Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.

Hebrews 13 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Let love of the brothers and sisters continue. ² Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. ³ Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body. ⁴ Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. ⁵ Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” ⁶ so that we confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

⁷ Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. ⁹ Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. ¹¹ For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the Holy Place by the high priest as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. ¹² Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the gate, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood. ¹³ So then, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach. ¹⁴ For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.

¹⁵ Through Him then, let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips praising His name. ¹⁶ And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁷ Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account—so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.

¹⁸ Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things. ¹⁹ And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you more quickly.

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, ²¹ equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

²² But I urge you, brothers and sisters, listen patiently to this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. ²³ Know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes soon, I will see you. ²⁴ Greet all of your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.

Today’s text says: Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever. Do not be misled by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.  In Matthew 24:4 Jesus says: “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many people.”  Those who say that Jesus has changed and is different than He was when He was here, mislead many with their varied teachings. Those whose gospel focusses on prosperity and financial security above righteousness say Jesus is different. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus says: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.”  If we find the kingdom we will have no need of anything else, we will be content with what we have. David, the psalmist, a man after God’s own heart says: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) and Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) When the Lord is our delight, we have found the kingdom and His righteousness, and He is our heart’s desire. Not only do we say, what can man do to me, but also what can man offer me. I am content in Him.

Those who say that Jesus has changed and that if He were here now, He would embrace the immorality, unrighteousness and sin of the culture and society teach a strange and varied doctrine that contradicts what Jesus taught. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” The text says: God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Those who say that there are many ways to God contradict what Jesus said. In Matthew 7:13-14 He says: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” In John 14:6 He says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Not only has Jesus not changed from then until now, He will not change when He returns. In Matthew 5:17-20 He says: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” When He returns, Revelation 21:5-8 the Lord says: “Behold, I am making all things new… It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. I urge you, brothers and sisters, listen patiently to this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly. Grace be with you all. Amen