Fri., Mar. 18/22
Last Friday I wrote about “The Mutants.” The X-Men of Marvel Comics fame and the God-Man Christ, the Almighty Who took upon human mortality. We are the ones mutated, marred by sin, yet enabled by Christ be become like Him!
Today I speak of “The Immutable.” He Who does not change. He cannot change for change would make Him something greater or something less, both impossibilities for He Who is eternally perfect.
In his book Knowing God J. I. Packer writes…
- God’s life does not change. God exists forever. He neither gets better or gets worse. He neither matures nor regresses. He has a perfect permanent life.
- God’s character does not change. God’s mercy, love, faithfulness, justice never change. Although he may deal with people in different ways, they will all be consistent with his fundamental moral character which is immutable.
- God’s truth does not change. The word of the Lord endures forever. It is trustworthy and true and therefore can be relied upon.
- God’s ways do not change. God is not capricious in the way he deals with people. He punishes sin consistently. He bestows grace freely.
- God’s purposes do not change. Nothing catches God by surprise. He doesn’t need to change his plan or adjust with mid-course corrections because his plans are set from eternity past. There is simply no need to change.
- God’s Son does not change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8).
When Moses asked the Lord His Name God said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exod. 3:14) – the ever being One. To Malachi the Lord declared, “I, the Lord, do not change.” (Mal. 3:6). The author of Hebrews writes of “the unchangeableness of His purpose” (Heb. 6:17) and James of the constancy of His nature: “…the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (Jas. 1:17).
C. H. Spurgeon adds, “God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand that never fails.” And R.C. Sproul notes, “God’s plan never changes because He never changes and because perfection admits to no degrees and cannot be improved upon.”
“Here is a trustworthy saying,” writes Paul, “…if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Tim. 2:11, 13). On this passage Oswald Chambers comments: “God remains God even when we are unfaithful. Never interpret God as changing with our changes. He never does; there is no variableness in Him.”
God’s judgment is reserved by God’s mercy. God’s Love is bestowed upon us by God’s grace. God’s salvation is made possible by God’s Son and God’s Holiness maintained throughout it all. God does not change, we do. If we will approach Him it must be on His terms, asking him to make us more and more into His great image!
“When God is our Holy Father, sovereignty, holiness, omniscience, and immutability do not terrify us; they leave us full of awe and gratitude.” – C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
Rest in God. He will NEVER change.
Press on…
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)
Pressing on... 