God, Himself states, “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6). This means that He is forever precisely as He is; changeless/immutable. God has always been all-powerful, and He forever will be. God has always been all-knowing, and He forever will be. God has forever been infinitely wise, and that He forever will be. This also means that God’s plans and purposes are also not subject to change. There was never a time when God was not, nor will there ever be a time when God was or will be any different than He is right now.
What does God’s immutability have to do with you? Here are seven personal benefits for you to consider:
1. Your assurance of salvation should increase.
Even though you are saved, do you still have doubts whether or not you will truly be saved in the end? If so, a possible cause of this could be an insufficient understanding of God’s immutability. There is great comfort in understanding that your salvation is tied directly to the immutability of God.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)
A Christian is forever God’s possession. It is His power that brought you to repentance of sin and belief in Jesus Christ, and it is His power that permanently secures your salvation.
2. Your purpose in life should be more greatly realized.
Most people’s purpose, time, energy, money, and efforts are focused on this world, a world that is in an unstable, unsure, and constant state of change. As a Christian, however, you should make better use of your life than living for the pursuit of only temporary gain.
15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Passages like this serve as a reality check. How foolish is it for you to spend all of your efforts and days on that which is perishing, and give little thought to the eternally immutable One? Your chief purpose is to glorify God with all that you are and to enjoy Him forever.
3. Your steadfastness during suffering should increase.
It is common for people to have doubts about God’s love, goodness, or power during difficult times. However, instead of allowing your mind to think such wrong thoughts of God, times of suffering, persecution, or trials should be a time when you focus more than ever on God’s immutability. Think of all that Job went through; the loss of his family, all his possessions, his health, companionship, yet “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22)
4. Your trust in God’s Word should increase.
You have a standard of truth from God, of which to base your beliefs and behavior upon. Many people just believe and behave how the culture expects them to as if there is no standard of truth. However, God, who is changeless, has given us truth that we can depend on. So that no matter how much the culture around us changes, you should remain steadfast in our adherence to the doctrine and behavior that God has put forth in His Word. You can trust in the Word of God, because “All scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16).
5. Your rest in the love of God should increase.
3Sadly, some people’s view of God’s love fluctuates so much that it could be called, “He loves me, He loves me not theology.” However, a better understanding of His love for you would be, “He loves me immutably and eternally.” God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love." (Jeremiah 31:3)
There is no perfect relationship on earth. Your relationships fluctuate significantly based on emotion, hormones, distractions, etc. However, you must realize that God’s love for all who are in Christ is absolutely perfect and unchanging.
6. Your trust in God should increase.
4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:4)
The scriptures often use the analogy of God as a rock, because of the rock’s ability to stay put and be unaltered by change. He is your everlasting Rock of stability; therefore, you can trust in the Lord forever.
Trust is a beautiful attribute for people to have, yet perhaps you have been hurt by those who have abused your trust; but God can be fully trusted, because He is forever, and immutably trustworthy.
7. Your worship of God should increase.
While immutability may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you are worshipping God, maybe it should be.
The Apostle John gives us a glimpse of the worship that God receives in heaven around the clock.
8“And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8)
In this passage, God is praised perpetually for His holiness, His power, and His eternal immutability. As He was, He is, and forever will be. He is worshiped in heaven by acknowledging Him for who He truly is. As you worship, you should strive to join the chorus of heaven by doing the same.
Dr. Trey Talley, Lead Pastor and Elder