Weekly Update: A New Normal and Things That Never Change

 

You’ve probably heard the phrase “new normal” many times over the past few weeks. A lot of things have changed recently, and this prompted our culture to use that phrase to describe the permanency (or semi-permanency) of those changes. The way our public-school system educates children has changed. On August 19th the kids will start school, but they will do so online. Sporting events have been cancelled. Even the Lobster Mini-Season was restricted in Monroe County through the closure of boat ramps. One of the biggest changes during the pandemic has been the addition of a face covering to our attire.

I remember when our kids were younger, Darlene and I had a hard time keeping shoes on their feet. They are Florida girls and they love being barefoot. We had to turn around and go home more than once because they didn’t have their shoes. Now, every time we leave the house we have to ask, “Do you have your facemask?” While we were out of town last week, I had to walk several blocks back to the truck because I forgot my mask! The face covering is a new normal part of our culture.

The face covering will be an iconic symbol of this period for us and our children. The way that wearing a face covering influences our culture provides evidence for my conclusion. First, there are a plethora of ways for someone to correctly and incorrectly wear one in addition to the various types of masks and that reflects a person’s personality. Also, the wearing of a face covering and the places in which a person wears it has become an ethical issue that is politically charged. The evolution of face coverings in our society and the way they influence daily life is almost unbelievable. In fact, if you were to describe our “new normal” to the me in 2019, then I would have dismissed you as a crazy conspiracy theorist! But here we are in this new normal wondering if there is anything that remains unchanged.

These four things remain unchanged. In fact, they saturate every facet of life while we adapt to the “new normal.” God does not change. Wayne Grudem describes God’s immutability writing, “God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations. We base this conclusion about God on passages like Malachi 3:6 and Hebrews 13:8, which say, “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed,” and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The world will continue to change, but take heart Christian, the Lord remains unchanged and He will fulfill His purpose, promise, and will for your life!

Our relationship with Jesus will remain unchanged too. By this I mean that our relationship with Jesus is something we will never lose, nor will it end. Our relationship with Him is a dynamic one because He is a living person (Rev 1:18) and our relationship with Him changes as we grow stronger in our faith (Mt 28:18-20). Jesus engages in the progressive revelation of Himself to us over time (Mt 7:7; Jn 14:21; Rev 3:20). Our relationship with Him is also unchanging because once we repented of sin and trusted in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit regenerated us, made us a new creation, sealed us as Sons and Daughters of God through Jesus’s sacrificial atonement on the cross and resurrection from the dead (Jn 3; Titus 3:5-6). We were born-again and adopted into the family of God. Therefore, we may confidently conclude: “37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Rom 8:37-39).

News agencies seem to publish new and changing information almost by the hour these days. They are doing their best to provide accurate news in light of changing circumstances. The Word of God, however, remains unchanged and applicable to every part of our lives. The Word of God stands the test of time. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” The Word comes from God and therefore, it is a reliable source of truth for us. Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” The Word of God is eternally authoritative. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

Finally, our fellowship with other Christians is unchanging. We have an eternal bond with one another through our Lord Jesus. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and that relationship is everlasting! Consequently, our fabulous fellowship compels us to experience two wonderful things. First, we can have Jesus joy and encouragement during a time such as this one. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” Second, we can regularly meet for worship. Hebrews 10:25 says, “not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

It is true that we live in a “new normal,” but remember that there are amazing things that will never change! Trust in God, your relationship with Jesus, His Word, and our Christian fellowship!

In His Service,

Pastor Josh