God is unchangeable. This includes His attributes, promises, and love, to name a few. This daily devotional looks at what that immutability means for disciples.
Nuggets
- Instead of holding the worldview that it would be better if God changed, we actually benefit that He is unchangeable.
- That God is unchanging allows us to build a strong foundation on His Word.
- Jesus does not change in His administration of the Plan of Salvation.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Finding Our Center series
We just started the Finding Our Center series. We are looking at the attributes of God to determine His character.
The Christian Observer commended us for doing this. They wrote, “It is of very serious consequence to man that he should make himself acquainted with the character of God. In order to improve ourselves in this knowledge, it is useful to fix our attention at times on particular qualities of the Divine character. By carefully observing the different parts we shall become better acquainted with the whole.”
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But I am already running into how difficult taking it in part is. The parts are so interconnected, we talk about a future topic in the topic at hand.
Let’s crack open today’s topic and see where it takes us.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
We Benefit from God Being Immutable
“Because I, the Lord, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed” (Mal. 3: 6 CSB)
Instead of holding the worldview that it would be better if God changed, we actually benefit that He is unchangeable.
Gray brought up support for God’s aspect of God’s unchangeableness. He wrote, “All things remain in a circuit of being and not being; and even such things, when they have a being, remain changeable.”
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God’s switch has two settings: yes/no, on/off — call it what you will. It isn’t a dial, where we have to guess where He is on the continuum.
We generally think that God’s immutability means we don’t have to guess what He is thinking on a subject any given day. It also means that He can’t be corrupted. That means He won’t fail.
Spurgeon gave us a list of what won’t change.
• God’s essence
• His attributes
• His promises
• His threats
• His depth of His love or the objects of that love
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God’s immutability makes Him dependable. He doesn’t change His mind to manipulate us into doing what He wants.
That gives disciples a lot of security. God knows everything that has happened and everything that will happen. He has developed our plans accordingly. Failure is not going to happen.
We can take God’s promises — and everything about Him — to the bank.
You want proof? Every disciple can give you an example of a time when “God said this was/wasn’t going to happen, and it did/didn’t.”
Because God is as He is, the sons of Jacob have security. The sons of Jacob are Israel — and by extension, us.
Lilley noted that the whole purpose of this verse was to remind Israel that they had been spared because of God’s purpose — they were to be witnesses for Him. God will always keep a remnant to worship Him.
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We can take comfort in the fact that, when we grab hold of God’s promises, we won’t be destroyed either. We no longer have to fear the fury of hell when we submit our lives to Him.
But look at it this way. God says He will forgive our sins when we ask Him. He doesn’t change His mind about that.
God never comes up and says, “Ooo, baby, Elaine. I thought I could forgive every sin but unbelief, but that one takes the cake. Can’t do it. Sorry.”
Then again, God’s laws are not going to change. That means we won’t get up tomorrow and hear Him say, “From here on out, this is a sin” or “Good new, guys! I’ve evolved. That won’t be counted as a sin anymore.”
If He does go for degrees of sin, God isn’t going to switch them up one day and make little sins big sins and vice versa. He isn’t going to suddenly shine a spotlight on our private sins.
We can rest assured that God is not going to change the standards.
If we hook this on with the last devotion, we know God hasn’t changed His mind since before the foundation of the world. We know He won’t for the rest of eternity. Not only can He not change, but He also made the promise never to change if He could. His covenant is secure.
Glossary
What is God’s covenant to us? “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3: 16 NIV).
That covenant means God is going to rule over us for eternity. The principles He uses to govern us will not change.
The Unchanging Father
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (Jas. 1: 17 CSB)
That God is unchanging allows us to build a strong foundation on His Word.
We see someone who waffles from one position to another, one decision to another, as someone who is weak. We value decisiveness and consistency.
Think about what that would mean just for nature alone if God was mutable. Then throw in what it would mean for humans.
Think what that would mean for our beliefs. That would take the foundation out from under us.
Isn’t it comforting that God does not change? Think of all the changes that have happened in the past year alone. Almost everything has been impacted and changed.
Except God.
God is still on His throne. He is still in control. He still loves us. He still wants us to ABCD.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Jortin put a practical slant on what God’s immutability means for us. He wrote, “He cannot change for the better, because He hath in Himself all excellences. He cannot change for the worse, because neither can He have a will or a power to hurt Himself, nor can other beings be able to diminish His perfections, since they have no other strength than He gave them, and receive their nature and qualities from Him.”
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Buxton said that God’s being immutable means that His justice, love, provision, and forgiveness won’t change. If we put together what Jortin and Buxton said, we can believe that His justice, yada, yada, yada is perfect. It is meant to grow us, not to harm us.
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Jesus, Being God, Is Also Unchangeable
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13: 8 CSB)
Jesus does not change in His administration of the Plan of Salvation.
I think some people do want to live forever — if they get to pick the circumstances.
The problem is this world is always changing. Spring goes to summer, then fall, then winter. Babies are born and grown up — and then go off to their own lives.
We tend to think that constant change is detrimental to us. However, that shifting landscape, though, can help us grow closer to God. It can identify areas on which we need to work.
Jesus, because He is God, is unchangeable, also. He told us what is coming down the road. He told us that His Word is going to be more permanent than this planet.
Eastwood brought up a couple of points. The Gospel-Day Jesus is the same as the Old Testament Jesus. I would add that He is also the same as the Eternity Jesus.
Also, the ascended Jesus is still with us today. He is still in the business of saving.
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No matter which time period in whatever form, Jesus has always been and will always be the same Person. He will always have the same offices. He will always be mediator, advocate, intercessor, physician, forerunner, king, master, head, high priest, captain, and bridegroom.
To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.
Young felt that the changing phases of unbelief helped illuminate Jesus’ unchangeability. He wrote, “Theological development does not involve new truths. A deeper experience, a profounder study, a growth of intelligence, may invest a well-worn truth with fresh significance and beauty … Biblical criticism may illumine an obscure passage; single words here and there may be touched with new life; but the cardinal verities remain changeless and unalterable. The unchanging truth, while it is our safety, is our confidence.”
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Adams said that Jesus is the center. (Yep, we’re trying to find Him, too!). He is the same in pre-ordination, incarnation, and application. More importantly, Adams also said that Jesus made the world yesterday, He governs the world today, and He will judge the world for eternity.
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But here comes the writer of Hebrews assuring them that the Jesus that many of them had met and the Jesus that all of them had heard about was still that Jesus. He would remain that Jesus throughout eternity.
There was no need for them to fear.
Making the Connections
At times, it may appear to us that God does change His mind. Case in point — Numbers 14: 20. “The Lord responded, ‘I have pardoned them as you requested’” (Num. 14: 20 CSB). This pulls in the question of does God change His mind when He answers our prayers?
God requires that we ask Him for things. He isn’t just going to give us some stuff without our showing our dependence and submission to Him.
When we do, God answers the prayer as He was planning to all along.
How Do We Apply This?
- We can keep a handle on what God considers sin and avoid committing it.
- Since we always know what God wants and expects of us, we can grow into being the person He wants us to be.
His unchangeableness should convince us to repent. - We won’t achieve perfection in this lifetime, but James wrote, “… the higher we soar in our contemplations of Him the more we shall be excited to Wonder, love, and adore.”
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Gracious Heavenly Father. Thank You that You are constant. Even better, You are perfect where we aren’t. Help us to put You as our center and to grow closer to You. Amen.
What do you think?
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