God Has Not Changed, Mortals Do

More thoughts on the topic of God does not change. Here is a familiar passage. Or is it?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

I took it from Deuteronomy 6:5. The teacher of the law had challenged Jesus to name the most important of the Law’s commands.

I think in our hearts we feel Jesus was giving us a great new teaching. What he is actually doing is showing us God’s unchanging heart. Over 1000 years after Moses spoke these words, Jesus emphasizes their preeminence. See also Did Jesus Change God?

God introduced his name as I am. Do you see how He stated his case? He did not name himself I do.

Our culture changes, and where I live in China people are yet different and always have been. God who made these cultures does not change to meet them. Mohamed wanted to make the Arabs dominant while our God loves all the nations as his own.

God Has Not Changed-But the Bible Gave Room

Think of the Bible and its commands. God did not define how we do church, baptism, communion, or how often to read the Bible. These are very basic things, and God did not define them. If he had, he would have shunned certain personalities he made, or time periods he empowered,  and many cultures he created. As is it, the gospel has no barrier in this world. How faith looks is different everywhere and in every time.

Yet, we can be brothers and sisters with all these different ways if we have Heaven’s eyes. God has and does not change. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control still define him and are sought by his children everywhere. How we express them will be different across all times and cultures and denominations.  For example, the Nicene Creed is always true. The Beatitudes have not been vanquished. God yet holds the banner high, and he will not change. Christ Crucified is still our core. Praise be His name. May we do the same in the love of Christ, unending and unchanging while the methods are forever changing.  See also, God is Bigger Than Us.