What must I do to be saved?

The modern dating system is centered around ancient conceptions of the timing of Jesus’ birth. Thus, the expectation is, if Jesus died in what we call AD 33, he was about 33 years old at his death. However, Luke 2:1–7 mentions Jesus being born at the time of a census “when Quirinius was governor of Syria.” Historical references to this Quirinius suggest that the census likely took place around AD 6. Meaning Jesus was not born in what we call year 1. We can approximate the timing of Jesus’ death by looking at the timing of Pilate’s governorship, which lasted from approximately AD 26 to AD 36. This would mean Jesus was, at the oldest, 30 when he died.

None of this matters too much in terms of what the Bible reveals. The Bible does not give any specific indications of how old Jesus was. People have surmised he was 33. We have ample evidence to believe Jesus truly lived and died. Nothing in the Gospel accounts gives us reasons to doubt those conclusions.

Even though I’m aware of the challenges we have for arriving at Jesus’ age, the long-held assumption that he was 33 when he died has made me think a little bit more than usual about my life and my accomplishments as I celebrate my 33rd birthday. Jesus’ example challenges me, and I am forced to acknowledge my shortcomings in so many areas as I compare myself to Jesus, the only standard. I think about all that Jesus accomplished: the good that he did for other people, the disciples whom he trained, the ministry that he fulfilled. While it’s certainly possible to place an improper emphasis on work, it’s also possible to fill the time with vain and meaningless activities. Jesus did not allow himself to get distracted from God-honoring activities.

I also think about all that Jesus resisted. For however many years he lived on the earth, he did not commit a single sin. He lived in perfect submission to the Father. I am certain that every single day of my life for which I am accountable, I have fallen short of God’s perfection.

Then I think about this as I celebrate another trip around the sun: Jesus’ days on earth ended for your sake and mine. Without his death, I would not have a life worth living. So often we think about birthdays as special days, opportunities to celebrate “me,” but I’m reminded that today – and everyday – it’s about Him!

Clay Leonard

The 911 call that came in to the Lee County Sheriff’s Department sounded serious.  A resident of Lehigh Acres, Florida reported having found a 15-20 foot python under the hood of their car.  Could someone be sent out to help?

Life in Southwest Florida is different than in Northeast Tennessee, for on staff with the Sheriff’s Department was a state-licensed python contractor (I don’t believe there is one of those in the area in which I live).  Sgt. James Vanpelt calmly approached the car to raise the hood.  What he found was not a python but a red rat snake; instead of the size that had been reported, it was closer to 4 feet.  In a matter of minutes, the snake was removed from the vehicle’s engine compartment.

I’m not going to make fun of the resident who made the call.  If I spot a snake hiding in my car, I’m likely to exaggerate its size, too.  That’s why we call on experts like Vanpelt; they come to our rescue and easily take care of the menacing “beasts” that frighten us.

Much of the phobia that we have about snakes comes from Genesis 3.  Satan appeared to Eve in the form of a serpent and deceived her into committing the first sin on record.  Because of his lies, humanity has been subjected to various hardships, including the biggest hardship – death.  No wonder most of us hiss when a snake is spotted!

Whom shall we call to help us with this horrible monster?  God spoke to that serpent of the help that was to come in later times: the woman’s offspring “shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).  A bruise to a heel is fairly minor; a bruise to the head is far more serious.

Generations later, Jesus embarked on His mission to earth, “that through death He might destroy the one who had the power of death, that is the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).  What Jesus did was impossible for any human to do; we could only cower in fear as we watched the destruction Satan brings upon people.  Jesus, however, easily defeated mankind’s greatest foe.

The “Ghostbusters” movies, first launched in 1984, made famous the question, “Who you gonna call?”, to which the answer was declared, “Ghostbusters!”  Today we might ask the same question about this deadly serpent that threatens us: “Who you gonna call?” There’s only One who can help.

Make no mistake about it: Satan is deadly, and not to be toyed with.  Jesus described him in John 8:44 as “a murder from the beginning” and “a liar”.  He deceived the mother of us all, and he can deceive us.  How thankful we should be that we have a Savior who calmly came to this world to save sinners like you and me (Luke 19:10)!

