AN ESSAY ON THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD
“In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” This well-worn quote from Benjamin Franklin says far less about the certainty of death and taxes and much more about the uncertainty of everything else in life. Sin introduced an instability into every aspect of God’s perfectly ordered creation. As a result, all humanity has been searching for that place (or person) not subject to change—a place of safety in the midst of chaos.
We creatures are in a constant state of flux, always gaining or losing, improving or deteriorating. This is true biologically, but also mentally and emotionally. Exposure to new information and experiences can change the way we think about issues and individuals. We are subject to the whims of our fluctuating emotions, dangling between delight and despair.
But the Creator is distinct from his creation. Even the heavens will be changed out like a garment, but God remains eternally unchanged (Psalm 102:6-7). There is no “shadow of turning” with him (James 1:17). This is paramount in the relationship between Creator and creation. Imagine the implications of a god who is subject to change. By definition, change implies the possibility of improvement or decline—getting better or getting worse. A god who can improve is deficient and a god who can decline is dangerous. In what ways can he decline, and to what degree? If God could change, would he not be subject to manipulation? These questions strike at the heart of every healthy relationship—the trust factor. The immutability of God ensures that he is absolutely unchanging in his person, his purposes, and his promises.
We can know the person of God through his attributes, or the characteristics of his being. These attributes are not simply qualities God possesses or adjectives describing his activity. For example, love is an attribute of God, but it is not only something he lavishes on his creation—it is his very essence. God does not merely feel or show love; he is love (1 John 4:8). In that same way, the wrath God displayed in the Old Testament does not evolve into his goodness expressed in the New Testament. God’s love, wrath, goodness, and all his other attributes are fully present and fully functional at all times. Therefore, it is impossible for God to act in contradiction to his attributes since they are part of his being. The immutability of God is not superior to his other attributes, but it is fundamental. If he is not unchangeable, then everything else about his character is at stake.
If God is love but he is not always love, then I will certainly wander outside the boundaries of his compassion. If he is good, but he is not always good, then my suffering will convince me of his dark side. The unchangeable nature of God is an anchor for the soul that would otherwise be overwhelmed in a sea of uncertainty.
Just as the person of God is immutable, so are his purposes. The plans of his heart are from “generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11). God does not change his mind, nor can his plans be thwarted—not by circumstances or by people (Num. 23:19, Job 42:2). It has been the eternal purpose of God to redeem his fallen creation and he will finish what he started. Not even the desperate cries from his own son could alter God’s unchanging purpose (Matt. 26:39; 27:46). Neither can the failures of his people diminish his love or derail his plan.
The activity of God always corresponds to his unchanging intentions. Throughout the bible, God responds to repentance with forgiveness. That’s why he withheld his judgment from the people of Nineveh when they repented of their wickedness. God did not change his mind or his plan; he changed his action to match his intention.
In keeping with his immutability, God’s promises are also unchanging. His covenant with Abraham is a graphic illustration of the lengths to which God will go to keep his word. As the fire moved between the pieces of the slaughtered animal, God was taking a personal and peculiar responsibility for the fulfillment of his oath (Genesis 15:17-18). He would keep his promise, even unto death.
In a world of constant change, we can take comfort in the fact that Jehovah God is unchanging. This is pictured by the biblical imagery of God as a rock (Psalm 18:2). He is immovable, a source of steadfast love and faithful provision. He is a firm foundation for his people, upon whom he has set his unceasing affection. Though the earth trembles and the waters roar, we need not fear if the God of Jacob is our stronghold (Psalm 46).