Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (ESV).
In a time where many things are being questioned and, in some cases, changed, what remains trustworthy? This is an important question to consider. While the rumbling under our feet might be louder than usual, I can almost guarantee there have been seasons of questioning in your life previously.
Perhaps you asked Jesus yet did not see someone you love healed. You poured your heart out for provision but still struggle week to week. It might be a dashed relationship; a leader’s behaviour made you disillusioned.
I, too, have experienced all of the above. Like you, I have examples of what not to do in situations like these. Yet despite it all, Jesus has remained true to His nature and character. Over time, I have learned in the season of testing, where the ground under our feet shakes, to hold fast to a single defining step.
When my life experience does not seem to match God’s Word, I place my trust in who Jesus has defined Himself to be. Then, I resist the temptation of redefining God to fit my experience.
Jesus is perfect, so there is no improvement or change necessary. No matter how much I may desire difference, it is never helpful. As Hebrews 13:8 (ESV) says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” James 1:17 (ESV) says about Jesus, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
In short, trying to change God is an exercise in futility. Suppose I redefine God based not on who He has forever declared Himself to be but on my limited experience. In that case, all I do is create another idol, a god of my own understanding who is as lifeless as any other idol. I might feel better, but I am no longer following Jesus; I am following another.
There is a phrase that describes this ever-present temptation as together we live in the age of ideology. Together, we live in a time of intense deconstruction, some helpful and necessary, other elements damaging and hurtful for our flourishing. “By ‘ideology,’ we mean any set of beliefs that 1) takes part of the truth and makes the whole and 2) takes a good thing and makes it ultimate. In the face of this temptation and moment, the invitation of Jesus is to “demolish strongholds” of the mind and to instead take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ, to fight for orthodoxy.” John Mark Comer
This is the precise heart of the preceding and following verses surrounding our anchor verse in Hebrews 13:8 (ESV). “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.” Hebrews 13:7–9 (ESV).
When you are tempted to define God by your experience, invite the Holy Spirit to refine you to be more like Jesus. Be honest about the ideologies that you find tempting to be accurate but don’t line up with God’s faithful Word, and finally, be honest with your own difficulties when it comes to the Bible and following Jesus.
The Way remains narrow, but it alone leads to life. Don’t redefine God; instead, let Him refine you. Remember, you are always only ever one obedient step away from following Jesus. Make your next step an obedient one, and watch how the Holy Spirit will love and lead you.
Growing Together,
Jason Boucher