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall

When we have a friend or family member who experiences a crisis, we need to look to Jesus as the standard by which we, ourselves, counsel. Jesus was a man of compassion (Matt 12:15-21). He reached out with His heart in touching peoples’ lives. Even when women were in sin (cf. John 4 & 8:1-11), Jesus dealt with them in compassion. He told them they were in sin but He did so with gentleness and compassion which motivated them to want to live better.

This is so because Jesus saw the image of His Father in every person. When He “violated” the Sabbath law (in the eyes of the Pharisees), it was to be gentle and compassionate with the hurting. The traditions of men would not bind His hands to help. He also met the needs of those who were hurting, whether it was hunger or friendship or physical healing.

Jesus spoke words of comfort, grace, and love. He also emphasized changing one’s behavior. Sometimes we suffer through a crisis because our behavior is not as godly as it ought to be. Jesus was not afraid to tell people they needed to live differently (cf. John 8:11). He also asked sometimes: “Do you want to be healed?” (Mark 10:51; John 5). In that way, Jesus recognized that much healing will come when one accepts responsibility for his or her own behavior and choices.

Jesus also gave hope to the hurting: “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). In that way, and many more, Jesus was an encourager. He looked to pick people up when they were down. He also emphasized the possibility of having peace of mind (John 14:27). To do that, we have to change our thinking sometimes and look at the world from God’s perspective rather than our own. Jesus helped man to see that.

Jesus, of course, also taught, and taught, and taught. Teaching summarizes the life of Jesus nearly as well as any other single word. He admonished others to live right and confronted, even His friends, when they were living wrong.

How could Jesus counsel so perfectly? A summary view of the life and nature of Jesus will point out that we can counsel just as Jesus did. He was always obedient to the Father. Jesus would not counsel in a way that circumvented the will of the Father. He knew His will and He counseled consistent with that will. Jesus was a man of deep faith in the Father and, subsequently, prayed frequently. He also got personal involved in the lives of those around Him. Jesus was open and accessible to anyone who needed Him.

Yes, we can and should counsel like Jesus did.

Paul Holland

Mark 2:1-5 tells about the unorthodox efforts of four unnamed heroes who used faith and works to get a hurting friend to Jesus. Hearing that Jesus was in a house in Capernaum, four men sought to bring a paralytic to Jesus on a bed. Finding the house full of people and their way to Jesus blocked, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.’ ”

This incident reminds us that faith brings a different point of view in getting lost people to Jesus. Four men who believed Jesus could make a profound difference in the life of their paralyzed friend refused to give up when they found the way to Jesus crowded and impossible to pass. What to do? Faithless, negative thinking would have said nothing could be done and there were simply too many obstacles. But one of them lifted his eyes and expressed a different point of view: “We can get on top of the house, tear the roof off and lower him down to Jesus.” Faith helped them have a different point of view! As a result the paralyzed man went home with a newly healed body and a freshly cleansed soul.

Many Christians could use a different point of view. The devil has convinced some in the church that our job as Christians is to come, sit and listen. But the proper evangelistic mentality is summed up in the words of Acts 5:20 – “Go … stand … speak.” Some insist nobody they know is interested in God, but Jesus calls us to a different point of view. He says “the harvest truly is plentiful” and “lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (Matthew 9:37, John 4:35). Could it be many people are being kept from getting to Jesus because negative, faithless thinking is keeping us from getting to them? Faith can help us uncover the roof and see past what we alone can do to what we can do with God’s help. Has faith changed your point of view?

– by Dan Gulley

During military training, soldiers are required to march in formation, to march in line. This requirement is probably to get certain behaviors consistent among troops. Carpenters use a plumb line to get boards straight, etc. When this writer and his father attempted to put new shingles on a house without a chalkline, it became quite apparent why they made a chalkline in the first place!

There is as much false teaching rampant in the church today and out of the church on the subject of the Holy Spirit as there is on any other subject. In Galatians 5:25, we are told to “march in step with the Spirit.” In fact, the theme of Galatians is contrasting following after the Law of Moses versus walking in step with the Spirit.

