The Immutability of God
Well, we're doing a series on the attributes of God and I I'd like to start with an illustration both from the young and old perspective. A child's note. Read a child's note to a pastor read who does God pray to Is there a god for God? Seems like a natural question from a child's perspective. The women Jean calmet in 1995, turned 120. And at the time she was the oldest person in the world and she was asked what kind of future do you expect? And her reply was a short one.
Well, some of God's attributes are self-evident almost in our minds as we think about God his infiniteness, his eternity. His eternality as we saying that the Everlasting God, his self existence, his self-sustaining existence, God doesn't need anything else for himself to exist. That's called his his aseity or his independence. But several of his attributes are almost self-evident. If we go to Exodus chapter 3, Moses said to God, if I come to the people of Israel and say to them the god of your fathers has sent me to you and they asked me. What is his name? What shall I say to them? God said to Moses, I am who I am. Or I will be what I will be the Divine name, Yahweh the four consonants in Hebrew. Yo. Hey, Bob hey. And he said, say this to the people of Israel, I am has sent me to you. God also said to Moses say this to the people of Israel, the Lord, the god, of your fathers, the god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, and the god of Jacob has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and that's all I am to be remembered throughout all generations. He's not just the god of one generation, he's just the god of ten Generations. He's not just the god of a thousand Generations. His Transcendent, his eternality, his lack of need. He is the Creator, and we are his creatures in his Essence. God is eternal. He is Spirit. He is perfect. In every sense that we can think of that is he is the sum of all goodness, truth and beauty.
He is unchanging someone or to put it this way of the old, you laid, the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish but you will remain. They will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe. They will pass away, but you are the same and your years have Noah and see the contrast there, these things will wear out these things will perish but you God have no end. How many of you have been to New England? Heard of in New Hampshire? The old man on the mountain, the stone formation. That that looks like an old man's face. And in 2003, the old man on the mountain, fell down and crumbled. Right down the side of the mountain, 700 tons. Something that was there for years and years and years. They will perish but you will remain, you change them, they will pass away. But you remain the same God's Eternal Ade and his immutability are taught throughout scripture. So, if you're taking notes today, and I hope you are, you can put down a five-point outline.
First thing that will deal with is a definition of God's immutability, a definition of God's immutability. Secondly, will deal with why is that important? I mean you might think will an attribute of got his immutability is unchanged on this. Isn't that just kind of a feels philosophical? Category will talk about why? It's important third, how it separates Christianity from other religions that Daniel mentioned earlier. Fourth, we'll tackle the important question. Of what his immutability brings up. There are several instances in scripture where it says God regrets or God relents and so what does what does that mean about? Does God change his mind or not? And then lastly will deal with three applications of God's immutability. So first, the definition God's immutability. God is unchanging in his being Perfections purposes and Promises. Yet God does act and feel emotions and he acts and feels differently in response to certain situations. Now I'm getting this definition from a great resource dr. Wayne grudem has a volume called Systematic Theology. If you don't want to buy the 800-page volume, you can buy his book Bible Doctrine, which is a shorter condensed version. I bet he takes those four aspects. God is unchanging and is being Perfections purposes and promises. He takes that from Herman bavinck, Systematic Theology. And then he adds this qualification, but God does act and feel emotions, and he does act and feel differently in response to different situations. Meaning that God is both infinite and personal.
God is both infinite and personal. Now, the reason I mentioned that his immutability is somewhat self-evident is this. And Grading points this out in his theology book. He says, imagine if God imagine God as the most perfect being Beyond, even the universe has the most perfect being Well, if God could possibly change which way would he change? He would either change for the better or if you would change for the worse. If he changed for the better, then whatever he was before, would not be God because there would exist a better being than him. If God changed for the worse, then he would also no longer be God, he would be slightly imperfect. That's what this is. Why he says immutability is so important. He says this our faith, our hope, and our knowledge. All ultimately depend on a person who is infinitely worthy of trust.
