The Immutability of God

Does God Change His Mind?

First Things First…

God does not/cannot lie and always keeps His promises!

Hebrews 6:18 “so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.”

1 Kings 8:56: "Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord our God has given us has failed to come true, not one!" (NIV) This verse from King Solomon celebrates God's perfect track record in fulfilling His promises.

Joshua 23:14: "Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good things the Lord your God has promised you has failed to come true; it has all come to pass for you, not one of them has failed." (NIV) Here, Joshua, nearing the end of his life, reminds the Israelites of God's faithfulness in keeping His promises to them.

Psalm 89:34: "I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips." (NIV) This verse portrays God's commitment to His covenants and promises as unwavering.

2 Corinthians 1:20: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are all ‘Yes’ in Christ. So through him our ‘Amen’ is spoken to the glory of God by us." (NIV) This passage emphasizes that God's promises find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Here are some examples of how all promises of God are found fulfilled in Christ:

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Proverbs 1:33 ““But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.””

Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Isaiah 40:29–31 “He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

Salvation: The promise of a Messiah who would redeem God's people from sin runs throughout the Old Testament (e.g. Isaiah 53). Christ's sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate fulfillment (Romans 3:21-31).

Sacrifice: The elaborate sacrificial system of the Old Testament pointed to a future perfect sacrifice (e.g. Leviticus 16). Hebrews explains how Jesus is the final and complete sacrifice (Hebrews 9-10).

Descendant of Abraham: God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 12:2). Through Jesus, this blessing extends to all who believe, Jew or Gentile (Galatians 3:13-14).

Relationship with God: The Old Testament portrays a distant God, approached through priests and sacrifices. In Christ, we have direct access to God the Father (Ephesians 2:13-18).

The book of Hebrews: This New Testament book is rich in explaining how Christ fulfills the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Romans: Paul's letter to the Romans explains how Christ fulfills God's promises to both Jews and Gentiles.

What does scripture say about God “changing” or His immutability?

IMMUTABILITY OF GOD The unchangeability of God. In biblical theology God is described as unchanging in His nature and in His character. This includes God’s being (essence), purposes, and promises.

Malachi 3:6: "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, are not consumed." (NIV) This verse directly states God's unchanging character. (Note: Two pivotal statements in Malachi are this verse and Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" (NIV) This passage contrasts God's unwavering nature with the fickleness of humans.

Psalm 102:26-27: "But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Your children will go on living..." (NIV) Here, the impermanence of creation is contrasted with God's everlasting and unchanging nature.

Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (NIV) This verse emphasizes the constant and unchanging nature of God through Jesus Christ.

James 1:17: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (NIV) This passage describes God as the source of all good things, and his nature is free from any kind of variation or change.

So, What about when it “appears” he changes?

He regrets/repents - think grieving or sorrowful (Gen. 6:6; 1 Sam. 15:11; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jon. 3:9; 4:2);

Changes His purpose (Exod. 32:9–14; Jon. 3:10);

Becomes angry (Num. 11:1, 10; Ps. 106:40; Zech. 10:3); and

Turns from His anger (Deut. 13:17; 2 Chron. 12:12; Jer. 18:8; 26:3).

The apparent problem disappears upon close inspection of each text. These verses portray God changing in His relations and who sometimes appears to mere humans to alter His purposes but who never wavers or changes in His nature, purposes, or promises.

God’s immutability is a great source of comfort to the believer. Whereas God is constant in His wrath against sin, He is equally constant in His forgiveness in response to faith and repentance.

As a child, I begged my parents for a puppy every Christmas. Year after year, they said no. But one year, they surprised me with the cutest little dog. It seemed like they changed their mind! In the Bible, we see God's unchanging nature, but there are times when it seems like He's changing His mind to show His grace and love.

Example

Exodus 32:9-14: Moses’ appeal for God to change His mind, to relent, succeeded because God had only threatened judgment, not decreed it. A divine intention is not an unchangeable divine decree. Decrees or sworn declarations (cf. Gen. 22:16–18; Ps. 110:4) or categorical statements of not changing or relenting (cf. Jer. 4:28; Ezek. 24:14; Zech. 8:14, 15) are unconditional and bind the speaker to the stated course of action regardless of the circumstances or reactions of the listeners.

Intentions retain a conditional element and do not necessarily bind the speaker to a stated course of action (cf. Jer. 15:6; 18:8–10; 26:3, 13, 19; Joel 2:13; Jon. 3:9, 10; 4:2).

MacArthur, J., Jr. (ed.) (1997) The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville, TN: Word Pub., p. 142.

IMMUTABILITY OF GOD The unchangeability of God. In biblical theology God is described as unchanging in His nature and in His character. This includes God’s being (essence), purposes, and promises.

