God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
Hebrews 6:18
Back before you were born, there was this breakthrough television series, Mission Impossible[1]. Every week the IMF team was given an assignment that not only saved the world from evil but was basically impossible for anyone else to complete. Each assignment ended with these words, "As always, should you or any of your IM force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."
And best of all, the show starts with the Theme from Mission Impossible[2]. This instrumental song, written by Lalo Schifrin, won two Grammy Awards. It was so popular that it was released as a single that it rose up both the Billboard Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts. And to top it off, this recording has also been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
I know that this isn’t going to be popular, but we all have different Mission Impossible episodes in our lives. I know, I know, I’ve heard it too. We can be anything that we want to be. We can achieve anything that we want to do. I’ve been told those same messages all my life. It’s the cornerstone of the $40+ billion-dollar self-help industry.
But there’s a problem with that idea that we can do anything. And the problem can best be thought of like this: if the all-powerful, all-knowing God of the universe has some impossible things that he can’t do, doesn’t it make sense that weak people like you and me have impossible things in our life too?
There, I said it. There are some things that God finds impossible. And just so you know that I haven’t gone completely crazy, I’m not the only one who’s said this. As a matter of fact, the writer of this book of the Bible says the exact same thing. Where did you think I came up with the idea? It’s not original with me at all. It’s in God’s Word, the Bible.
So, what are the Hebrews told that is impossible for God to do? He can’t lie. And oh, by the way, there’s a second impossible thing for God right here too. Since he’s unchangeable, that means it’s impossible for God to change. It’s a twofer. Two truths for the price of one.
The writer is telling the Hebrews that because these things are impossible for God, that their lives can be filled to overflowing with two things.
Hope. Hope in God is where we can expect him to be faithful because he never lies, and he never changes. We can put all the weight of our life on him because he never lies, and he never changes.
Encouragement. Because God never lies and never changes, we are lifted up in our feelings and life. This will energize us and motivate us to follow him all the days of our life. To remain faithful to him.
But how do these things change us and our lives? I’m glad you asked. Think of hope and encouragement this way. When God says that he loves us, that can’t be a lie and he’ll never change his mind about us. When he says that all our sins are forgiven, that can’t be a lie and he’ll never change his mind. When God says that we’ve been adopted as his sons and daughters, that can’t be a lie and he’ll never change his mind about us.
Will we hear this? Will we believe this? When will we once and for all grab onto these truths so that we’re never the same. We can have hope because God never changes and he never lies. We can also be encouraged for the same reason, God never changes.
Did you see that God doesn’t just give us any old hope. No, he gives us the hope that he set before us. Like a server at a restaurant, God puts a big plateful of hope right in front of us. He even gives us the utensils, the tools to receive his hope.
And God won’t just encourage us; he’ll greatly encourage us. His kind of encouragement starts with knowing Jesus Christ, our great cornerstone[3]. From there, his encouragement comes brick by brick. One solid piece of encouragement that’s laid on top of the other, creating a solid wall that will stand against the pounding winds of this life.
The whole point the writer is making to these Hebrews is to keep them faithful to God’s paid-in-full salvation through Jesus. Because of the pressures of persecution, they were being tempted to turn away from Jesus. The writer desperately wants them to remain loyal to God’s salvation.
I bet we’ve all felt something of those same pressures of life. It’s gotten so painful that you just want to crawl someplace and hide. But because it’s impossible for God to lie or change, we have a great and solid foundation for this life. Our job isn’t to try and stand against the pressures of this life on our own. Just the opposite. Our job is to run to Jesus when life seems so impossible. He makes this life a mission possible, not impossible.
Noodling Questions
What has been one of God’s Mission Impossible episodes in your life?
Who are the hope and encouragement people in your life?
How can you bring hope and encouragement into the lives of others?
[3] Ephesians 2:20
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