Jesus. Our faith are hoping our knowledge, all ultimately depend on a person who is infinitely, worthy of trust, not just a theological category of unchangeable nsor eternality or Infiniti. But in a person who is absolute and infinite and personal, and gave himself on our behalf. So the doctrine of immutability brings out both the the infinite aspect of God and the personal aspect that, since he is unchanging, that means that whatever our circumstances are. We could go to him and count on him being the same heavenly father that he has revealed himself to be in the scriptures that God is both infinite and personal. A God is the Eternal God in Genesis 3321. El Olam alarm in eternity. But ellolam means the Eternal God. God is also in scripture, Our Shepherd, God is the almighty one. The Lord of hosts. Do you know what that term means? The Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts means God is in charge of the heavenly host. The armies of Heaven. and so in A Mighty Fortress, Is Our God, when it talks about the Heavenly Host, Lord Sabbath his name. The art of The God Who is in charge of the Heavenly armies. He is our savior. He is our counselor. He is our friend.
so this is what separates Christian faith from other Alternatives of paganism or deism or pantheism God's immutability. That is his unchangeable. This separates, the Christian faith from paganism Diaz amend, pantheism paganism. I think of religions with mythology Roman mythology, Greek mythology Norse mythology, the gods are always having issues there. Always being temperamental, they're always having rivalries and jealousies and and interrelations where they're competing with one another for power there. Anything but consistent. India's on them. God is the Divine watchmaker. He's the one that kind of creates the universe. Wines it up and says, okay, there you go. God is infinite in DSM, but he sets the universe in motion and his distant. He's remote. That is the deist believe that God revealed natural laws, but they didn't like the idea that God interfere din natural laws through things called miracles, Joe, Thomas Jefferson writes his own version of the Bible, which he kept close to the vest for many years and account of Jesus of Nazareth. And where he basically took the New Testament and took out all of Jesus, miracles and isolated his moral teachings and said I is in this and much nicer comfortable Jesus that we can get along with. Because we don't have to worry about reconciling the miraculous with these quote-unquote natural laws that we Now understand. God's immutability separates Christianity from Judaism because God is both infinite and personal. He is unchangeable, he is eternal and yet because he is outside of time, he can intervene at any point in time. Amen.
How is Christianity different from pantheism will pantheism? Is the idea that everything has an aspect of divinity to it? And so if you add it all up pan, meaning all pantheism all is God. Including you. Which my personal pet peeve is that Disney has been teaching this for the last 40 years and their movies. Is that you have to get in touch with your inner self and be true to yourself then. Oh Kevin DeYoung wrote a whole book do not be true to yourself. You know, what's on the cover? Narcissus looking into the pond looking at his reflection. Why? Because being true to yourself is just an echo chamber of, what you think of yourself as giving yourself the benefit of the doubt. I don't need to get my benefit myself. The benefit of the doubt, I do that all the time. We need to come to God's word and say God's word please reveal and me. What needs to be changed?
So it's different than pantheism Charles Spurgeon wrote this. does the world satisfy you Then you will have your reward in this life. Make the most of it since you will know, no other Joy. Let me read that again. Does this world satisfy you or is it, is it is this world? What you're seeking pleasure from? He says, then you will have your reward in this life, make the most of it because since you will know, no other Joy.
God's immutability then leads to this question. A common question is what what about the passages? Where God relents or regrets or seems to change his mind?
So Genesis 6 verse 6 and the Lord regretted that he had made man on Earth and it grieved him to his heart. Does the Lord have a heart? Yes, he is. Grieve. The scripture says, do not grieve. The Holy Spirit. 1st Samuel, 15, 35 and the Lord regretted that he had made Saul King over Israel. And then Jonah 3:10 when God saw, how they turn from their evil way? God relented of the disaster that he said he would do to them and he did not do it. now, at first glance,
Those passages seem to imply that God, quote-unquote changed his mind. But, here's two considerations that we need to remember.
Two considerations, the Bible uses anthropomorphic language to talk about God. Anthropomorphic. Meaning language that we as humans understand.
The Bible uses language that speaks of God in human terms. And so we need to understand the context of scripture. So we may do not misunderstand what the Bible says about God.
An example would be Exodus chapter 2 verse 24 and 25, God heard the groaning of the Israelites and he remembered his Covenant with their fathers and he saw. And he knew So God heard God, remembered God saw and God new meaning does, God have ears? Does God have memory, does God have eyes? Does God have a mind? Well, yes, in terms of what we describe as something that we can understand, but God isn't one big ear in the sky. God isn't one big eye in the sky but these qualities are attributed to him in biblical language. Now secondly we need to remember that instances of God regretting or relenting emphasize God's present, displeasure with respect to the situation at that moment.
So, for example, Jonah 3:10. Says, this, think we have that on there. Yeah, thank you. When God saw, what they did, how they turn from their evil way? God relented, he withheld the disaster that he said he would do to them and he did not do it. So if you remember the story of Jonah, you may not but here it is. Jonah, is called to preach to Nineveh. He runs the opposite. Direction towards tarshish gets on a boat, with some Pagan Sailors, and a storm comes up and the Pagan Sailors, realized, hey, somebody must be the cause of this storm that we're going through, and they, and Jonah, finally admits it. And he says, yes, I'm running from the Lord and they, they realized the sailors. Realize, hey, we better toss him overboard. So he they tossed him overboard and Jonah is swallowed by a great fish and is spit up on on the beach and told to go to Nineveh. And he's told to go to Nineveh and preach a warning 40 days and then it will be overturned. That's his his warning. Therefore if the ninevites had not repented, God would have exercised his judgment now. Does that mean God changed his mind? No. It doesn't mean God changed his mind because his purpose was to give a warning and implicit. In the warning, was the idea that if you repent, then I will withhold this judgment.
So Nineveh did repent and God did not destroy the city.
Now, the lesson of the Book of Jonah is not only when God tells you if you're a prophet when God tells you to go somewhere and preach a message, you go there and preach it. But the message is not only that because in chapter 4, who's upset, Joan is upset. He's upset because God, save the ninevites who he didn't like.
And so it has much to teach us about the fact of God's love and how God wants all people to come to repentance and to a knowledge of the truth. So God is free to respond to different situations differently because why? Because he is God and he can see all of history before his eyes at once, he knows all things, actual and possible and his purposes still stand. God is outside of time c.s. Lewis. Put it this way. If time is a line on a page, then God is the page that time is written on. God is outside of time. Therefore he can see all of time at once.
so the metaphor God, our heavenly father, as a father, do we do things that in the short-term we realize will cause our children harm Well, yes, we take them to get immunizations when they're young and they get a shot and they're in pain for a few hours. But we know that it will bring good in the long term.
So Psalm 33 verse 4 and verse 11. Says this. For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness, the counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. Go to 2313, but he is unchangeable and who can turn him back. What he desires that he does.
The passage that Jeff read numbers 23. God is not a man that he should change his mind.
Balak and Balaam numbers 23 verse 19. God is not a man that he should lie or a son of man that he should change. His mind. Has he said, and will he not do it or has he spoken? And will he not? Fulfill it behold. I received a command to bless. He has blessed and I cannot revoke it. Balak the king of Moab hired Balaam because he said I don't like the Israelites, coming into my territory. I'm going to, I'm going to pay you off and I'm going to pay you so that you can curse them for me and bring evil upon them. and God tells Balaam partly through a donkey, God is really funny. Story Numbers Chapter 23, but he tells bail, and he says, he says, look your to bless Israel, not curse, Israel and bail. And finally says, look, I'm only going to say what the Lord tells me to say, God is not a man that he should lie.
Since God is immutable. Here's the first application since God is immutable his word always some super seeds any of man's words. Since God is immutable his word always supersedes any of man's words. That is balak in his pride thought that he could pay to have Balaam pronounce a curse. He thought he could pay for his malicious thoughts to be God's authorized words. Isn't that how we are? Sometimes. We want our words to be God. Authorized, that's not how it works. When God makes a decree all of Mankind's thoughts. And all of Mankind's, words are subjected to God's word. For the word of the Lord is upright. All his works are done in faithfulness, Psalm 33. So be careful, brothers and sisters. We need to be careful how much emphasis or how much Authority we give to human words. Whether it's a book, whether it's an article, whether it's a news clip, Etc. In our society. Do you know the thing now is fact-checking when people fact-checking everything, I fact-checked it with a i and oh well I don't know, I don't know if that's really good fact-checking. There's one being in the above the universe who does not need to be fact-checked day been And that is God himself. So the first implication the first application is that since God is immutable, his word is above all of Mankind's words. That's why we say, would you do denominations in and religious groups have statements of faith. Those statements of Faith are man's words. Their their summary of Biblical teaching, but they're not with the same Authority as God's words.
Second application. Since God is immutable his purposes Express through his Commandments, do not shift from one era. I'm sorry. One era of culture to another Since Connors immutable his Commandments. do not change from one era of culture to another
Malachi chapter.
Chapter 3.
And I'll just look this up quickly here. Malachi chapter 3. I think I have it highlighted that we read before. For I the Lord do not change, okay? The verses before that, I will draw near to you for judgement first five, I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the it does they have strayed from my ways, my commands and so his commands do not change now, you can say, well how does this commandment apply in this context? And and in this context and yes, they're there can be different applications of God's commands. But those commands do not shift from one era of culture to another The Book of Proverbs chapter 6. There are six things, the Lord hates seven, that are an Abomination to him haughty eyes, a lying tongue hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises Wicked plans could make haste to run evil. A false witness who breathes out lies and one who sow Discord among Brothers. Those things don't change from the era of culture to another era, God, still hates them. So what's the opposite of Hardy? Humble, what's the opposite of lying truth? What's the opposite of wicked loving? What's the opposite of evil? Good? What's the opposite of false witness honesty? What's the opposite of Discord? Love and building others up? So we need to remember that God's commands that are expressed. That his purpose is expressed through his commands. Do not shift from one culture to another Isaiah 45, 19. I the Lord speak the truth. I declare what is right?
Now in apologetics class and Seminary, they posed. The question. We'll just God command something because it is, right? Or is it right? Because he commanded it. And so you have the, the horns of the Dilemma, so to speak.
God's commands are right because God's commands are as an expression of his very nature.
This is a word that flattens every human soul on the planet since the beginning of time, isn't it? I the Lord declare what is right? I the Lord speak the truth. Why does it humble every human soul on the planet? Because we as human beings love to make up our own rules.
whether it's governments, whether it's Nations, whether it's society's, whether it's town councils and whether it's HOA groups, With Collective hubris say we declare what is right around these parts.
Humans, relish neglecting God.
God says I declare. What is right? I speak the truth.
Now, notice God's emitted immutability, excuse me, God's immutability is not in conflict with his being moved to compassion.
God's immutability is not in conflict with his being moved to compassion. RC scroll made this good distinction. He said, remember God's immutability is not is not the same as immobility. God is Not unable to do things. God is Not immobilized. He is unchanging but yet he acts So I the Lord declare what is right? Isaiah 45:22, turn to me and be saved. All the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is no other. So, go back to the previous slide. If you could Isaiah 45, 19,
Look at the first part of the verse here. I do not speak in secret, in a Land of Darkness. I do not say to The Offspring of Jacob, seek me in vain. I the Lord speak the truth. I declare, what is right that last part of the Bursa immediately humbles us but the first part of the verse God is saying, I don't I'm not here to trick you. I don't say to the descendants of Jacob seek me in vain. I don't tell you to seek me under false pretenses. I didn't whisper to you in the dark. I have made myself known throughout all generations. Therefore, turn to me and be saved. All the ends of the Earth. I am the lord and there is no other. You see how his compassion is completely in line with his unchanged. Ability is throughout generation after generation after generation.
The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in love. And since God is unchanging, his promises are always true in Jesus Christ. Jesus consistency is something that people immediately noticed in Matthew, 22 verse 16 through 18, where the Pharisees come and they say, oh we have a trick question for you. I mean they didn't tell him, it was a trick question, but Jesus knew it was a trick question. They said, should we pay taxes to Caesar or not? And they preface it by saying. We know that you teach what is right. We know that you are not swayed by appearances. The phrase, there is we know that you do not look upon the face. We know that you don't give different answers, just based on who's in front of you. Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not? And of course Jesus confounds them with his answer. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God's, what is God's
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today, and forever. Hebrews 13, verse 8.
He is here to save, he is here to heal. He is here to give strength. He is here to give hope he is here to change our thoughts. He is here to refine us. He is here to turn us around from the world Turner scored, seven. Jesus is the same yesterday today, and forever. Since God is on changing, his promises are always true in Jesus Christ.
Stephen charnock put it this way. He said, in the greatest of confusions, the church's eyes are to be fixed on The Eternity of God's Throne, where God, sits as governor of the world.
Let's make this our prayer. God, I can bring you this problem because you are eternal. I can count on you for strength because you are the Everlasting God. You do not grow weary or faint. I can cry out to you now because you are always listening. I can trust you with my children's protection because you are always watchful and you are never sleeping. God is the one who does not change. And he has shown us himself in Jesus Christ.
And we are to come to him in faith.
And he will forgive, let's pray.
