Lesson No. 14

Lesson No. 14 Immutability

The following biblical quotes offer proof of God's immutability:

James chapter 1: verse 17: “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”.51

Malachi chapter 3: verse 6: “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed”.51

God is immutable. This means that He does not undergo any changes or variations in any aspect of His divine nature: neither in the moral order, nor in the spiritual, nor in any other.

All living beings we know are constantly subject to changes and variations in every aspect of their nature. For both humans, animals, and plants have a process of formation and development in which they undergo transformations through birth, growth, aging, and death.

Human beings continuously change in the physical order. Also in the moral and intellectual orders, where variations are experienced, sometimes of a positive nature and others of a negative character.

The same can be said about their purposes, in which man often varies. Many times, we make purposes that, due to the limitations of our faculties, we cannot fulfill. Both from the lack of knowledge of future events and the insufficiency of our economic, intellectual, and other powers, our projects are often frustrated, and the best we can do is change our plans. But God, who is perfect, did not start forming at any time, for He is eternal. He lacks nothing, nor does He have any excess; He possesses the attributes of omniscience and omnipotence. Therefore, He does not need to experience changes in His purposes or any aspect of His nature.

It is worth considering that God's immutability provides His children with full assurance and confidence in their Creator. For what would happen if at any given moment God lost stability in His faculties of omniscience and omnipotence or in any of His attributes? Thank God for His immutability, which makes it possible for His goodness, love, mercy, and all other attributes conferred on Him from eternity to continue possessing them eternally, and that, likewise, the fulfillment of His promises continues to be as certain and unchangeable as any of His divine attributes.

The Holy Scriptures undeniably teach that God has changed His mind on occasions, in some of His determinations. He is an extremely loving God, and in His immense mercy, He can change a determination about something or someone, provided there is sincere repentance, humility, and supplication. As in the cases when He forgave Nineveh (Jonah chapter 3: verses 4 to 10),51 and kings Ahab and Manasseh (First Kings chapter 21: verses 17 to 29,51 and Second Chronicles chapter 33: verses 1 to 13).51 It can also happen in other cases, like that of Hezekiah (Isaiah chapter 38: verses 1 to 5),51 provided that there is a cry and weeping pleading for mercy. This is what the Word of God teaches. However, the exact fulfillment of His promises and His purpose of salvation for humanity do not suffer any variation due to this, and therefore, His divine attributes regarded as His perfections do not change either.

Why do His attributes not experience changes, even though there is some variation in His determinations? Because these changes, reflected in the Word of God, where sincere repentance, humility, and supplication have intervened, are predetermined by the Scriptures themselves:

Jeremiah 18: 6 to 10: “O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. 7At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; 8If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. 9And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; 10If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them”.51

Ezekiel chapter 18: verse 21: “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die”.51

Similarly, the change of His determination regarding the death of Hezekiah is backed by His Holy Word, where it declares that God will show mercy to whom He wishes to show it, for as long as the character of His divine sovereignty qualifies Him for it, without us having any right to reproach Him for it. Let's see what the following passage says:

Exodus chapter 33: verse 19: “And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy”.51

Although He has changed His decisions in the mentioned cases, He does not fail in His promises nor changes His purpose of salvation for man because His promises are for the faithful. And the study of His Holy Word teaches us with sufficient clarity that the only thing that prevents the fulfillment of them is sin. So that, for His plan of salvation and all His divine promises to be fulfilled in our lives, the only thing we need is to remain whole and faithful in His holy presence. The only fear would be that He would have to change His dispositions due to a lack of knowledge of future events, for instance: that He had not known in advance that the Ninevites were going to repent, humble themselves, and ask for mercy and clemency, just like the aforementioned kings did. Also, like the cry of Hezekiah. In such a case, we would indeed have to fear and doubt the fulfillment of His promises, and therefore, His attribute of omniscience would be imperfect. But as we can appreciate in our commentary, this attribute of His allows Him to know in advance and perfectly, all the details of each future event, and therefore, He knows beforehand the attitude that man is going to take when He declares His determination. His infinite goodness and great mercy ultimately lead Him to make the corresponding change resolved since the infinity of time. However, the truth is that, although our Creator knows everything in His divine omniscience, for human understanding, His message has to be revealed to man so that he can react and understand the reasons for the divine determination based on his attitude. This means that God always presents the realization of objectives carried out through the intervention of the necessary means.

Even though God has always waited for the results to manifest to declare His resolution regarding any required change, the fact is that He knows from eternity itself what His real and definitive determination will be in any case related to human beings or any of His creatures. Therefore, such changes do not affect in any way the principles of His immutability.

On one occasion, God expressed Himself in the following way: And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis chapter 6: verse 7).51

However, in another part of the Scriptures, it says: 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? 20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. 21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. (Numbers chapter 23: verses 19 to 21).51

According to the The Vine's Dictionary 3 the Hebrew word, "נָחַם" (najam: [“repentance”]), 7 from which this word is translated, rather alludes to a change of mind or attitude on the part of God prompted by human behavior. The declaration of the passage according to Genesis chapter 6: verse 7,51 does not annul in any way the concept expressed in the quote from Numbers chapter 23: verses 19 to 21.51 As specified in the same, God disposed blessing for the people because it was found without wickedness. And the proclaimer was fully aware that God does not change His mind or attitude unless man changes his ways.

This concept supports the idea initially put forth. The only thing that prevents the fulfillment of God's promises is sin with a permanent character, meaning, in the event that repentance does not intervene. Because when it does, His clemency and great mercy manifest to have mercy on man, so much so that even His divine sentences are completely halted.

Whereas, an attitude of impenitent sin in any particular individual or society, according to what the Scriptures teach, can indeed make God repent of His made covenant or promised respect towards it, and His divine sentence is manifested.

Nonetheless, in none of these cases is the concept of change admissible, which could affect the principles of His immutability, but rather the application of His predeterminations made known in His Holy Word.