Introduction
Change can be a difficult thing to understand. Part of the problem is that change is dependent on the observer’s perspective, and perspectives, by their nature, are often different among different people, or even to the same people at different times. Students of the Bible are used to the concept of God’s plan for mankind. The scriptures assure us that God and His plan never change, that whatever He wills to be done, will be done (Isaiah 55:11). Yet, God’s plan is marked out by distinct phases, and from mankind’s perspective, each phase, or age, brings a sweeping set of changes with it.
Part one of this three-part study on change examined the relationship between God and change. Part two examined our Lord Jesus, whose very existence is a series of fundamental changes from one state of being to the next. However, Jesus’s trust in his Father, and his determination to do only his Father’s will, remained unchanged throughout everything he experienced. The last part of this study examines the relationship between change and the Church class, those who “have made a covenant with [God] by sacrifice” (Psalms 50:8). Without change, the Church class would not be possible. Further, without change, many faithful ones throughout the age, including today, would not have been able to answer the High Calling to the Church and render their sacrifices to God.
A Change in Salvation
By the time of Jesus’ first advent, the Jewish people had been God’s chosen people for many generations. They were made up of the descendants of Israel, the grandson of Abraham. Over the years, many of the Jewish people came to some understanding and acceptance of the concept of a resurrection from the dead. For example, as Job endured the trials that came upon him and his family, Job’s anguish caused him to call out to God to “hide him [Job] in the grave” until “God’s wrath had past.” He then asked “If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change has come” (Job 14:14-14).
Further, the well-known prophecy recorded in Daniel 12:1-2 foretells a time in which “them that sleep,” referring to the dead, shall “awake.” In these seemingly simple yet profound words, the condition of death is compared to a condition of sleep. Just as those who sleep are unaware of the world around them, so, too, are the dead (Ecclesiastes 9:10). However, just as those who sleep eventually awaken, the prophecy foretells a time when the dead shall also “awaken.” This return from a state of oblivious death to a state of conscious life forms the concept of resurrection.
The scriptures make a relatively plain statement about the resurrection beliefs of some of the Jewish people in the New Testament. During Jesus’s first advent, a close friend of his, Lazarus, sadly died. When Jesus arrived at Lazarus’ home, Martha, Jesus’ sister told Jesus that she knew Lazarus will “rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). Additionally, Paul’s words (Acts 23:6-8) record that the Pharisees, one sect of the Jewish religious leadership of the time, taught that there would be a resurrection of the dead, but the Sadducees, a different sect of the Jewish people, taught that there was no resurrection. These examples demonstrate that the concept of a resurrection was plainly known by the Jewish people.
Whether in the Old or New Testament, the resurrection examined so far is based on a return to life from a state of death. In other words, the dead will be restored to life on Earth (an “earthly” resurrection). Although the belief in an “earthly resurrection” was, and continues to be, scripturally sound, the scriptures also proclaim a different, second type of resurrection. These two different types of resurrections, or salvations, were hinted at in God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:17). In this iteration of His promise, God stated that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sands of the seashore. Although the greater meaning of this promise would not be understood until centuries later, God was using these words to describe two different types of resurrections. The first, represented by the “sands of the seashore” would be the earthly resurrection that the Jewish people of the Old Testament expected. The second type of resurrection, represented by “the stars of heaven,” would be a heavenly reward.
The heavenly reward, and the opportunity to pursue it, would not be available to mankind until after Jesus’s death. Once available, those who followed in Jesus’s footsteps would have the opportunity to become members of Christ’s church, and attain this new, heavenly reward (Galatians 3:29). In order to obtain this heavenly reward, Jesus taught that one must devote one’s mind and heart to God (Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 19:16-23). Because not many would recognize this newly opened path to a higher salvation, Jesus referred to this path in life as a “narrow way” (Matthew 7:13-14).
From mankind’s perspective, the opening of this “narrow way” was profound change to their opportunities for salvation. Many at that time, including the religious leadership, had great difficulty in understanding and accepting both the claims of Jesus as being the Son of God (John 10:24-31), as well as the claims that a path was now open for an individual to obtain a spiritual, divine existence (Matthew 13:13-15). These difficulties in understanding, either due to disbelief or simple ignorance, continue to the present day.
As great as this change was, the Scriptures teach that it had always been God’s plan to open this second road to salvation and select a special class from among mankind. In Ephesians 1:4, the Apostle Paul teaches that the eventual existence of the Church class was architected by God before “the foundation of the world,” or before the actual act of creation began. I Peter 1:2 reinforces this teaching with the thought that the Church was to be “elected” according to the “foreknowledge of God,” as well as that the criteria for this “election” would be the “sanctification of the Spirit” and by “obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." From this perspective, the election of the Church class, although a change from mankind’s perspective, was actually part of the orderly execution of God’s plan.