Observe Paul’s emphasis in Galatians relative to the Spirit. He says, “Walk in the Spirit” 5:16; “Be led of the Spirit” 5:18; “Live in the Spirit,” 5:25; and “Walk in the Spirit” 5:25. This latter verse uses a different word for “walk” and is consequently translated by the NASV as “follow in the steps of the Spirit.”

This original word found here in 5:25 is stoikeo, which means “orig. ‘be drawn up in line,’ fig. ‘be in line with, stand beside, hold to, agree with, follow” (Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, Greek Lexicon, 769). We therefore get a picture of marching in formation (we are, after all, soldiers – 2 Timothy 2:3-4) or a little boy walking in step with his father, following his footsteps through the garden.

Later, in Galatians 6:16 and Philippians 3:16, we find another word associated with the concept of “marching in step with the Spirit.” In Galatians 6:16, Paul says, “Walk according to this rule” (vs 15 – the rule of being a new creature). And in Philippians 3:16, Paul says, “Walk by the same rule.” The word “rule” here is kanon – “rule or standard” (BAG, 403). It originally meant a reed, cane, or stalk of grain used in measuring. The word came to refer to the totality of the inspired Word of God – the Canon.

This rule or standard is broader than simply what it takes to be a Christian (a new creature – Gal. 5:15) for in Galatians 2:14, Paul rebuked Peter for not “walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel.” Peter’s error was in being a hypocrite! Thus the “Gospel” is the kanon, the standard, the rule by which we “march in step with the Spirit.”

The point to be emphasized is this: with all the talk about the Holy Spirit today, if one is not teaching and/or practicing exactly with the Holy Spirit told us to believe, teach, and practice, then that one is NOT “marching in step with the Spirit.” The New Testament does not teach that the Holy Spirit guides, leads, instructs, etc. except through the New Testament.

The New Testament is from the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul says, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (NKJV). “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). That’s why John wrote in Revelation 2 & 3 to the seven churches of Christ in Asia, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Because the New Testament is the Word of God, guided by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 3:3-5), then we absolutely must take it seriously! To do otherwise is to fail to “march in step with the Holy Spirit.” What Paul wrote to us are the commandments of the Lord (1  Cor. 14:37). If one refuses to listen to the word of the Spirit as penned by His inspired penmen, he has lost fellowship with God. Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 3:14, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.”

It is therefore imperative that our Christian universities, preacher training schools, and other leadership training programs teach preachers to preach only New Testament doctrine, nothing more, nothing less. 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” To do otherwise is to fail to “march in step with the Spirit.” Romans 16:17: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them” (cf. 2 John 9).

When one, either in the church or out of the church, claims to be led by the Spirit in a direct way, all the faithful child of God has to do is compare the doctrine and/or practice with what the New Testament already teaches. He would of course know immediately that the Spirit did NOT speak in a direct way (as we have already pointed out). But when the doctrine and/or practice is not found to be consistent with the New Testament teachings, the faithful child of God will then know “that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken” (Deut. 18:22).

This was an article I wrote 25 years ago in the bulletin for the Seibles Road church of Christ.

Paul Holland

INTRODUCTION: Paul pleads “to keep…” (Eph. 4:1, 3). Seven things are mentioned in connection with this plea. We are examining the one body.

BODY:

First, let us see what the word ONE means: 4:4-6.

1) One is single in number. Check any dictionary!

2) Jesus said to the rich young ruler: “one thing…” (Mark 10:21)

3) Judas Iscariot was called “one of the 12” (Mark 14:10)

4) One of two was taken and the other left (Luke 17:34-36)

Second, let us see what the “body” is:

Body (Greek, “soma”) means “the body” (as a sound whole, Strong’s, p. 134);

“The church which is His body” 1:22-23; Col. 1:18

“Now you are the body of Christ and members in particular” 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30.

The body about which Paul speaks is the body of Christ, the church.

Third, let us now observe that there is only one body or church:

We have seen that one means only one when used with God, the Lord, and Holy Spirit, the body: Eph .4:4-6

We have seen the body is the church – Eph. 1:22-23.

We, therefore, conclude that there is only one church, since the body is the church.

Let’s emphasize this by other passages: Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13, 20; Eph. 2:16; 4:12; Col. 3:15. Note the body is singular! The not a. See also 1 Cor. 12:15-16, 18-19, 22-25, 27.

