Many Christians are quick to bring up all the passages in the Bible that enforce the fact that God never changes. The ones that tell us He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. I mean I use those scriptures to make points all the time. Yet, many use these verses but still live their life as though God has changed from the Old Testament to the New.
Numbers 23:19 (ESV)
19 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?
Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
James 1:17 (ESV)
17 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.
A lot of Christians today live their lives by picking and choosing what they want out of the Bible. When in reality God expects us to follow all He has commanded in His word. We know this to be true because of all throughout the Old Testament we read of people doing all God command them. As well as God specifically telling individuals to be sure and follow all His commands.
Genesis 6:22 (ESV)
22 Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.
Exodus 29:35 (ESV)
35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them,
2 Chronicles 7:17–18 (ESV)
17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’
Jeremiah 50:21 (ESV)
21 “Go up against the land of Merathaim,
and against the inhabitants of Pekod.
Kill, and devote them to destruction,
declares the Lord,
and do all that I have commanded you.
In fact, by looking into our need to follow all the commands God has laid before us. We soon reinforce the fact that He never changes. Because we find that in the New Testament Jesus instructed the discple to go forth and teach others all He had commanded them. Not just the stuff they liked. But everything because all the Lord’s teaching is important.
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Heres the thing God does not change and neither do His expectations for His people. Just as those in the Old Testament were expected to follow all His commandments so are we today. There is no way to question this truth. Instead of trying to explain it away. We must choose to embrace it and live out all God’s inspired word.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
This means that since the Bible says we must be baptized. Then all those who claim to follow after Christ need to go down in the water. No matter what their person opion on the act maybe. Because God does not live room for us to question direct commands in the Scripture.
John 3:5 (ESV)
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 2:38 (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Since the Bible tells Christians not to make a practice of sinning. Even telling of what happens to those who live a lifestyle of sinning. Then every Christian should live their sins where they belong. In the past just as God’s word teaches.
1 John 3:9 (ESV)
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These even means following the commands that have to do with love. If you want to be a true follower of all God’s commands then you must be willing to love others. And that means really loving them as you love yourself. With the true love that comes from our heavenly father.
John 15:12 (ESV)
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
1 Corinthians 13:4–5 (ESV)
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
I could go on and on listing all that God has commanded us to do in the Bible. But really I just want you to ask yourself if you are following all God has commanded. The truth is most of us are not but that does not mean we should not make every effort to do everything our Lord and Savior expects us to do. And the good news is that we can start working on this right now.
Start to read your Bible as more than a menu. Where you get to pick and chose what you want from it. Instead, understand that it is God’s book of instruction meant to help you navigate this life. By adhering to everything in its pages, you are ensured the eternal life it promises.
1 John 2:25 (ESV)
25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to see that God has expectations for His people. He does not want you going through life doing your own thing. But instead wants you to follow all His teaching.
If you found this article helpful or insightful please help us by sharing it. So that we can continue to reach new audiences. Also, be sure to visit our prayers wall. Thanks and God Bless!
Visit Justin’s personal website Here. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall.