The Immutability of God
Day 3
God is Unchanging
Malachi 3:6
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Our lives are marked by change. We grow or increase in physical, intellectual, and emotional ways. We also decline or decrease in these same ways. A common desire among older people is that they wish they could’ve had their wisdom when they still had their youthful bodies! I’m writing this at 23 years old, but I sure wish I already had the wisdom I’ll have when I’m older! God is not like us; He is unchanging. We, on the other hand, are everchanging.
God doesn’t change with respect to various categories. First off, God’s character does not change (Isaiah 46:9-11). He is the fullness of His attributes at all times. His attributes are unchanging! There is no shifting shadow with God; He is the same God from everlasting to everlasting (James 1:17, Psalm 103:17). God does not experience mood swings; He is not a good God one day and an evil one the next. He is never lesser or greater; He is always the same God. He is always holy, always love, always just. As A.W. Tozer stated, "God cannot go from worse to better for the simple reason that God, being absolutely holy, cannot go beyond Himself. He cannot get any more holy than He is now, or go from less good to better.”
Secondly, God’s Word does not change, nor does it ever fail to come to pass (Numbers 23:19, Psalm 119:89, 160, Isaiah 40:8, Luke 16:17). You do not need to worry about God’s Word or promises failing; indeed they cannot. God’s standards do not change based on time or location; they are forever the same (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Third, God is unchanging in His plan for His creation, and His counsel stands forever, unable to be overturned (Psalm 33:10-11, Proverbs 19:21, Isaiah 14:26-27). He was not forced to resort to a Plan B after Adam sinned. God’s purpose of creation cannot be changed or thwarted (Job 42:2), the salvation of His people cannot be prevented (Ephesians 1:3-14), and His judgment on wickedness cannot be stopped (Revelation 14:10-11).
Reflect: What are the blessings of God being unchanging? How should reflection on this affect how you view God and your life, including when things go well and when suffering and trials arise?
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This question may appear somewhat blurry now as we haven’t yet delved into God’s goodness, mercy, faithfulness, love, etc. To summarize, knowing that God is immutable, or unchanging, is one of the most comforting theological facts a Christian can understand. Our trust need not be in if we can make all the perfect decisions, and we should not fear that God will be pleased with us one day and despise us the next. God is always the fullness of His attributes, not loving one minute and wrathful the next. He is always love and always wrath. His attributes do not require separation; they only bolster one another. Knowing that God’s plan for us is unchanging should give great comfort because He has not saved us only to abandon us later. The same God who destroyed Sodom and saved Lot is the same God who crushed His Son and saved you. He is always God. Praise God for His immutability!
Today’s big words:
Immutability - God does not change.
Impassibility - God’s immutability concerning emotions; He does not experience emotional change, nor does He suffer.