Monite Sepitema 6, 2021
ke ne ha‘u kiate au ‘o inu
let him come to me and drink
Sione 7 (John 7)
(v. 37-39) Pea ko eni, ‘i he ‘aho faka‘osi ‘o e kātoanga, hono ‘aho lahi, na‘e hanga ‘a Sīsū ‘o tu‘u, ‘o ne kalanga ‘o pehē, Ka ai ha taha ‘oku fie inua, ke ne ha‘u kiate au ‘o inu. ‘Ilonga ‘a ia ‘oku tui pīkitai kiate au, pea hangē ko e lau ‘a e Tohitapu, ‘e tafe atu mei hono manava ha ngaahi vaitafe ‘o e vai mo‘ui. (Ka na‘e kau ‘ene lea ko ia ki he Laumālie, ‘a ia ka ma‘u ‘e kinautolu na‘e tui pīkitai kiate ia: he kuo te‘eki ai ‘a e Laumālie, koe‘uhi kuo te‘eki fakalāngilangi‘i ‘a Sīsū.)
(v. 37-39) On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )
6. GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE
Ko e ‘OTUA´ ‘oku TA‘ELILIU
Ko e hono fakahoko ki he moʻui´
Ko kinautolu ‘oku kau kia Kalaisi fou ‘i he’enau tui, ko e ‘ofa ta’eliliu mo e ola kotoa ko iaa, ‘oku kamata pe ia ‘i he mo’ui ‘i mamani (Loma 8:1). ‘Oku tau ma’u ‘a e ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otua neongo kuo te’eki ke tau fai ha ‘ofa kiate Ia (1 Sione 4:10). Ko ‘etau ‘ofa kiate Iaa ‘oku feto’aki mo liliu he ‘oku ta’ekakato, ka ko e ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otuaa kiate kitautolu ‘oku ta’eliliu ‘o hange pe ko hono natula. ‘Oku fakamatala a ‘Aisea ki he “ ‘ofa ta’engata” ‘a e ‘Otua (‘Aisea 54:8), ‘o ne pehee, ka hiki ‘a e ngaahi mo’ungaa, ‘e ‘ikai hiki ‘a e ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otua mei hono kakai (v. 10). Ko e ‘ofa ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku hoko mai kiate kitautolu ‘o fou ‘ia Kalaisi (‘Efeso 1:3-14). ‘Oku ‘ikai ke toe fakalahi atu ‘e he ‘Alo pe te ne fakahoko ‘a e ‘ofa ‘a e Tamai, ka ‘oku ne ‘omi ia kiate kitautolu. Pea ko hono ola, kuopau ke ta’eliliu ‘a e ‘ofa ‘a e Tamai kiate kitautolu; he ka ‘ikai, pea ‘e ngata leva ‘ene ‘ofa ki hono ‘Alo.
‘Oku malie ‘aupito ‘a e fakamatala ‘a Pavinaki ki he fekau’aki ‘a e tu’unga ta’eliliu ‘o e ‘Otua mo hono malu’i ‘a hotau fakamo’ui:
‘Oku ‘ikai ke pehee pe ‘e he ‘Otua, “ko Iaa ‘a e ‘Otua ‘oku ‘i aii” pea ‘ikai te ne toe ‘omi ha fakamatala ki hono tu’unga mo’ui ‘iate Ia pe, ka ‘oku ne fakamahino mai. Pea kapau ko ia, pea ‘e fe fe leva ‘ene hoko mai? ‘Oku ‘ikai ko ha tali faingofua eni. Ka “te ne hoko pe ki he me’a te ne hoko ki ai.” Ko hono fakama’opo’opo ia ‘o e me’a kotoa. Ko e konga ko eni, ‘oku kei tu’u ta’ekakato pe, ka ‘i he taimi tatau, ‘oku loloto pea fonu ‘i he ‘uhinga lelei...Te ne hoko ko e katotokatoa ma’a hono kakai. ‘Oku ‘ikai ko ha ‘Otua muli pe fo’ou ke fakafou mai ‘ia Mosese, ka ko e ‘Otua ‘o e ngaahi to’utangata, ko Ta’eliliu Ia, ko Faitonunga, ko ‘Otua lau’itaniti ‘oku mo’ui ‘iate Ia pe, ‘a e Tokotaha ‘oku ‘ikai te ne situ’a pe li’aki hono kakai…’oku ta’eliliu ‘a ‘ene kelesi, mo ‘ene ‘ofa, mo ‘ene tokoni, pea te ne kei ko Ia ai pe he ‘oku ne kei ‘i ai ma’u pe ‘iate Ia.
Fakalaulauloto ki he mo’oni ko eni: ‘E kei ‘Otua ai pe ‘a e ‘Otua koe’uhi he te ne kei ‘iate Ia ma’u ai pe - ‘o ta’eliliu ‘ene ‘ofa kiate kitautolu, koe’uhi ‘e ‘ikai pe toe liliu hono anga kiate kinautolu ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi.
For those who belong to Christ by faith, that immutable love and its effects begin now in this life (Rom. 8:1). We are the recipients of God's love before we love him (1 John 4:10). Our love for
him may wax and wane in imperfection, but God's love for us remains as unchanging as his very being. Isaiah speaks of God's "everlasting love" (Isa. 54:8), declaring that even if the mountains are removed, God's "steadfast love” will never depart from his people (v. 10). The love of God comes to us in Christ Jesus (Eph.1:3-14). His Son does not add to or cause the Father's love but does bring it out to us. As a result, the Father's love must be unchanging
toward us; otherwise, he would have to stop loving his Son.
Bavinck wonderfully captures the relationship between God's unchangeability and the guarantee of our salvation:
God does not simply call himself “the one who is” and offer no explanation of his aseity, but states expressly what and how he is. Then how and what will he be? That is not something one can say in a word or describe in an additional phrase, but "he will be what he will be.” That sums up everything. This addition is still general and indefinite, but for that reason also rich and full of
deep meaning. ... [H]e will be everything to and for his people. It is not a new and strange God who comes to them by Moses, but the God of the fathers, the Unchangeable One, the Faithful One, the eternally Self-consistent One, who never leaves or forsakes his people. ...He is unchangeable in his grace, in his love, in his assistance, who will be what he is because he is always himself.
Meditate on this truth: God will be what he is because he is always himself—unchanging in his love toward us because he cannot be anything else to those who are in Christ.
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