Other passages emphasize but one church: “My church” (Matt. 16:18); “the church” (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 12:28; 14:4; 15:9). Again, we see the one church idea in the parallel between Christ and His church and husband and wife: Eph. 5:23-33; 2 Cor. 11:2.

Fourth, the idea of one runs throughout the Bible:

1) One fire – Nadab and Abihu – Lev. 10:1-3 – Only one acceptable!

2) One water – Naaman – 2 Kings 5 – Only one acceptable!

3) One God – Elijah and Baal – 1 Kings 18:36-39 – Only one!

4) One God – Athenians – Acts 17 – Only one acceptable!

5) One God – Daniel – Daniel 6 – Only one acceptable!

6) One God – Solomon – 1 Kings 11 – Only one acceptable!

7) One God and Savior – Hosea 13:4 – Only one acceptable!

Other descriptions of the body emphasize the oneness of the body or the church. Again, let us remember that the body is the church.

Paul called the body (church) the “house of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15). Note: House (singular), not “houses” (plural)

There is no exception to the foregoing statements about the “one body,” the one church.

“Churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16) refers to a number of identical churches in various localities, not to different churches teaching different things. See also verses 17-18.

Being doctrinally one is imperative: 1 Cor. 1:10; John 17.

Fifth, some object to the one church idea:

1) It is “narrow-minded”

1. What about one God, one fire and one water?
2. Some may think that God’s way is too narrow.
3. It is right, for it is God’s way, narrow or not.
4. Some agree with one church idea, however, it is universal, made up of all denominations:
5. a) The universal church idea promotes division, which Christ condemns: 1 Cor. 1:13; see Jesus’ prayer – John 17
6. b) The universal church idea includes a number of plans for salvation. Christ proclaims only one: John 10:1; 14:6; Eph. 4:5
7. c) 1 Cor. 12 proves false the theory of the all-inclusive church idea.

2) Some say, “If there is only one church, what happens to all in denominations, and not in the one church?”

1. Jesus said, “Every plant which my heavenly father has not planted shall be rooted up” (Matt. 15:13).
2. Being religious is not enough, for many such persons will be lost: Matt. 7:21-23.

3) “But many in denominations are honest and sincere.”

1. Prov. 14:12; 16:25
2. Paul was most sincere, but he had to leave an abolished system for the right one (Acts 23:1; 26:1-2; esp. ver. 9).
3. Search the Scriptures (Acts 17:11-12)
4. Eliminate churches which do not teach the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11), but add to and/or subject from His will (Rev. 22:18-19).

Conclusion:

4. There is one body – Eph. 4:4.
5. Jesus has promised to save His body – Eph. 5:23.
6. Jesus has not promised to save anyone out of His body.
7. Question: Are you in that body?
8. We can only respect Jesus by being in His church.
9. You can enter the body of Christ right now by believing (Heb. 11:6; John 8:24), repenting of your sins (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus Christ as God’s Son (Rom. 10:9-10), and being baptized into Him for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:27).
10. If you are a member of that body, but have become unfaithful, you can return to your first love now (Acts 8:22-24; James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-10).

the late Wayne E. Holland

a sermon preached at:

Hiawassee, GA (09/29/1985)

South Boston, VA (09/08/1991)

Roxboro, NC (06/23/2002)

Sometimes we might be tempted to define a good leader by such things as:

1. What kind of education does a person have?
2. What is his position?
3. How popular is he?
4. Has he made a lot of money?
5. Does He have a lot of followers?

Take a moment and think about what leaders in the Bible would be eliminated by such a shallow and worldly list!

But instead of using the wisdom of the world, let’s briefly consider the wisdom of Almighty God, so that we can be better leaders for our Lord.

GENERAL AREA OF EXCELLENCE: CHARACTER:

This is far and away the most critical area of an individual’s life as he seeks to be a leader for the Lord. This is crystal clear from the required virtues to serve as an elder, like: being able to control oneself, behaving respectfully, and not being quarrelsome nor greedy for material things (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7). Similar requirements are given for deacons (see 1 Tim. 3:8-13). Likewise, the apostle Paul instructs the young preacher Timothy to be “an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Character not only counts, evidently it counts the most! Of course, these are virtues that every Christian is seeking to cultivate, and one’s leadership for the Lord will to a large degree be proportionate to his or her character.

