God Doesn’t Change – Here’s Why That’s a RELIEF To Our Struggles With Sin
That’s a common defense when we preach the gospel of grace and forgiveness. “God doesn’t change”, they say, as if to imply God is still angry with Christians when we struggle with sins. But what if I told you:
Gods ‘not changing’ is actually a relief to our struggles with sin
It’s true, God does not change, and He still hates sin. He hates sin, not us. He died for our sins on the cross and ‘remembers them no more’ and ‘as far as the east is from the west He washed them away’ (not just covered them).
God did not change, BUT He did change the covenant. The old covenant was human effort law-keeping and animal sacrifices, and the new is faith-based and Christ crucified. Do you see who gets all the glory under the new? Jesus does!
Speaking of not changing, did you know the new covenant was actually made BEFORE the old?
[Galatians 3:17-18] What I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a PROMISE.
And there’s an even bigger deal going on with the new covenant that, thanks to self-righteous religious teaching, most people totally overlook.
OLD: A covenant between man and God. You are a participant. When man broke his promise he paid the price through death. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23).
NEW: You have NO role in the new. You are just a receiver, not the promise keeper. The ‘new’ is GOD promising GOD, and the good news is He won’t mess it up! That’s why you’re safe and secure. Because it’s not about you and your promise, but rather God’s promise to Himself to be faithful, even when you weren’t.
[Hebrews 6:13] For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
God is NOT changing. He’s keeping His promise He made to Himself! If you had anything to do with it you’d still be in trouble. It turns out God had it all rigged from the beginning!
Thank you, God. Thank you for Jesus.
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
