The Value of Never and Always
Never
Today, I’d like us to consider the extraordinary value of “never.” First, we should thank God, for He created the idea and truth of “never.” After all, God created everything and “never” exists, so He made it (John 1:1–3).
The word “never” always sits on the shoulders of “truth.” Nothing can be “never” unless it is verified by objective truth (not opinion). Can you say that there has never been a purple horse? You can’t unless you know all of the history of earth plus all of the history of every celestial object in the universe. Right?
When you think about it, “never” sets a very high standard. It is an eternity word, like “always.” If you never give your heart to Jesus, then your sin remains on you, and your eternity will be eternal, horrible punishment (John 3:36).
On the positive side, if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you have received within you the Holy Spirit, and He will never leave you. He is with you now. He will be with you during your death. And He will be with you continually throughout eternity.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate [Holy Spirit], who will never leave you.”
John 14:16 NLT
Always
The word “always” is another eternity word. It, too, sits upon objective truth. Only God can use the word “always” without some qualification. We may say, “It’s always nice this time of year.” But, there is an understood qualifier. It is “often” nice or “usually” nice, but we all know that the weather tomorrow may be really miserable. When it comes to Jesus, He gave us an eternity “always.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19–20
Now you may say, “Whoa! Jesus used a qualifier. It says ‘to the end of the age’.” Yes, this promise is specifically about teaching Christ’s will to the world. So, let me hasten to add this verse:
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he [God] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
Good News
We live in a pretty messed up world that has mostly abandoned the objective truths of “never” and “always.” Instead, our culture places little value on anything that is eternal and unchanging. So, isn’t it comforting to know that God gave us the gifts of “never” and “always?”
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