Psalm 102:25–27 contrasts God’s unchanging nature with that of the created order. Numbers 23:19 and 1 Sam. 15:29 indicate that God changes neither His plans nor His actions, for these rest on His unchanging nature. James finds assurance of God’s future blessings in that there is in God “no variation or shadow cast by turning” (James 1:17 HCSB). After referring to His constant patience, long-suffering, and mercy, God concludes with a general statement of His immutability: “For I, the LORD, do not change” (Mal. 3:6 NASB).

Failure to allow the Bible to define precisely in what sense God changes, results in a distorted view of God. Being influenced more by Greek philosophy than by the Bible, some classical theologians have understood God’s immutability to mean that God is unable to act and that He is uncaring and unresponsive to the created order. Overreaction to this error of viewing God as static results in an equally distorted view of God. Some recent thinkers have rejected the biblical teaching concerning God’s immutability altogether. Being influenced more by process or existential thought, they understand God to be like the created order—experiencing change, maturing in knowledge and personal development, and having no certain knowledge of the future. Neither a static view of God nor a God in constant flux captures the biblical picture of God. Biblical theology portrays God as immutable, yet as acting, feeling emotions, and responding differently to various situations. In all such actions, feelings, and responses, God is constant and consistent.

On the surface it appears that some biblical passages represent God as changing. For example, He repents (Gen. 6:6; 1 Sam. 15:11; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jon. 3:9; 4:2); changes His purpose (Exod. 32:9–14; Jon. 3:10); becomes angry (Num. 11:1, 10; Ps. 106:40; Zech. 10:3); and turns from His anger (Deut. 13:17; 2 Chron. 12:12; Jer. 18:8; 26:3). The apparent problem disappears upon close inspection of each text. These verses portray God changing in His relations and who sometimes appears to mere humans to alter His purposes but who never wavers or changes in His nature, purposes, or promises.

God’s immutability is a great source of comfort to the believer. Whereas God is constant in His wrath against sin, He is equally constant in His forgiveness in response to faith and repentance.

God’s immutability grants the assurance that “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Phil. 1:6 HCSB). In a world that is in constant change, the believer finds peace in a God who does not change, knowing that truth and values are grounded in the nature and character of an unchanging God.

IMMUTABILITY — a characteristic of God signifying that He does not change in His basic nature (Mal. 3:6). In Him, “there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). God does not “mutate” from being one kind of God to being another, nor is He subject to the limitations of time and space, since in Christ He upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). God is the God of steadfast love (Deut. 5:10; Ps. 103:4; Is. 63:7).

IMMUTABILITY

God’s immutability is his perfect unchangeability in his essence, character, purpose, and promises.

Scriptural Evidence. The following list summarizes the biblical teaching about God’s immutability:

1. He is eternally the same (Ps. 102:25–27).

2. He is the first and the last (Isa. 41:4; 43:10; 44:6; 48:12).

3. He is what he is (Ex. 3:14).

4. He is incorruptible, alone having immortality, always remaining the same (Rom. 1:23; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15–16; Heb. 1:11–12).

5. His thought, purpose, will, and decrees are unchangeable:

a. He executes his threats and promises (Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29).

b. He does not repent of his gifts and calling (Rom. 11:29).

c. He does not cast off people with whom he has made a unilateral covenant (Rom. 11:1).

d. He glorifies those whom he foreknows (Rom. 8:29–30).

e. He perfects what he starts (Ps. 138:8; Phil. 1:6).

f. His faithfulness never lessens (Lam. 3:22–23).

6. He does not change (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).

Questions concerning God’s Immutability. Tensions are apparent to people when they read passages asserting God’s unchangeability alongside passages stating that God repents (Gen. 6:6; Ex. 32:12; 1 Sam. 15:11, 35; Jer. 18:10; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:9–10; 4:2), changes his purpose (Gen. 18:23–32; Ex. 32:10–14; Jonah 3:10), gets angry (Ex. 4:14; Num. 11:1, 10; Ps. 106:40; Zech. 10:3), turns from his anger (Ex. 32:14; Deut. 13:17; 2 Chron. 12:12; 30:8; Jer. 18:8, 10; 26:3), relates differently to the unbeliever than to the believer (Prov. 11:20; 12:22), is pure to the pure but opposes the wicked (Ps. 18:25–26), is incarnated in time (Gal. 4:4), indwells the church (1 Cor. 3:16–17; Eph. 2:19–22; Col. 1:27), rejects Israel (Rom. 11:15), receives the Gentiles after having rejected them for years (Acts 11:18; Rom. 11:11–15), is wrathful at one time and forgiving at another (Ex. 34:7; Num. 14:18; Psalm 78), and is close at one time and far off at another (Jer. 23:23).

To resolve this tension, many, such as open theists, have said that God really does change his mind, purposes, and promises in response to what humans do. They contend that one cannot justly harmonize God’s “changes” in Scripture with the traditional doctrine that God is unchangeable. They claim that if sinners turn from sin and respond in faith and love toward God, he will turn from (repent of, change his mind about) the judgment he intended and give them blessing instead. Correspondingly, if they turn from trusting in him, he will revoke any promises of blessing. According to open theists, God does not know how people will respond to him, and he waits to see what they will do in each moment before he chooses his response to them.

