Immutability: The Attributes That Are Only True of God

Immutability

Immutability means God is unchanging and unchangeable. He is not capable or susceptible to change; this is true of His essence and character. This does not mean inactivity or immobility.

Scripture
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. (Ps. 102:25-27)

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6)

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. (Heb. 1:12)

Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us... (Heb. 6:17-18)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

Is this problematic? Perhaps it is, we may ask, “Why does Scripture speak of God ‘repenting’ if He is so immutable?”

Some Apparent Contradictions

God Does Not Repent
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Num. 23:19)

And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. (1Sam. 15:29)

The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. (Ps. 110:4)

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom. 11:29)

God Does Repent
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Gen. 6:6)

And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. (Ex. 32:14)

11) It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night. 35) And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. (1Sam. 15:11, 35)

And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. (2Sam. 24:16)

And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? (Joel 2:13-14)

3) The LORD repented for this: It shall not be, saith the LORD. 6) The LORD repented for this: This also shall not be, saith the Lord GOD. (Amos 7:3, 6)

And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:10)

Principles For Reconciling This Difficulty

To reconcile these things we must remember that the Scriptures use *anthropomorphisms, and we also need to realize that the change is really in man and not in God. To put it more plainly, the change is in the way God’s plan is unfolded to man, not in the plan it’s self. Scriptures do indicate that God has an eternal plan. The plan is fixed, it does not change, the change is in the way the plan is unfolded to man (Jer. 18:8).

The Solution
From a human perspective God sometimes appears to change or to repent. From divine view point no change has ever taken place.

Here are Five Areas of Immutability

Power
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. (Rom. 4:20-21)

Plan and Purpose
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; 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: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. (Is. 46:9-10)

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (Rom. 11:29)

Promises
Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant. (1Kings 8:56)

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2Cor. 1:20)

Love and Mercy
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children... (Ps. 103:17)

For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Mal.3:6)

Justice
(See Gen. 18:17-33).

Application
We can rely on God’s unchanging Word. God will not change His faithfulness. We can depend on God’s promises (Num. 23:19; 1Kings 8:56; 2Cor. 1:20; Titus 1:2; Heb. 10:23; 11:11). We can rely on God’s forgiveness (1John 1:9). We can rely on God keeping us (2Tim. 2:11- 13). God is imutable.

Stay salty,
Brother John

*God does express Himself by use of anthropomorphisms.

Anthropomorphism means the characteristics of God that are stated in terms of human elements.

Some examples of anthropomorphisms are:
Mouth... Isaiah 1:20
Nostrils... 2Sam. 22:9
Back... Exodus 33:23
Hands... Ex. 33:22; Isaiah 65:2
Arms... Deuteronomy 33:27
Ears... Isaiah 59:1
Eyes... 2Chronicles 16:9; Psalm 11:4, 34:15
Face... Exodus 33:11 and
Feet... Isaiah 66:1