A LEADING VIRTUE: MEEKNESS:

Why meekness? Think about it from this perspective: Who was the greatest leader of the OT? This is somewhat subjective, but many would say: Moses, and it may hard to argue with that. (Of course, one could rightly say that the Lord was the greatest leader of the OT.) But do you remember what the Scripture said about this man Moses? Numbers 12:3 refers to him being the meekest man on earth! (For one great example, read and consider Numbers 11:26-30.) Who was the greatest leader of the NT? Jesus, right? In Matthew 11:29 Jesus described Himself as “gentle and lowly in heart.” I’ve heard meekness defined as “power under control.” Meekness is restraining oneself (what one can say or do) not only for the sake of one’s own character but to have a much greater (or, higher quality) impact on others and the kingdom. A lack of meekness always hinders the kingdom!

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE: TRUTH:

Again, we are reminded of the qualifications of elders. Paul gives instruction for elders to be those who “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught” and also “give instruction in sound doctrine and… rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Leaders love the truth! Jesus says that His “word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). It is impossible to love Jesus Himself if one doesn’t have great care about what He says. A good leader is one who seeks the truth uncompromisingly for himself as well as others, and doesn’t cower in fear in the face of opposition. He knows that the Lord’s way is the only way! (see Jn. 14:6).

It is true that much more could be said about what makes a good leader, but this is more than a good start in the right direction. Let’s lead for the Lord by embracing and growing in these three critical areas!

Daren Schroeder

Sam Geezil was from Chicago and he was a wealthy man, living in retirement. Joseph Weil was a conman, nicknamed “The Yellow Kid.” In 1910, Weil talked Geezil into helping him con some wealthy financiers who had a hunting lodge in Michigan to sell. The con involved Geezil buying the property for $35,000 (the financiers were so wealthy they did not care what it sold for) and then selling it for $155,000. Those involved would split the income. Geezil was interested.

Weil set up a meeting in Galesburg, IL where Geezil would meet the financiers. On the train, Weil had a friend of his join him who pretended to be a boxer. Geezil did not think anything about the man who was obviously physically unfit to be a boxer! Weil, Geezil, and the financiers met and agreed to sell the hunting lodge for $35,000. They then sat around, talking “finance talk,” even dropping the name of men like J. P. Morgan.

Then the talk turned to boxing and one of the financiers said he had a boxer who would be glad to fight Weil’s boxer. So, they all bet on the fight. When the financiers left, Weil confessed to Geezil that he did not have the money to put up for the fight. But, he assured Geezil that he could convince the other boxer to fix the fight and they would all win big! Geezil offered to use his $35,000, which he had already wired to the local bank, and he could wire for more money and would still make big on the sale of the hunting lodge. In all, they “bet” $50,000 on the fight.

When the fight happened, Weil’s boxer got hit and fell to the floor hard, with blood spurting from his mouth. He lay still. One financier claimed to be a doctor and pronounced the man dead! They all had to leave quickly or they would be implicated in the murder! Geezil left for Chicago, leaving behind his $35,000. He did not want to see Weil ever again. Weil, his boxer, and the other “financiers” made a tidy little profit.

The sale of the hunting lodge was a smoke screen to get $35,000 out of the hands of a  wealthy man. He never observed that the boxer was not in shape to box at all. He never saw the scam coming.

In Romans 16:17-18, Paul warned Christians: “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.” I particularly want to draw attention to the statement that men can deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting through “smooth and flattering speech.”

Satan speaks through “smooth and flattering speech” in order to throw a smoke screen around the lie, to entice the unsuspecting to believe it.

For example, in the famous scene involving a false prophet in 1 Kings 22, the false prophet named Zedekiah dropped the name of “Jehovah” in his lie, to entice the unsuspecting to believe his message (22:11-12).

Christians need to be extremely cautious over trusting what man has to say about what the Bible says. Nothing clarifies the truth more than reading the truth ourselves!

