The unchanging goodness of our Heavenly Father : James 1:16-18

Good morning church, it is truly a joy to see all of you face to face at this moment.

A. Heavenly Father is the Giver of all good and perfect gift.

¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. (a).

Every (all, the whole, every kind of)

Good and Perfect gift- 

All Amazing blessings we received in our life are good and perfect gift.

Is from above (God). Our heavenly Father is a generous Giver. (Giving is one of His character). All uncountable and bountiful blessings we received in our life is from Him.

I want to categories in four ways.

1.Father greatest gift is His son Jesus

His only Son Jesus. John 3:16.

“For God so love the world that He Gave His only begotten Son whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁸ He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

Remember who we were. We were all dead in sin and trespasses; we were children of darkness, We were slave to sin; we were living in the lust of the flesh, We were enemy of God; we were separate from God, We were children of wrath; we were living without hope.

We were the most miserable, wretched people in the planet. We all have sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The dead of Christ was substitution for sinners, He was punish in place of us, He was crushed for our iniquities. He redeem us from the slavery of sin and freed us from eternal condemnation, freed us from slavery of sin and dead.

Now we have living Hope in Christ, we are Gods beloved Child and we have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1 says. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

2 Cor.5:17 says. Therefore, If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Romans 8:38-39. Says.

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.

Church let us praise God for “Great Salvation” this is the greatest and the perfect gift from our heavenly father.

2. The fruit of Spirit in our life.

Gal. 5:22-23.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

God want us to bear this fruit in our life whoever life right life with God bear fruit of the Spirit

They have Christ love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

This fruit of spirit will give satisfaction to your heart. Many people around you will be blessed through the fruit of Spirit in you.

Most importantly God’s name will highly be exalted and glorified.

3. Heavenly wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

Proverb. 2:6.

“For the Lord gives wisdom;from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

We need God’s wisdom and knowledge and understanding in our daily life. King Solomon says God’s wisdom is like a tree of life. Proverb 3

All kind of blessings bears in that tree. It’s like you open a gift box and in the gift box you get all you need in life. When we open the gift in proverb 3 we can find lots of amazing blessings.

1.Long life, riches and honour.

2.It will bring healing to your body.

3.Peaceful life will be your

4.You will find favour before God.

5.You will walk securely and your foot will not stumble.

6.You will have a sweet sleep.

7.The Lord will be your confidence.

God is good

4. God’s unconditional blessings in life.

John 15:18 says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Matthew 6:  Jesus says, If He take cares of the birds in the air, lilies in the field, He has promise that He will take care of us.

Illustration:

When I look back my childhood life. I had lots of up and down, it was an excruciating journey,

 I am the eldest son of eight siblings, my father was a pastor in a small village near Myanmar border, my mom and dad work very hard to feed all their 8 children and they never give up to give an education to their children.

Those days my dad’s only income was to go to jungle kill animals and sell the animal’s meat and support us for education for our food.

They also have few chickens and pigs, they sale them and support us.

We walk 2 days by foot to reach a small town to get education and during, vacation we come home and help mom and dad. Our life was hard, many a time we were not allow to attend classes and the institution send us home because we did not pay school fees.

However, God never forsake us, His favour was in all of us.

He supplied all our needs at His perfect timing. We experience God’s unconditional love and His amazing blessings in all our ways.

I came to Mumbai after my 12 standard, I was admitted in Wilson college for Bachelor degree but I was not able to continue my study because there was no one to look after me and I was not able to support myself too, so I drop and start working in Hotel.

My heartbreak and my dream was all shatter. But one day I met one pastor, he told me if I want to study bible, I was not sure about my calling. I keep praying for many days and months

Finally, God open a door for me to go for theology studies, God supply all my seminary expenses and now I am here.God is so good, He is good all the time, I mean it; I have tasted His wonderful love and grace. Praise God.

After seminary, I came to Mumbai, and I was taking care of small church. I came to know I am not a boy anymore, you know It was time for me to get marry with my sweet high school classmate. However, the challenging part was, I was not getting any salary for my full time ministry in the church, things were pretty hard to plan for wedding.

I was not even able to maintain my minimum bank balance. Which is Rs.1000, when I check my bank balance I have only Rs 400.

I told Phila I had Rs.400 in my account, and I remind how God has supply our needs and how He has bless us with all good things in my family life and in my personal life.

We just knelt down and start praying, when the perfect time come all our needs are supplied and we are overjoyed with all the amazing blessings of our heavenly Father.

Jesus promises in

John 15:18 says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

Matthew 6:  Jesus says, If He take cares of the birds in the air, lilies in the field, He has promise that He will take care of us.

¹⁷ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. (a).

Not only that, we have many uncountable good and perfect gifts from God.

# The fruit of Spirit that bears in our life is an amazing blessing from God.

Galatians 5:22-23.

# Wisdom and knowledge and understanding we received from God.

Application:

Psalm 103:1-2 says

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

There is a hymn “Count your blessing name them one by one.”

Let us not forget all the blessings we have received from our heavenly Father.

Let us praise God for, the great salvation, for the life we are living, family,

The food on the table, house, friends, for our country India, for the constitution for the freedom we have.

Let us praise God for all the bountiful blessings we received in our daily life.

Let us praise God for His unchanging Goodness.

B. Heavenly Father Goodness never change.

“Who does not change like shifting shadows?” (17b).

God does not change; this is one of His character.

Theologian and writer, Louis Berkhof define Unchangeableness  of God this way “God is unchanging in His Being, perfection, purpose, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situation.”

Malachi 3:6 says, “For I the LORD do not change.”

Being – God does not change in His being; He is always the Yahweh,

the self-existence God.

Psalm 90:2b says. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

Yesterday today and forever Jesus is the same.

Perfection – Gods attributes or characters is perfect and does not change.

Eternity, holiness, love etc. does not change.

Purpose – God is unchanging in His purpose. Psalm 33:11 says, “The counsel (plan) of the LORD stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generation.”

Promises – God is unchanging in His promise, Once He has made promised something, He will not be unfaithful to that promise. Num.23:19.

He is a promise keeping God.

God did not change when Adam sinned.

In case of Nineveh. God says, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed, unless they repent.” Nineveh repent and was spared. It was humans who had changed, not God’s plan.

We live in the world that is changing all the time.

However, we have our heavenly Father who does not change. How thankful we ought to be that we have a God with whom is no variableness at all, neither the slightest shadow of turning, God is always the same, at all seasons of the year, and throughout all ages. There is not the slightest change in His character, in His mode of being, or in His plans. What He was millions of ages before the world was made, He is now, and what He is now, He will be countless millions of ages from now.

Conclusion:

Church we have meditate together two very important point under the topic.

“The unchanging goodness

of Heavenly Father.”

1.Heavenly Father is the giver of all good and perfect gift.

1. Father greatest gift is His only son Jesus.
2. Fruit of Spirit in our life.
3. God’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
4. His unconditional blessing in our life.

2.Heavenly Father Goodness never change.

May God continue to pour out His amazing goodness in your life.

May God’s name be exalted and glorify through you.

I want to conclude with this beautiful verse.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

May God goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life.