[excerpt]The admonition to the Jewish believers is the same for us today. The elders appointed in every church in the early days [Acts 14:23] were to rule by giving direction rather than imposing authority. We owe them our respect and submission. Christians owe much to those who taught us and modeled the Gospel and the Christian life.[/excerpt]
The admonition to the Jewish believers is the same for us today. The elders appointed in every church in the early days [Acts 14:23] were to rule by giving direction rather than imposing authority. We owe them our respect and submission. Christians owe much to those who taught us and modeled the Gospel and the Christian life. Human leaders have much to offer us. So, we respect past leaders and remember their leadership; recall their instruction; consider their goal; and imitate their faith. Leaders themselves are responsible for ensuring their faith and works are worth copying.
Paul said, “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy [2Cor.1:24]. “Neither as lording it over the charge committed to you (God’s heritage), but making yourselves examples to the flock” [1Pe.5:3]. Elders are to feed the flock of God. This food is the Word of God. Shepherds are instruments in the Lord’s hands, and as such, we honor them and “hold them in reputation.” We observe their way of life and imitate their faith, as they would imitate the Lord Jesus. It is not always safe to imitate a good man’s life. But it is wise to follow the faith of others when their example shows they are followers of the Lord. We are to submit to their authority, and it will be to our benefit to listen to their counsel. The Holy Spirit has designated men to give direction to God’s children, so the lesson for us is to remember the word of God they have taught us and practiced themselves.
I remember the leaders in the assembly when God saved me, and I appreciated their interest and care for my spiritual well-being from the start of my Christian life. They taught me to read the Bible as the words of God, written as a personal conversation from God to me. In a sense, the words of the Bible were more reliable than spoken words because they are not spoken and forgotten – they are the scriptures of truth.
The faith of those leaders was real, obvious, impactful, and a very exemplary model for me to follow. Their quiet confidence, patience, and trust in the words, ways, and works of God were contagious. Their spiritual life seemed to be marked by assurance, purpose, and awareness of who they were and why they were in the world. They had a role to fill that was needed and of great benefit to all the believers under their influence. They seemed satisfied to live quiet, ordinary lives as good citizens, finding their joy in doing what they did for the Lord, not just for themselves and others.
Those who went before me modeled what they taught. Some were shepherds who cared for the spiritual interests and well-being of others, and they opened the way for me to participate in the life of the assembly of God’s people. Other leaders invested their time in me, helping me see the value of evangelism and how I could be involved in carrying out the Lord’s Great Commission. They knew what I was capable of and corrected, taught, and mentored me in ways that made me want to please them and God.
When “those who ruled over us” “spoke the word of God” to us and took the time to guide by example and correct my mistakes, I was thankful for them and respected them then and now. They were consistent in their actions and words, and I wanted to imitate their faith. They knew and trusted the Lord Jesus Christ without question, and they wanted to live and please the Lord themselves and wanted the same for me.
What the Lord Jesus Christ was to the people in the past, He can be and is to us today. He is changeless. He may do things differently at times, but He is always the same. What would we do if the Lord Jesus Christ were to change? What security would we have? If He could change, where could we go for refuge? The greatest comfort we have is that He does not change. He loves us forever; He is long-suffering and patient as ever; His power is the same as ever. Our changes make no difference to Him. Human leaders are worthy of our respect, and we remember them with fondness and appreciation, but our eyes must be on Christ, who, unlike human leaders, never changes. The world and people change; Jesus Christ is unchanging.
Jesus Christ is infinite in His “yesterday.” There is nothing that can be added to Him or taken from Him. His power, love, grace, goodness, holiness, authority, and every part of His being are eternal in nature. He is, was, and always will be unchanging and perfect in His mind, emotions, and will. No pressure can be applied to Him to make Him yield to the will of mere humanity.
“Today” is a term used to help us understand Him, because for an infinite, eternal, unchanging person, He lives in an “eternal now.” Neither time, space, nor matter can contain Him who is preeminent in all things. His obedience to the Father, even though they are equal and one; His love and devotion toward those He has saved by His grace; and His eternal faithfulness continue undiminished. Every attribute He had in His deity remains, even though it was veiled while He was here as a man among men.
“Through the ages” reminds us that every characteristic He has had forever as God, and everything He learned when He was “found in fashion as a man,” is unchangeable. Our Great High Priest has a role to fill that is forever. His essential being, His nature, His characteristics, holiness, and righteousness will never change. Whatever He will do through the eternal ages will be consistent with His inherent being and personhood.
There is a sense of security when, in a changing world, there are those who never change. Changelessness is assuring. Changelessness is stabilizing. Changelessness is comforting. When it is found in a Person, we can be confident that, despite my ups and downs, He is the same. In times of sadness or joy, He is the same. In health or sickness, He is the same. When I am alone or in a crowd, He is the same. If there is tension, there’s no change in Him. If there is unrest and warfare, He is not swayed by it. When death and despair come, He is still the way He always was in the past. Looking into the uncertainties of the future, He will never be changed. What great confidence we can have in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
[category Hebrews]