The Faithfulness of God in All Generations
God is faithful in all generations (Ps 100:5; 119:90). God has made an everlasting covenant with Israel (Gen 17:7; Ps 105:10; Ezek 37:26), saying, “I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me (Jer 32:40).”
The ramifications, derived from God’s faithfulness to His chosen people from every nation (Gal 6:16; Rev 5:9), is comforting. False teachers, adhering to man-centered theology, are incessantly stirring up Christ’s sheep to “change the world” or “become relevant” or “dream bigger dreams.”
These charlatans of another gospel (2 Cor 11:3–4), of works-based sanctification, rely on cues from Christian leadership gurus, who themselves follow corporate business models and trainers in the world. In other words, the false shepherd brings their model for “success” into the church from current, successful organizational growth models in the world.
The quest is to make a name for themselves, by having a big flock of people, in order to live off the flock (Ezek 34). Whereas Christ’s sheep love the Word of God (Dt 13:3), it is different for unregenerate church members (Jer 5:31). They love the world’s psychology, business strategies, and philosophies for personal and corporate success.
Has Christ been faithful to build His church (Mt 16:18)? Yes, in every generation, the Spirit of Christ has moved men of God, to faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The means by which the Holy Spirit calls God’s elect people, to gather them into the church, has never changed. Think about it, five thousand five hundred years ago, Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet 2:5)!
When King Solomon observed that there was no new thing under the sun (Eccl 1:9), he could see the immutable God on the one hand (Mic 7:18; Heb 6:17–18), and the incessant vanity of humanity on the other hand (Ecclesiastes). Nothing has changed in the world. Men have a great idea, work that idea for a time, before watching the idea be replaced by something new. This is why most advertising claims to be the “new way” or the “new product.” Change is the way of the world, not the way of God. Still, the old adage is true, from our perspective: “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
In the world, some companies figure out a way to reinvent themselves for a season or two, while other companies simply die the first time around. The death of failed ideas, government theories, business models, etc. is only a reflection of entropy and decay that we observe in the natural and physical world. Stated another way, we live in a fallen world of dying and death. To employ the wisdom of this world in the church is simply tomfoolery.
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will not pass away (Mt 24:35).” The kingdom of God, ruled by King Jesus, is an eternal kingdom (Ps 145:13). The eternal Word, whether it is revealed in Law, covenant, history, wisdom, Gospel, or prophecy in the Bible, is unchanging. With God, it has been decreed, as His eternal purpose, generating from His eternal counsel.
It is this Word that is the power of God unto salvation, for those who believe (Rom 1:16). Those who believe are themselves a product of the Word (Rom 10:17). Those who receive God’s Word are given life and faith by God (Jn 1:12–13; Rom 12:3; Phil 1:29; Gal 5:22; Heb 12:2). They are conjoined to Christ and His body, as members of a new family, a new nation. This change for man is genuine and everlasting. It was always God’s plan.
The preacher who exegetes, exposits, and applies God’s Word, joins with the faithful men of God, from the past, to employ the only instrument for gathering God’s elect, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The preacher who takes his cues from the world will ever be learning from the newest, latest, and purportedly greatest techniques to gain money and fame.
God is faithful in every generation to produce the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness (Gal 5:22), in His vessels of mercy, prepared for glory (Rom 9:23). When God raises up a man of God, he will set his heart to study the law (Ezra 7:10), that is, to be one who preaches nothing but Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2). He will begin his sermon, by reading the text of Scripture he intends to explicate, in order to feed and protect the flock of God. He will then proclaim Christ to all (Mt 24:14; Mk 16:15).
God is faithful to lose none of His people (Jn 10:28–29), who He knows from eternity, and for whom Christ died on the cross (Eph 5:25). He is faithful and true (Rev 19:11), and He will be faithful to accomplish His promises to His people, as His Word — not the wisdom and ways of man — is preached to all nations, in every generation.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 27, 2021
