God is Immutable

Malachi 3:6 “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.”

Changeable vs. The Unchangeable

Personality tests have been around for ages, and you’ve probably taken more than one. Whether it’s the Meyer’s Briggs, Enneagram, Spark Type, or DiSC type, they will all describe your base personality, natural inclinations, strengths & weaknesses. It’s usually very enlightening, and while there are some things that you disagree with, some of it can be very reassuring. The goal is to help you better understand yourself and how you interact with the world around you.

Most of these tests will tell you that your personality rarely, if ever changes. But I have found that over the years with the numerous tests I have taken, some thing’s have shifted. As I grow as a person, my nature may not change, but I learn how to better think and act in this world. How I approach situations changes over time and that causes me to answer the questions differently.

Another type of test you can take is a spiritual gifts test. You’ll have some common gifts through-out your life, but they can and likely will change over time. The first spiritual gift test I took was some point in later grade school and the most recent time was last month. Between those two times, I only kept about three of the original gifts. My life looks different than it did in grade school and the number one reason is the trauma of losing my father to cancer at age 19. God gives us different gifts for the different seasons, so that we are fully equipped along with his presence to make it through stage of life.

The best part about learning your nature and gifts is seeing how it relates to our Creator who is expansive and unchanging. He is in fact, immutable. This means he is unchanging over time or unable to be changed. I find it amazing that every person on this planet is diverse and all of our best features come from The One God. Our God is so vast and so good that he cannot and will not change. His nature is perfection and we see that reflected in Christ.

I also find it reassuring that he never changes. Goodness knows that if he changed as much as we do, this world would be even more chaotic than it already is! We can rely on God’s character of goodness and put great faith in the fact that he never lies, he never fails and he never stops loving us. It’s simply not possible for his nature. And what a beautiful thing that is.

Evidence in Scripture:

In Malachi 3:6 we see clear evidence of God’s immutability. For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.” God is referencing a promise he had made to Jacob in Genesis 28:13-15 where he promised to make a great nation out of Jacob’s (later named Israel) descendants and bring them back to the promised land. He promised he would watch over them. The reason God is talking about ending the Israelite’s is because he was angry with their sinfulness and repeated lack of faith while they are his chosen people. It’s a good thing they were protected by God’s unchanging character and goodness!

In Psalm 102, we see a man in distress crying out for the God he knows can save him and his people. He declares we will change and fade, “But you are the same, And your years will not come to an end.” He takes great comfort in God’s unchanging nature and everlasting presence even in his current difficult circumstance.

In James 1:17 we learn that “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” Every good and perfect gift is from God! Gods nature of goodness doesn’t change and we can rejoice in that!

There are more passages, but you can find them referenced below for further study.

Why is this Important?

Friends, the big point is this, when you read through scripture and can step back to look at the big picture, you can see the immutable God. This God who has all the characteristics we have covered so far, and more in our current devotional series! I get so excited when I talk about this because knowing God has changed my life in only the best ways.

God is our Creator, this means you were made with perfect intent and at your core, you are good!

God is our healer and every time we get hurt, he sits with us and helps put us back together when we let him.

God is love. When we feel completely unlovable, he cares more deeply for us than we can even comprehend!

God is eternal and and all-knowing. He is able to see through time and know where we’re headed, he is prepared for every step of free will we take.

God is all powerful and able to move the mountains in our lives, do the impossible and save us from our sins.

God is ever present and with you in every joyous and heart-breaking moment. Not a second goes by that he isn’t doing life with us.

God is glorious and our faces shine with his radiance when we’ve been resting in his amazing presence.

God is able to be all of this and remain immutable because he is self-sufficient. He doesn’t rely on anyone else for his character, he simply always has and always will be the same. If all this and more remains true, I will forever rest secure in God knowing I cannot shake him, and nothing can force him to cause me true and lasting harm. It simply will not happen.

Conclusion:

Bringing it all together, God is immutable and that means he is unchanging through-out time. He can remain the same because he is a self-sufficient entity that is eternal and exists in all of time. Because God will never change we can rest assured knowing he will always be good and true. He will always be love, always be merciful, always be just and gracious.

We see several occurrences in scripture where God calls himself unchanging, and others declare it too. When you believe everything in the Bible holds true, that is a great account of his immutability. We can take great assurance knowing his character will forever hold true for you, for me, and for every person across the world. He treats us all the same and no one gets one side or another of God’s character.

Prayer:

Father God, we thank you for your immutability and the assurance that it brings us. We know we can trust you to be consistent through-out time with each one of your children. Thank you for sharing your character with us and allowing us the chance to change and be better. Thank you for the gifts you provide in every season that help us through what we are experiencing.

---

Hey sweet lady, we want to take a quick minute to guide your next steps with the scripture and application portion. We believe that in order to truly grow closer to God, we need to spend time dwelling on what he’s trying to teach us and not rush through it. Take time to truly get to know him better by sitting in what he’s trying to teach you this week. That’s where your faith will grow.

Scripture for Deeper Study:

• Malachi 1:1-7

• Hebrews 1

• James 1:17

• 1 Peter 1:22-25

Application:

• Do you feel you can trust God better knowing he is immutable?

• Read the scripture and reflect how God stayed consistent for them.

• Reflect on how you’ve changed over the last 6 months, year, 5 years, 10 years, etc.

• As you reflect on your change, dig into your memory to see God's consistency in your life. Acknowledge that he has never left you. Acknowledge that his apparent silence does not mean he has left you and take comfort.