God Is Immutable
Part 3 of a 15-part series on the attributes of God.
"Immutable" means "unchanging."
"Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed." Malachi 3:6, CSB
This is a promise of God to His people Israel. Throughout the book of Malachi, God recounts how Israel has been unfaithful to Him and how they have changed. When Malachi warned them of God's coming judgment because of their disobedience, many of the Jews believed that God was going back on His promise and would wipe them out.
God graciously reminded them that He is not like mankind. He does not change. He does not go back on His promises. As believers, we often think that because we've "messed up," we're beyond hope and God can't use us anymore — or worse, that we're no longer saved.
God is unchangeable. That means His Word is sure, and that means His promises are sure. Who God is never changes — His character, His plans, His promises are the same always. God doesn't have "good days" and "bad days." He is constant. That should be a source of incredible joy.
Think of This in Terms of His Love for Us — It's Permanent
"Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39, CSB
Think of This in Terms of His Judgment
The Bible teaches that God does not show favoritism. This is another aspect of His immutability. What does that look like?
- He's not impressed by our credentials.
- He doesn't "look the other way" when it comes to the sins of people with otherwise "good intentions" or "good track records."
- He will not compromise His character for anyone.
Some examples of God not showing favoritism:
"Now I truly understand that God doesn't show favoritism." Acts 10:34, CSB — Peter, after sharing the gospel with Gentiles and seeing God's Holy Spirit bless them.
"When they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Then the LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God." 2 Samuel 6:6-7, CSB
The full account is 2 Samuel 6:5-15. King David had good intentions — he wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem — but his mode of transport wasn't what God had prescribed. When Uzzah touched the Ark to keep it from falling, God struck him dead regardless of David's good intentions, and regardless of Uzzah's societal rank.
What does that mean for us?
It means being a believer doesn't exempt us from the consequences of sinful behavior. If I rob a bank, I deserve jail time. If a government official engages in corruption — even if he "gets away with it" in this life — he'll answer to God for his crimes ultimately.
God will not compromise His character for anyone. While that's a sobering reality, it's also a source of comfort: I can count on my God to be good, true, and faithful in all things — even when things in this world seem unfair for now.
My God never changes. He is always the same.
— Brother Glenn
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.