parts of our body decide to change; they decline, even deteriorate. We have changes in occupations, vocations, addresses. In fact, there is little about us that does not change as we move through life’s seasons.

From a spiritual and eternal point of view, it’s good that things change. In fact, if it were not for change, our eternal destinies would be sealed to a doomed disastrous state. The whole purpose of the gospel message is to propel the hearers of that message toward change. The gospel has at its core the determination to move us from darkness to light, from death to life. We move from the chains of sin to freedom in Christ.

This change is called redemption. If it were not for a God-given ability for us to change (by His grace), redemption would not be possible. Angels will never know change; they will never know the beauty of redemption. They will never marvel at the grace of God. Though they may eternally repeat in the presence of God, “Holy, holy, holy,” they will never be able to sing, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!” Thank God that He has given us the privilege of change.

Paul summarized it this way: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new!” Only the redeemed can say, “Let’s hear it for change!”

Pastor Megilligan