The following excerpt succinctly summarizes the relationship between the perception of change, and the unwavering execution of God’s plan with respects to the Church class:
These members are "elect according to God's foreknowledge through sanctification of the spirit and the belief of the Truth." (1 Pet. 1:2.) Their selection is not a change in the Divine program, for they were "chosen in him before the foundation of the world." (Eph. 1:4.) Their selection was unexpected of the angels and of men and hence was a "mystery" and still is a "mystery" to mankind. "The world knoweth us not, even as it knew him not." (1 John 3:1.) But the selection of this class was always the Divine purpose. (R4398)
A Change in Invitation
During his first advent, Jesus made it clear that he was only sent to the descendants of Israel (Matthew 15:22-24). This does not mean that the redemptive work of Jesus’s sacrifice is only applicable to the descendants of Israel today. It also does not mean that the lessons Jesus taught are somehow not appropriate for all people, regardless of their background, who have worked to become his followers through the centuries. Instead, as God’s plan unfolded, a change occurred, greatly altering who would be eligible to answer Jesus’s calling.
As recorded in Matthew 10:1-8, Jesus sent his apostles among the people to heal the sick, raise the dead, and other manners of healing works. However, as noted in verses five and six, Jesus specifically tells them not to go amongst the Gentiles, but to only preach and heal amongst the Israelites. In verse seven, Jesus further instructs them to preach that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The intent of this declaration was that Jesus, whose sacrifice would soon enable God’s kingdom, had come. The message was (and still is) meant as a call to action. In Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus lays out the expectations for those who wish to follow him in serving God. In order to do so, one must put aside the selfish pursuits of this world and place serving God as the highest priority in one’s life. This is what Jesus meant in his words, recorded in Matthew 6:33, “seek ye first the kingdom of God.” Jesus also indicated that a heavenly reward will be granted to those who are found worthy in following this path in life. He described this as “laying up treasures in heaven” in Matthew 6:19-21.
Although Jesus’s instructions are precious to all of his followers today, the invitation to follow him, at the time, was only open to the Israelites. After his death, however, this invitation would be expanded to all mankind, both Jew and Gentile. This change began with a vision that God sent to the Apostle Peter, as recorded in Acts 10:9-16. Although Peter did not understand the visions meaning at first (Acts 10:17), he would soon come to understand that God was extending the call to “lay up treasures in heaven” to the Gentile people as well (Acts 10:28). Soon after this, God’s Holy Spirit was granted to the first of the Gentiles to ever receive it, a sure sign that God had accepted them into His service (Acts 10:44-48).
This dramatic change led to misunderstandings and friction in the early Christian churches. Some of the early Jewish consecrated ones had difficulty accepting Gentiles into their fellowship. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul addresses some of these difficulties, specifically regarding the belief held by some of the Jewish church members that their Gentile brethren should conform to the requirements of the Jewish law. He also addresses the opposite point of view, expressing that the brethren coming from Jewish backgrounds had an advantage of living under the Jewish law, because it prepared their hearts for serving God in a way that the brethren from Gentile backgrounds did not have (Romans 3:1-9). Although friction between Jew and Gentile in the early Christian churches was a result of the monumental changes at the time, all were still called to the same calling to God through Jesus' sacrifice (Ephesians 4:4-6).
The invitation to consecrate one’s life to God and thus become a member of Christ’s church (Philippians 3:13-14), started out as an exclusive call to the Israelites. Without change, no Gentile, including those who strive to follow Jesus today, could also answer this invitation. Although not easily understood by the people living through the time of change, nevertheless, the change was a vital part of God’s plan.
A Change in Goals
When the early Israelites agreed to become God’s chosen people, they also agreed to follow God’s laws (Exodus 19:3-8). In addition to a series of laws and procedures, God delivered directions for a set of sacrifices that were expected of the Israelites. God further delivered precise instructions for the establishment of a priesthood, a place for the priesthood to serve called the Tabernacle, and for the furnishings that were to be placed in the Tabernacle. These laws and procedures are recorded in the Old Testament books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
God declared that any who perfectly kept all of His laws would be granted continued life (Leviticus 18:5). Although not explicitly specified in this verse, the expectation was that this life would be the continuation of one’s earthly life. This meant two important things for mankind. First, since God only gave His law to the Israelites, the opportunity for life under the Law was correspondingly only available to the Israelites. The Gentile people, which formed the majority of mankind, were not covered by the Law. Second, none of the Israelites were able to perfectly keep the Law and thus were not able to gain life through it (Romans 3:19-20, Galatians 3:10-12). Only Jesus, who remained obedient to God until his death, would be able to perfectly keep the Law and thus gain life under it (Matthew 5:17-18, Philippians 2:7-8).
