We live in a world that is always changing.  Think of how different things are now than when you were a child.  Neighborhoods change.  Communities change.  Fashion styles change.  Even the meaning of words change.  Forty years ago, being “gay” meant to be happily excited about something, but today it means something much different than that.  Things are constantly changing.

Fortunately, some things never change, especially from a spiritual standpoint.  This week, let’s consider “Things That Will Never Change.”

First on the list is the faithfulness of God.  In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul wrote, “God is faithful…”  We should be thankful for this every day.  It tells us that God will always keep His Word.  Think of the many promises that God has made to us.  We should appreciate the special nature of the promises of God.  Here is how Peter referred to them:

2 Peter 1:4 (ESV)
⁴  By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

The Greek word for precious is timios and refers to that which is valuable, honored, and esteemed (Strong).  There are very few things more valuable than the promises of God.  Peter is referring here to promises that have helped us escape the corruption of the world and become partakers of God’s divine nature.  That is a promise that carries blessings that pertain to both the present and the future.  Thanks to the grace of God, we can be like Him right now.

Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV)
²²  To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

There could be no new self were it not for God’s gift of salvation.  We only have this salvation because  of the justification that has been imputed to us by faith (Romans 5:1).  Paul put it like this to the saints at Ephesus: “For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesus 2:8).  Some mistakenly conclude that the gift here is faith, but, in reality, it is the salvation that God has promised to those who obey the gospel.  If you have obeyed the gospel, your sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ, allowing you to be made new in the “likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Can we be sure about this?  Yes, because God is faithful.  He always keeps His Word.

The promise of salvation, and becoming a partaker of God’s divine nature, extends to the future as well.  One of these days, our physical bodies will be changed from corruptible to incorruptible, and we will be like Christ.  John said that we know that when Christ appears we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2).  This is not wishful thinking.  We know that we shall someday have a glorified body like Christ because God has said so, and He is faithful.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.