14th November 2016 - God is Immutable

14th November 2016 - God is Immutable

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  God is Immutable– 14th October 2016 “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations”( Psalm 33:11). Somethingthatisimmutable isunchangeable.One dictionarydefinitionstatesthatimmutabilityisthe qualityof notbeingsubjecttoor susceptible tochange.Godcannotchange,nor can He be changed. We can learnfromMalachi 3:6:” “Ithe LORD donot change. So you,the descendants ofJacob, are not destroyed”.do not change." Againwe can readof Gods unchangeable nature fromJames1:17, "Every goodand perfect gift isfrom above,comingdown from the Father of the heavenlylights,who does not changelike shiftingshadows." We can learnmore suchteachingsthatthe Bible revealsthe unchangeable nature of God inNumbers23:19 and Isaiah46:9-11. From a time we understand,itis Logical thatwe come to know that God cannotchange. One may want to knowas to whythisis so.God is eternallyexistentastoldinIsaiah57. It saysthat God "inhabits eternity."We canlearnfrom Isaiah57:15, “Forthis is whatthe highandexalted One says—hewho livesforever, whosename is holy:“I livein a highand holyplace,but also withthe one whois contrite and lowlyinspirit,to revive the spiritof the lowlyandto revive the heart of the contrite”. He created time andis therefore outside of time. Change ismeasuredovertime.Somethingusedtobe one way and isnowanother.Because God isoutside of time,He cannotchange or be changed. There are several logical reasonswhyGodmustbe immutable,thatis,whyitis impossibleforGodto change.First,if anythingchanges,itmustdo soin some chronological order.There mustbe apointin time before the change anda pointintime afterthe change.Therefore,forchange totake place it must happenwithinthe constraintsof time;however,Godiseternal andexistsoutsideof the constraintsof time.We can read from Psalm33:11 “But the plansof the LORD stand firmforever, the purposesof his heart through all generations” Second,the immutabilityof GodisnecessaryforHisperfection.If anythingchanges,itmustchange for the betteror the worse,because achange that makesno difference isnota change.Forchange to take place,eithersomething thatisneededisadded,whichisachange for the better;or somethingthatis neededislost,whichisachange for the worse.But,since God isperfect,He doesnotneedanything. Therefore,He cannotchange forthe better.If Godwere to lose something,He wouldnolongerbe perfect;therefore,He cannotchange forthe worse. Third,the immutabilityof GodisrelatedtoHis omniscience.Whensomeone changesaperson’smind,it isoftenbecause he or she getsnewinformationthathascome to lightthatwas not previouslyknownor because the circumstanceshave changedandrequire adifferentattitude oraction.Because Godis omniscient,He cannotlearnsomethingnew thatHe didnot alreadyknow. Atthispointone mayinquire as to whyGod “relented”orchangedas appearingin Exodus32:14 “Thenthe LORD relented anddid not bringon his peoplethe disaster he had threatened”. Relentedmeans toagree todo or accept somethingthatone have beenresistingoropposing. Whenthe Bible speaksof GodchangingHismind, it mustbe understoodthatthe circumstance or situationhaschanged,notGod.When Exodus32:14” peakof God ‘relenting’orineffect changingHismind,itissimplydescribingachange of dispensation and outwarddealingstowardman. We can learnin Numbers23 that clearlypresentsthe immutabilityof God: “Godisnot human,thathe
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  shouldlie,not a humanbeing,thathe shouldchangehismind.Does he speak andthen not act? Does he promise andnot fulfill??” (Numbers23:19). Therefore asChristianswe mustclearlybearinmind that God doesnotchange Hismind.These versesaffirmthe doctrineof God’simmutability:He is unchangingandunchangeable.