Immutability

One of the attributes of God is immutability (unchangeableness). Grudem defined it in this way, “God is unchanging in His being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and He acts and feels differently in response to different situations.” While humans constantly grow and change in their character and personalities, God does not. This is evident in James 1:17, where it speaks about God by saying, “…with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

In regards to the definition provided by Grudem, we see that God is also unchanging in His purposes and His promises. The Father has eternal purposes that He has determined, and these will never be changed. He also has made promises – of which He will never go back on. We, on the other hand, purpose and plan, and promise many things to ourselves and others. Yet our plans fail, and at times our promises are broken. This is not true with God. Isaiah spoke to this in chapter 46 verses 9-11, “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”

Relaying the person of God through His attributes is difficult, because our human minds are limited. Ultimately, we can never fully understand the God of the universe. Thus, in reading the Scriptures it appears that at times God changes His mind. Such Scriptures would include Jonah and his preaching to the people of Ninevah (Jonah 3:10), and other examples such as Genesis 6:6, Exodus 32:9-14, and 1 Samuel 15:10. Grudem stated in his definition that God “acts and feels differently in response to different situations.” He also stated, “God’s previous action led to events that, in the short term, caused Him sorrow, but that nonetheless in the long term would ultimately achieve His good purposes.”

This can be convoluted and difficult to explain. I think John Piper explained it well in stating, “God's responses are not like man's. They are never based on ignorance of what you and I will do. He foresees our changes and knows the perfect response to each change, and plans to respond according to his own perfect wisdom and righteousness and goodness and power to maintain his plan and purpose in the world. This is not the way humans respond. "God is not man that he should lie or change his mind" (1 Samuel 15:29). In other words, God's variations, as we experience them, are part of a unified and unchanging plan to accomplish his great purposes in the world.”

An application from this would be to rejoice in God! He is perfect, infinite, all knowing, and is in control of all things. We live in a world that is full of change – minute by minute. If you are in Christ, you can be confident in our unchanging God, like David who said, “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” Psalm 18:1-2