The Immutability of God

God Never Changes

 Text.  Malachi 3:6.  “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

God never changes!   The Bible warns us about trusting in men, even powerful men.  Psalm 118:9   Psalm 146:3    That’s how we can depend upon him.  What does it mean to say that God is ‘immutable?’ – that he never changes, and what are the implications of that for us?

The God who created the universe, and made mankind as the pinnacle of his creation, is eternally immutable.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

1. God’s Own Nature and Attributes Never Change.  Psalm 102:24-27  

 The unchangeability of God is closely related to his eternal nature.  There was never a time when God did not exist, and there never will be.  There was nothing before him, and there will be nothing after him.  He is from everlasting to everlasting.  Psalm 90:2    Throughout his eternal existence, God has never changed.

Contrast this with the nature of men and women  Psalm 103:13-18  

In Malachi, God’s unchanging, eternal nature is closely linked with our guarantee of salvation.  It is because God never changes, that we can be spared from the consuming files of hell.  If God was capable of change, then our salvation would be uncertain – dependant upon the whim of a capricious deity.  The WCC assures us that God is ‘without passions’ – his moods do not change as ours do – he is constant, and he doesn’t change his mind about our election and salvation.  Horatius Bonar wrote: My love is oft-times low,  My joy still ebbs and flows;  But peace with Him remains the same;  No change Jehovah knows. Tis everlasting peace!  Sure as Jehovah’s Name;  ‘Tis stable as His steadfast throne,  Forevermore the same.

2. The Certainty of God’s Judgement Never Changes.  Hebrews 1:10-12  

Because we aver that God is not subject to passions, as we are, that does not mean that he is ‘unfeeling’ or ‘uncaring.’    In the early the church the Gnostic heretics believed that God was so far removed by us, that he couldn’t feel or understand anything pertaining to the distresses, joys or emotions of humans.  They called this ‘apatheia’ – the Greek word where we get our word APATHY.  It means he just doesn’t care.  In fact God cares very much about his creation, and especially about mankind, the pinnacle of the creation.  

• He cares when we treat each other with injustice.  Malachi 2:1-3:6  
• He cares so much that he is offended by our sins and there is nothing that WE can do to change that – for God, as we have seen cannot be MADE to change his mind.  Hebrews And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

The good news is that while He is offended by our sins he is also eternally merciful to sinners, and that never changes either.  He demonstrated his love and his mercy for us at the cross, where  he gave his only begotten son, to die for us, to take away the sins of the whole world and to pay the debt of punishment that we deserve.  Romans 8:5  1 John 4:9  

3. God’s Redemptive Purpose Never Changes.  

God NEVER lies, – he never changes his mind.  He is immutable in his Redemptive purposes, – that which he predestinates, comes to pass in his own time..  Let’s see some of those:-

• It is God’s redemptive purpose to choose out a people for himself, and give them an eternal inheritance!  Ephesians 1:11. 
• It was God’s redemptive purpose to predetermine our salvation, and to bring that plan to fruition in Christ, –  Acts 2:22   – and all those other parties in the drama of redemption were simply complying with God’s will and plan!  Acts 4:27-28. 
• None of God’s redemptive decrees have changed, or been revised or reworked nor will they or can they be changed.  Psalm 33:11. 
• God’s redemptive purpose for his his children is that they should do GOOD WORKS.  Ephesians 2:10.  
• God’s redemptive unchanging purpose is well past our comprehension.  Romans 11:33.  Why would God choose me as his adopted child?   Our part is simply to rest in his finished work at the cross, and trust him, no matter what transpires.

So, God never changes.  The unchangeable nature of God is referred to as his ‘impassibility’ or his ‘immutability’ and it is only because God never changes, and his decrees stand throughout all eternity, that we are not condemned for our wickedness and sin, and consumed by his wrath and righteous judgement, as Malachi has taught us.

© Bob McEvoy December 2019