Continued life under the Law was highly dependent on the work of perfectly and continually keeping every detail of the Law. This is sometimes referred to as “justification by works.” However, after Jesus’ sacrifice was completed and the opportunity to answer the higher calling of consecration was open, a profound change occurred. Jesus’ sacrifice was a one-time payment for mankind, and is thus the sole means of salvation for mankind (I Timothy 2:5-6). Although the spirit of the Law may have a positive effect on the hearts and actions of those who try to keep it, the Law no longer has the power to provide any type of justification (Romans 10:4).
Jesus’ sacrifice changed the way to salvation and justification to be based on faith in his sacrifice and its ability to redeem mankind from the fallen condition of sin and death (John 14:6). Instead of relying on animal sacrifices and ceremonies to provide justification from sin, mankind was now expected to look to Jesus’ one-time sacrifice to provide justification. In this regard, Jesus may be thought of as an advocate or mediator between God and man (I John 2:1-2). “Justification by works” had been replaced by “justification by faith.”
The change to justification by faith also brings a fundamental change in the goals of the lives who seek salvation. Instead of concerning oneself with keeping the letter of the Law, or studying and interpreting the Law, Jesus’ followers are expected to demonstrate such a faith in him and in God that they are willing to dedicate, or consecrate, their lives to God’s service. The Apostle Paul refers to this dedication as “the one thing I do” (Philippians 3:13-14). Instead of adhering to the laws and sacrifices given to the Israelites, consecration to God involves dedicating one’s life to the study of God’s word (II Timothy 2:15), serving others, especially others who have dedicated their lives to God (I John 3:16), and spreading the truth of God’s plan to any who will hear it (II Timothy 4:2).
Conclusion
This three-part examination of the subject of change began with a reverential consideration of our Heavenly Father, God. Beyond mankind’s ability to truly comprehend, God is unchanging (Malachi 3:6). Yet, His creation, whether the stars, planets and untold expanse of the universe, or the natural world of our planet Earth, or mankind itself down through the generations since Adam and Eve, seems to be in a perpetual state of change. Our Lord Jesus was considered next. From his beginnings as the mighty spirit being known as the Logos, to the humbler yet perfect existence of the man Jesus, to his forty-day existence as a spirit being after his resurrection, and lastly to his glorified and permanent condition as a divine being at the right hand of his Father, our Master’s very existence is a chain of one fundamental change to another. Yet, each change was necessary to further his Father’s grand plan, which, due to Jesus’s willing and perfect work and sacrifice, executed exactly on time and exactly as planned. Lastly, those who seek to consecrate their lives to God in order to achieve a heavenly salvation as members of Christ's Church class were examined, and how, without change, it would not be possible for many to seek this wonderful reward. Yet, although this opportunity for a heavenly salvation remained a mystery until after Jesus' sacrifice, the Scriptures assure us that the Church class was always part of God's plan.
The execution of any plan, of necessity, requires change. If change was not necessary, there would be no need for a plan because everything would already be in its final desired state. For most of mankind, change is viewed as disruptive, inconvenient, and even frightening. Many of God’s followers believe that we are at the end of a transitional period between two great phases of God’s plan. Any transition brings change, and great change can be expected to bring a correspondingly great churn and tumult. Already, mankind is starting to feel the rumblings of the unprecedented turmoil that will accompany the changes of the ages (Daniel 12:1).
Even though they may see and feel the beginnings of this coming turmoil, God’s followers are blessed to understand that God’s plan has not, and will not change. God has sworn by His very Self to bless all the nations and people of mankind (Genesis 22:16-18, Isaiah 45:23). Although God issued that oath to Abraham well after mankind was created, God designed His plan before any of the creative act even began. The execution and final outcome of God’s plan not only will not change, it literally cannot change. Instead of being fearful of the powerful churn and trouble that is even now beginning, God’s followers can continue to have complete confidence that these changes, like all other changes throughout the ages, will ultimately serve God’s grand and glorious design.
The magnificent pageantry of the heavens daily and nightly should elicit our praise and adoration, and should inspire in our hearts holy and reverent devotion. Let the noiseless activity, the perfect obedience to divine law, and the blessed shining of the heavenly hosts, impress their wholesome lessons upon us--of zealous activity without commotion or ostentation; of perfect obedience to the will of him whodoeth all things well, who is too wise to err and too good to be unkind; and of letting the glory of the Lord which has illuminated us shine from us in turn upon every beholder. Indeed, to those who have been brought into close fellowship with the Lord through a knowledge of his plan of the ages, all his works should be viewed with a keener sense of appreciation--from the tiniest organism seen through the microscope, to the worlds revealed by the telescope. (R1815)
