It is often said that the only certainty in life is change. That seems rather factual according to our daily experience. We always try to change things to make them better because we are never satisfied with the status quo. We do it in the name of progress. So we consider it a good thing to be an agent of change. Some aspire to be an agent of change within a community, others within a city, still others within a state, within a nation, or even throughout the world. In fact, a point has never been reached in human history that we are completely satisfied with the status quo and no longer desire any change. Perhaps the only certainty in life is our insatiable appetite for change. That explains why we often have a hard time keeping our words. We do want to keep our words. But so often we prefer to fulfill what our heart desires for the moment at the expense of our words. What our heart desires for the moment changes all the time and so we are fickle and whimsical by nature.

On the contrary God has an eternally unchanging nature because God is perfect and has no need for change. By that nature God always keeps his words. Therefore God's word is truth. It will hold true regardless of time, place and circumstance. "Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's words will never pass away (MATTHEW 24:35)." Everything that he has said, he will do. For "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind (NUMBERS 23:19)." Every word that comes from the mouth of God is a reflection of his nature. Therefore, by understanding the word of God we get to know God. There are no other ways through which we can know God - only truth itself can define God the way he is, and the word of God is truth. Thus only the word of God can reveal what God is really like.

All that God intends for us to know about him, he has spoken through his words recorded in the Bible. The Bible recorded the account of creation. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God spoke the word and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, faithfully carried it out. When God speaks, Jesus turns God s words into reality. God said, Let there be light, and there was light. Let there be the sky, and there was the sky. Let there be dry ground, and there was dry ground. Everything Jesus does leads directly to the fulfillment of the word of God. The Bible also recorded man s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. When man had sinned and become separated from God, God promised salvation for man.

In fulfilling his promise God the Father commanded God the Son to offer himself as an atoning sacrifice for man s sins. Jesus obeyed and voluntarily gave up the benefits of deity - his majestic glory, heavenly riches and angelic worship. He left his throne in heaven and became a man. While walking the earth he preached the good news of God s forgiveness of sin through repentance in his name. He proclaimed freedom for all that are in bondage to sin. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the crippled walk, fed the multitudes, cast out demons and raised the dead. But sinners rejected him. They rejected his words out of fear and anger because what he said testified that their deeds were evil. They rejected him to the point of nailing him to a cross. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, God laid the sin of the whole world upon him and cursed him. Thus Jesus shed his blood on the cross; he paid the full penalty for man s sins.

On the third day after Jesus was crucified, God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him (ACTS 2:24). God raised Jesus from the dead as proof that he has accepted Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Anyone who is willing to deny himself the pleasure of sin, turn from his sins and turn to Jesus by faith will have all his sins washed away by the blood of Jesus. He will be righteous before God without the blemish of sin. He will receive the gift of eternal life. Thus through Jesus God has kept his promise of salvation for man.

While he walked the earth, Jesus revealed to man what God is really like - Jesus is simply the word of God in bodily form. He is the embodiment and the personification of the word of God - the word of God has come alive! Jesus is the only way through which we can get to know God. No one has ever seen God. But God the one and only Son, who is at the Father s side, has made him known (JOHN 1:18). If Jesus had not come, we could never know God at a personal level and have a personal relationship with him. But when Jesus came and shed his blood for us on the cross, all the barriers between God and man were torn down. Through faith in Jesus all sinners can be reconciled to God. Jesus is the only way by which we can relate to God. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (1TIMOTHY 2:5). What Jesus did on earth indeed led to the fulfillment of God s word concerning man.

If what God has said has not come to its fulfillment, its time has not come yet. God has promised that Jesus will come again to judge the world and to bring those who have put their faith in him to eternal life. It has been two thousands years since that promise was made. Many have asked, Where is this coming he promised? "God is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone come to repentance (2PETER 3:9)." God is merciful. He wants to show mercy to as many as would put their faith in Jesus. We have mistaken his mercy for his failure to keep his promise. When we misunderstand the word of God, we misunderstand God s nature.