Jesus’ promise to be the “gate” is still valid today. He offers security for our lives during these turbulent times. How, then, does Jesus provide security? Upon what basis is He able to make such a bold claim? I must confess I had to think about this for a while, but I settled, at least in part, on the fact that He is changeless. It is the immutable, changeless character of God that provides this security. He can make this claim because He is unchanging in His being, His attributes, His purposes, and His promises. Consider the following texts…
“Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands.
They will perish, but you remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing.
You will change them like a garment and discard them.
But you are always the same; you will live forever.
The children of your people will live in security.
Their children’s children will thrive in your presence” (Psalm 102:25-28, NLT).
“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed” (Malachi 3:6, NLT).
“Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow” (James 1:17, NLT).
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39, NLT).
A God that is changing is a God that cannot be trusted. Because God is changeless, He can be trusted to keep us secure for this life and the life to come.
