“… for He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,’ so that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.'” Hebrews 13:5,6
One of the great truths of Scripture which is part of that great foundation upon which the salvation of men is founded is this: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8) Why is the unchangeableness of Christ so important in the consideration of the faithfulness of God? It is because circumstances, feelings, and the understanding of matters that confront us, whether they are seen or unseen, will never alter the Person of Christ, of God. Because of this fact, His ways are never altered. From the first time Moses entered into the Tent of Meeting, or Tabernacle, and then Solomon into the temple that he had built, unto the present day, when the Eternal God by the Spirit is in the heart of every believer to enable him to worship, the ways of God have never changed. There have been promises, and then, according to Scripture, “better promises,” but never any contradiction of purpose, preciseness of revelation of God, nor of the unveiling of His goodness and love to those in particular who trust Him. This is why the Bible is a universal book, not only in that it is for the entirety of mankind, that all may know God, but that in the consistent revelation of His WAYS, all men in all places, and at all times, can potentially know the salvation in Christ, and this in its fulness. The more the love of God is perfected in the believer, the more he knows God. In the Apostle John’s first epistle, this is one of the great truths that he was seeking to communicate to all believers, that God IS love, and they that know Him, are those who show forth this love. It is a love that is not of this world, but of Christ alone. It is a love that can be known today as it was known in John’s day because of the unchangeableness of Christ. The bedrock of the revelation of Christ, His ways, and His power, are the very foundation for faith to rest upon, believing Him for His highest. How then does the believer TAKE the faithfulness of God, and practically use it? It is somewhat like the partaking of the Lord’s supper. The elements are put upon the table to partake of. The elements are made to be taken with thanksgiving, in faith, and specifically to eat and to drink. Why? The answer lies in the word, “appropriation,” that act and attitude of making something that is offered to us, to become part of us by not only receiving it, but by making it our own by faith.
How does this work, and how can we appropriate the faithfulness of God, not just living in the reality of His faithfulness, but becoming like the Lord Jesus in being faithful ourselves? The first thing is, of all things, the sense and conviction of our need, and helplessness. It was Hallesby, who declared that the first condition of prayer was the consciousness of one’s helplessness. Why? It is only in being cast upon the grace, mercy, and goodness of God, that one can look up to receive directly from Him the answer to every need. In living by the faithfulness of God, believing Christ, regardless of circumstances, always constantly changing around us, only the heart that has ceased to depend upon itself or others, or any other thing, can truly rely upon and steadfastly stand upon the faithfulness of God, deliberately refusing to be moved. Is this not what David was speaking about when he wrote: “I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved?” (Ps. 16:8) Stability comes when the helpless man ceases to depend upon his meager, failing resources, in order to fully trust in the ever present, unchanging Christ, according to His word.
Dear Father. Show forth Thy faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.