Paul Holland

Joy is one of the greatest things that we human beings can desire. We need joy to make life worthwhile. Earthly wealth and fame may never give us true joy. On the other hand, there are many people that experience a joyful life without having great wealth or fame.

How is it possible to be rich and not have joy and how is it possible to be poor and have joy? Joy is the one thing even beyond wealth and fame that people want to possess. People want to have joy in their life, rich or poor good or bad. So where can we find true joy that makes us happy in all things? See Colossians 1:9-18. God commands us to have joy

Back to the point that we cannot find joy sometimes because we are looking in the wrong places. We look for the approval of people to find joy and that does not happen. We seek pleasure to the point of fatigue and yet do not find joy. Where do we need to be looking? The answer is to our Creator who made life and all things possible.

Having a family and home for living and fulfillment is from God. We need to look to Jesus who claims to be able to give us real life and that more abundantly. We find joy in the teachings of Jesus and His life.

When Jesus passed by, he left people with the opportunity to have joy. The angels were recipients of the joy that Jesus brought and proclaimed, “Joy to the world the Lord has come.” Luke 2:10-11.

The teachings of Jesus in the Bible and his good news is the mechanism for bringing us a life full of joy and joy unspeakable.

Ivy Conner

Before the president of the United States can take office, he has to swear an oath. Historically, he puts his hand on a Bible, and he repeats these words from the US Constitution:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Most presidents have added the words: “So help me God.”

But when God swears an oath, He doesn’t say “So help me…anyone else.” Why? Because God doesn’t need anyone’s help to stay true to Himself…

The letter of Hebrews is a sermon on encouragement (13:22). The author is wanting to encourage Christians to stay faithful to Jesus Christ, regardless of what the consequences might be in this physical life. To encourage Christians, the writer talks all about the blessings that are available in Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 6, the writer states in verse 10 that “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” So the writer wants Christians to know that God recognizes, remembers, and will reward our acts of service toward each other. Those acts might not get recognized in this life, but God will recognize them in the next life.

Because God remembers our acts of love and service, the writer states in verse 11 that we should show diligence in this area so that we can realize the “full assurance of hope” until the end of our lives on earth or until the end of the earth itself. We need to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (ver. 12).

One of those whose faith we need to imitate, he mentions in verse 13, is Abraham. God promised Abraham and God swore an oath to Abraham – recorded in Genesis 22:17 – that God would bless Abraham and multiply his family. Abraham waited; he waited; he waited – and eventually God fulfilled that promise to Abraham (ver. 15).

In verse 16, the writer wants to contrast the nature of God and the nature of human beings. Human beings, when they want to emphasize the importance of their word and the truthfulness of what they are saying, will swear by someone greater than themselves. Usually, men swear “by God.” Supposedly when someone says, “I swear by God,” then that should settle things because they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

But what does God do when He wants to emphasize the truthfulness of what He is saying? Can He swear by someone higher than Himself? No. There is no one higher than God. Notice the words of the Hebrew writer in verse 17: “God desires to show to the heirs of promise [Abraham and his family and all those – including Christians – who will learn from Abraham’s life] the “unchangeableness of His purpose,” interposed – or guaranteed – with an oath.”

So, to show Abraham that God really, really meant what He was saying, the writer says God guaranteed it with an oath. But notice verse 18 – by two “unchangeable things:” God’s nature (that He cannot change; it is impossible for God to lie) and God’s oath – we can take strong encouragement from God and find refuge in God’s nature so that we can take hold of the hope that is set before us.

The word translated “unchangeable” here is also translated “immutable.” I wanted to introduce that word to you if you do not know the word. “Immutable” means “unchangeable.” Here, the writer is talking about God’s unchanging nature.

God is not One person one day and a different person the next day. He does not change. I, for one, have changed over the years. There are some bad things that I once did that I don’t do any more. There are some good things that I should have done my whole life but I started doing them when I learned better. You and I have changed.

God does not change. God does not need to change. And the Hebrew writer wants us to know that because God does not change, if He kept His promise to Abraham to bless him and his family and then fulfilled His promise, then God will fulfill His promise to us to bless us for serving each other in love, which is the context of this statement back in verse 10.

See these passages also: Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 102:25-26; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17.

Because Jesus is immutable, we can (and must) trust Him!

Paul Holland