There are many errors in open theism and other such false teachings that deny God’s immutability, each of which is refuted by viewing God’s immutability in proper biblical perspective. Immutability does not mean that God is static or inert, nor does it mean that he does not act distinctly in time or possess true affections. God is impassible—not in the sense that he is devoid of true feeling or has no affections but in the sense that his emotions are active and deliberate expressions of his holy dispositions, not (as is often the case with human emotions) involuntary passions by which he is driven.

A good way to understand God’s apparent changes in Scripture is to consider that God reveals himself in his relations to people. They perceive only one aspect of God at a time. God never changes, but creatures do change, and they perceive God’s perfections and actions according to their current state. Thus, God’s actions do not imply a change of essence or purpose.

For example, the language of God “repenting” or “changing” in any way is anthropopathic language—figurative expressions that communicate to man on his level of understanding about changes of dispositions or actions. Thus, God’s perceived “changes” are always in the context of his eternal omniscience and will, so they are never because God is surprised and has to adjust. They are done in harmony with his truth and faithfulness (see 1 Sam. 15:29). All his acts that might be perceived as changes are eternally foreknown and predetermined.

MacArthur, J. and Mayhue, R. (eds.) (2017) Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, pp. 169–170.

Does God Change His Mind?

God’s response to humanity’s corruption in Gen 6:6 is the Hebrew verb nacham, often translated “regretted” (LEB, NIV). Other translations render nacham as “repent” (JPS, AV), while still others translate it as “was sorry” (NASB, NRSV, ESV). The verb nacham occurs more than 100 times in the OT, and it has a range of meaning that includes “to comfort,” “to be sorry,” and “to repent.” Context is the primary determiner for the translator. Deciding which meaning best fits the context of Gen 6:6 is complicated by theological concerns about the nature of God.

The idea that God changes His mind raises questions about His sovereignty and the role of human responsibility. Calvin and Ware represent the view of classical theism that God is unchanging (immutable) and all-knowing (omniscient), and thus He cannot change His mind because something happened that He was not expecting. This view finds support in verses such as Num 23:19 (“God is not a man … that he should change his mind”) and 1 Sam 15:29 (“for he is not a human that he should regret”). Thus, God’s action in Gen 6:6 is an anthropopathism, a literary device that ascribes human (anthropos) emotions (pathos) to God. A similar device is anthropomorphism, in which writers ascribe human form or activity to God (for example, God has a right hand, and He walked in the garden of Eden).

Other scholars, including Boyd, argue that the traditional view is inconsistent with the biblical portrayal of God, who appears to change His mind in response to human activity. This view is known as open theism. Its advocates contend that God is unchangeable in His essential characteristics, but since He endowed humans with freedom and responsibility, He does not necessarily know what they will do.

Mangum, D., Custis, M. and Widder, W. (2012) Genesis 1–11. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press (Lexham Research Commentaries), p. Ge 6:1–22.

6. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth. The repentance which is here ascribed to God does not properly belong to him, but has reference to our understanding of him. For since we cannot comprehend him as he is, it is necessary that, for our sake, he should, in a certain sense, transform himself. That repentance cannot take place in God, easily appears from this single consideration, that nothing happens which is by him unexpected or unforeseen. The same reasoning, and remark, applies to what follows, that God was affected with grief. Certainly God is not sorrowful or sad; but remains for ever like himself in his celestial and happy repose: yet, because it could not otherwise be known how great is God’s hatred and detestation of sin, therefore the Spirit accommodates himself to our capacity. Wherefore, there is no need for us to involve ourselves in thorny and difficult questions, when it is obvious to what end these words of repentance and grief are applied; namely, to teach us, that from the time when man was so greatly corrupted, God would not reckon him among his creatures; as if he would say, ‘This is not my workmanship; this is not that man who was formed in my image, and whom I had adorned with such excellent gifts: I do not deign now to acknowledge this degenerate and defiled creature as mine.’ Similar to this is what he says, in the second place, concerning grief; that God was so offended by the atrocious wickedness of men, as if they had wounded his heart with mortal grief. There is here, therefore, an unexpressed antithesis between that upright nature which had been created by God, and that corruption which sprung from sin. Meanwhile, unless we wish to provoke God, and to put him to grief, let us learn to abhor and to flee from sin. Moreover, this paternal goodness and tenderness ought, in no slight degree, to subdue in us the love of sin; since God, in order more effectually to pierce our hearts, clothes himself with our affections. This figure, which represents God as transferring to himself what is peculiar to human nature, is called ἀνθρωποπάθεια.

Calvin, J. and King, J. (2010) Commentary on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, pp. 248–249.