God Is Immutable
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). The Word and character of God never change, which is in stark contrast to that of humanity, which is in a constant state of change. The changeless nature of God is what makes Him the ultimate object of our faith. The writer of Hebrews says, “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8).
Note that the writer doesn’t say we should necessarily imitate the behavior of those who lead us. Our faith is not based on humanity, no matter how well people behave. We should consider the lives of teachers who profess to know God and live by faith, and then imitate what they believe if their lives are bearing the fruit of righteousness. When we see the fruit of righteousness in the lives of our leaders, we know that the object of their faith is God and His Word, which never changes.
Fallen humanity has “worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). Many believers have been led astray by trusting only in themselves or others, because there are no perfectly faithful people. We are not able to solve our own problems, much less save ourselves. Humanity has found some stability by trusting in the fixed order of the universe, especially the solar system. We set our watches by it and plan our calendars.
What would happen tomorrow if the sun rose two hours later than it was supposed to rise? The whole world would be thrown into chaos, and everyone would be extremely anxious. It takes months or years for us to establish faith in someone or something. One act of unfaithfulness or inconsistency can destroy that trust, and it will take months or years of consistent, faithful behavior to rebuild it. In fact, we would be foolish to put our trust in someone or something that is unfaithful or unreliable. That is one reason why human relationships are so fragile.
This is not the case concerning our relationship with God. God is faithful and never changes, and understanding this provides stability in our lives. We can confidently live by faith in God, knowing that the Creator who sustains the fixed order of the universe will also sustain us. The psalmist declares, “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end” (Psalm 102:25-27).
“What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar” (Romans 3:3-4). God’s Word is true whether we believe it or not, and He will never change. He keeps His Word and His Covenant, being faithful to Himself. He is the rock of our salvation who changes not.
a few questions to consider:
Why does God’s unchanging nature allow us to completely put our faith in Him?
Why may it be foolish to put our trust in others or the things of this world?
Does our unfaithfulness have any impact on His faithfulness? Why or why not?
How does it affect your confidence and stability to know that God will never change?
What relationships in your past or present have been broken because others have changed in such a way that they were no longer believable?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.