The immutability of God

Most fundamental to biblical faith pertains to the divine perfection of immutability. God is the eternal, absolute, infinite and immutable spirit-being. We owe our origin, our being, sustenance and the end of our life. Immutability is an incommunicable attribute of God with far-reaching consequences for God’s plan of man’s salvation. It is concomitant to His aseity. It is perfection not only in terms of His being but also in all of His perfections, purposes and promises. His nature, attributes and will are exempt from any change. This does not indicate that he is inactive or immobile. But it means that He is not inconsistent, or He is increasing or decreasing. We will discuss this attribute in connection with some of His communicable or moral attributes, which He shares with human beings as He created them in His image. 

Immutability in His being and in character: This is one of the excellences that distinguish the Creator from any of His creations. God is compared to a rock (Deuteronomy 32:4). “I am the Lord; I change not. Therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6). We are taught here that God’s unchangeable purpose for our salvation and His unchangeable character in carrying out His purposes are our only ground of hope. Hebrews says, “Wishing especially to show to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his will, God interposed an oath, in order that by two immutable things (His word and His oath), in both of which it is impossible for God to lie, we, who have fled to lay hold upon the hope which lies before us, might have strong consolation” (6:17–18). There is always change around Him, changes in relations of men to Him, but no change in His being, His purposes, or motives of actions. God’s immutability is in His essence, His attributes and in His counsel.

The Psalmist praises, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” (90:2). Earth and heaven shall perish, but God will continue to remain the same. Great Christian writer A. W. Pink said, “He cannot change for the better, for he is already perfect; and being perfect, he cannot change for the worse.” The first and fundamental difference between the Creator and His creatures is that they are mutable and their nature can change, but God is immutable and can never cease to be what He is. Two disclosures of His name in the Book of Exodus help us here. To Moses He revealed His ‘Self’, saying, 'I am that I am' (3:14), implying His changelessness, His eternal being, and eternal thouness. This is elaborated in Exodus 34:5-6 when God lists to Moses some aspects of His holy character: “The LORD, the LORD (Yahweh), a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children..." This exemplifies the changelessness of His moral character.

“God is the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17). The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.” (Psalm 33:11). “There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord shall stand.” Proverbs 19:21. Isaiah 46:9-10: “I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.'"

There are texts in the Scriptures that seem to contradict what we have just said, e.g., Gen. 6:6f., Exod. 32:10-14, I Sam. 15:11; 2 Sam. 24:16, Psalm 18:26-27, Proverbs 11:20, 12:22, Jonah 3:10, and Joel 2:13f. some of which speak of God as ‘repenting’. However, if we study the context, we know that God does not repent. Due to the changes in man, God maintains His dynamic character and His faithfulness. He is always active in applying His righteous judgement to the world in carrying out His holy plans. It is His treatment of His creatures that may change consequent to the changes in situations. God moves history; He is dynamic. When we see that his threat of judgement did not come true in Jonah 3:4, 10, for example, this is not a contradiction of his immutability. The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 illustrates this point from the positive argument. What is implied is that God adapts His righteous actions and plans to changing human situations without affecting His immutability in any sense.

It may appear to us that when God is said to have ‘repented’ in the Bible, he changes his mind, contradicting the scriptures’ teaching on the immutability of God. However, many of the references are anthropomorphisms that interpret divine things, in this case, in human terms. God does not change his mind but shows mercy when people change their minds. It is important to maintain His immutability against any false teaching that God can change in His wisdom and purpose depending on man’s action. “The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man that he should repent.” (I Samuel 15:29). So a lack of understanding lies behind such misunderstanding.

In His truth: God is the Truth because He is the Absolute AMEN, the Alpha and the Omega. God stands by all His words, promises, and all His decrees, warnings, and statements, which will remain true. Nothing can annul his eternal truth. We must guard against any confusion with immobility while talking about His immutability. God’s immutability is His perfect consistency in all relationships with His creation.

“It is impossible for God to lie.” (Hebrews 6:18; please see also Titus 1:2). “… cannot deny Himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13). That the truth, which is essential to God’s character, is more than the laws of logic and includes His entire revelation is evident from the words of Christ. The earthly life of Christ was directed toward the revelation of God’s eternal truth. Pilate, therefore, said to him, 'Are you a king then?' Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king; to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world: that I should bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37). In his Highly Priestly prayer he said, "Sanctify them through your truth: your word is truth” (John 17:17).

In His holiness: The holiness, justice and goodness of God are His moral attributes. Holiness lies essentially at the centre of His moral character. The holiness of God is his central moral attribute. His holiness will express his holy character. His will and purpose are perfectly holy. This theme is recurrent in the Scriptures. "...you shall be holy; for I am holy... you shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Lev. 11:44-45). Because of this nature of holiness, God hates sin. Habakkuk says, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on iniquity.” (Hab. 1:13). Hebrews says, “Our God is a consuming fire.” (12:29). Without becoming holy we cannot see God. “You must pursue… holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebs 12:14).
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The writer is a Christian Theology teacher and Church leader