God Unchanging Knowing God Chapter 7 The Immutability of God Hebrews 6: 17,18 kjv

1. God Unchanging Knowing God Chapter 7 The Immutability of God Hebrews 6: 17,18 kjv

2. 30 years ago 1982

3. “You’ve come a long way baby!”

4. World lives for new things. Cars, clothes, entertainment, food, vacations, weekends, friends, husbands, wives children, grand-children. And Christians live for heaven. Without change life is boring.

5. But: What if something is perfect. Mt. 5:48 Your Heavenly Father is Perfect. What effect has change on perfection?

6. In What ways does God Not change? 1. In His Life 2. His Character 3. His Truth 4. His Ways 5. His Purposes 6. His Son

7. 1. God’s Life does not change. Psalm 102: 26, 27 “Even they (heaven and earth) will perish, but You endure….But You are the same” Eternity…Immutability. A child asks, “Who made God?” Your answer is:

8. 2. God’s Character does not change. All His attributes remain constant. Exo. 3: 14 “I am who I am.” A Declaration of : His self-existence. His eternal changelessness. Has life in Himself. What He is now, He is eternally.

9. Exodus 34: 6, 7 “The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children.”

10. 3. God’s Truth does not change. “All flesh is as grass…The grass withers….but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40: 6 – 8 “Your word, O Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens…all your commands are true….You established them to last forever.” Ps.119:89, 151- 152. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Words shall not pass away.” Mt. 24: 35

11. 4. God’s ways toward sinners do not change. PBC Statement of Faith There are two biblical views of salvation. Both are correct. But both must be viewed as one. Yet the two views cause us tension, because our minds can not reconcile the two. As such, the true doctrine of salvation is a mystery our minds can not fully grasp. Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

12. The Two Views 1. The view of God’s Election God shows his freedom and lordship by discriminating between sinners, causing some to hear the gospel while others do not hear it. • Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. • Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is God who has chosen us before creation and our salvation is all of grace through faith in Christ. Emphasis is on God’s power of selecting us long before we were born.

13. 2. The view of Man’s Responsibility Isaiah 55:1-3 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; 2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, 3 "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David.” Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

14. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. • John 3:16 -18 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. God loves all and invites all to come to repentance. Grace is available to all, but they must be willing to come by faith to Christ. Emphasis is on man’s acceptance of invitation.

15. What is at stake? Why the tension? Denying either view is to deny the truth of God’s Word (God’s truth is immutable) because both are strongly and repetitively taught. To deny God’s election is to deny His Sovereignty. (God forbid!) But to deny Man’s responsibility makes God responsible for man’s eternal punishment. (God forbid!)

16. The effect of His grace 1. Causes some to hear Matthew 13:11 Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 16 "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”

17. 2. Others who resist His grace hear not. • Matthew 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' • Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

18. His grace moves some who hear to salvation. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace…” Matthew 13:23 "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty."

19. Others who hear are unwilling to believe. Mt. 13:19-22 • Matthew 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. • Acts 7:51 "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.

20. Teaching his saints: 1. God has no obligation and no desire to force against the will, salvation on anyone. A. If obligated, all would be saved. Matthew 7:14 "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” B. No desire to force against will. Christ and church=picture of marriage Ephesians 5:32 “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.”

21. 2. But those who resist His grace and are unwilling to believe are responsible for their eternal damnation. Genesis 4:6 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” Mt: 23: 37 “ Jerusalem,. .…and you were unwilling.”

22. The two wills: The believers say to Christ, “Your will be done.” And are brought to heaven as His bride. Christ says to the unbelievers, “Your will be done.” And are carried to hell. No one is in eternal hell without just cause. God is perfect in His compassion and justice.

23. 5. God’s Purposes do not change. Purposes=plans and promises God’s purposes are made on basis of complete knowledge extending to all things, past, present and future. How do we explain: God repenting. God “changes His mind.” 5 O.T. texts where it speaks of God repenting in which he reverses a way he was treating a particular people. Each incident was foreseen and was used to fulfill his eternal plan.

24. 6. God’s Son does not change. Heb. 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Heb 7:25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

25. Why is it a new Christian: serious about knowing God, is often discouraged by a sense of remoteness when he begins reading the Bible? What must he understand to overcome this?