Immutable

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)

The immutability of God. This is not something we speak of daily; however, it is a foundational doctrine many today will fight against. Presented in the negative with the “im” prefix, we understand God is not mutable. God is unchanging, always the same. Everything in creation can be mutated in some fashion. Secularists and humanists use this in an attempt to circumvent the creation model of the Bible. Understanding and embracing the implications of God's immutability enlightens us and empowers us in our faith.

Immutability does not imply that God is static, frozen, or paralyzed. On the contrary, our God is dynamic, alive, and actively involved in creation. Unlike the king of England, who reigns but does not rule, our God both reigns and rules. His immutability is not a sign of stagnation but a testament to His unchanging nature. God is 100 percent pure, 100% of every attribute; there is no potential in God left unrealized or fulfilled. He is 100% holy and eternally unchanging.

Because of this, we can count on our assurances in the New Covenant, our assurances in Christ. We should be careful because there are modern theists who apparently slept through classes on the nature of God, as they would argue to the contrary.

These theists would try to separate Christ's divine nature from His human nature. Philippians is often used to make this claim in that it says Christ emptied himself of his deity, that Jesus was no longer God but human. His miracles were done as a human in the “right relationship with God,” whatever that means.

Jesus is God. He never stopped being God for one second; it is impossible to change God's nature. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8). We know this to be true because, at the transfiguration on Mount Tabor, Jesus appeared in His glory to the apostles Peter, John, and James. The garment of his humanity was pulled back to reveal his deity, which Jesus always retained. If Jesus had not retained His deity, He could have never borne our sins, and we would be unable to be justified.  

Jesus wept tears of humanity and felt hunger and thirst, which were manifestations of his humanity. His miracles, omniscience, and contact with the Father were acts of His deity. There must be no attempts to separate this nature of Christ, for if there is, the gospel will be twisted and altered, and all hope will be lost.

So, why is this important? As I already stated, the unchanging nature of God makes our God reliable, not predictable, but reliable. Every covenant He made with humanity, God fulfilled and continues to fulfill. Every aspect of God’s nature is unchanging; because of this, we can understand what is required of us as his children. We are able to study His word so that we can grow in our sanctification. God's love for us is not just steadfast, but unchanging. His wrath towards sin is unchanging, giving us an understanding of the outcome of life for those outside of Christ.

Without the immutability of God, our hope would be lost. This unchanging nature of God is not just a theological concept, but a source of hope and assurance for us. God's immutability is a basis of faith we must hold onto in our Christian journey.

Grace and Peace!