What is God like? #10 - God is Immutable

God is Immutable

    One of the great frustrations of daily life is the experience of having to deal with a person that is unstable, always going from one extreme to another, moody and inconsistent. I have always struggled with such persons, especially when they looked back at me in the mirror! We have, many of us, suffered at the hands of those who were our parents, friends, and spouses who just could not summon the moral strength or courage to stand with us or be there for us in our times of need. Claiming to be impartial or "not giving preferential treatment, " they become the relational equivalent of Switzerland in matters of the heart, family, or business. How many of us have had a boss or manager who would not give clear leadership and instruction, but then criticize when things were not done a certain, unspoken way? We have wandered, visionless and passionless behind people who are afraid to show enthusiasm or point in a clear direction. But these are mere mortals, aren't they? Made of the same dust as we are. They can't be perfect, even if they tried. And yet we still long for this consistency and moral strength. Where can we get it? From God, of course.
    God is not subject to the same foibles and weaknesses as we are. He is absolutely consistent in His character and strength of conviction. In short, He does not change. He is immutable, never changing. James, the Apostle and brother of Jesus, puts it this way, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Another version uses the phrase, "in Him there is no shadow of turning." Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind." "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever(Heb. 13:8)."
    The real strength of the unchanging nature of God is that we can now begin to see how the various attributes of God play off of one another. So God is unchangingly loving, immutably merciful, and never lacking in faithfulness or power. We can therefore count on God to lift us up when we fall, and restore us to our right place in His plan for our lives because of the absolutely unchanging nature of His goodness, mercy and love. Romans 11:29 states as much, "for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable."