“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” – Malachi 3:6
Seasons & Change
The Preacher once said, “For everything there is a season, and a time to every matter under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). With each passing year, life’s “seasons” seem to pick up speed. I suppose that is inevitable for those of us who are “over the hill” (maybe there is more for gravity to work with). For whatever reason, the descent is certainly more rapid than the climb up. Along the way, we seem to become much more acquainted with the times of “deaths” and “pluckings” than those of “births” and “plantings”. Yesterday’s visits to the maternity ward have become today’s hospice visits. To everything, there is a season. Every season brings change.
Think of the seeds planted with great hopes that only yielded weeds. How many peace treaties give way to wars. How often do promising business ventures end up as bankruptcies? More often than not, the starry-eyed “I do’s” end up in teary-eyed divorces. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic or cynical, but experience teaches us that despite our “Pollyanna” naivetés, everything under the sun is subject to change; which is another way of saying, capable of failing, abandoning, and disappointing us. Such is life in a fallen world. But God offers us a hope, “I the Lord do not change.”
Immutable
Years ago I gave a devotion on this text from Malachi during a prayer meeting. Ironically, it happened to be my birthday. As the calendar was reminding me that I was another year older, I was encouraging my audience with the truth that God is immutable. He never changes. No gray hairs, no balding, no wrinkles. Ever. Many in the audience that night have since passed into eternity. They are now witnessing first hand the fact that God is the great, I Am. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Unchanging Essence
Being spirit, and not flesh and blood, God’s essence will never be subject to change. As finite beings surrounded by constant change, this is difficult for us to grasp. We like to say that change is the only constant in life. Everything we come in contact with is changing. Granted the rate of change may be different, but the consequences of sin and death in our world has made change a given. But the Creator is not like His creation (Psalm 102:25-27). God is beyond the reach of sin. His purity will never be tarnished. An ethereal spirit, He has no “beachhead” that time or sin can touch. While change may be a constant for us, it is nothing God will “experience”. With Him, there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1:17).
Unchanging Attributes
Like the essence of God, His attributes are also unchangeable. His power will never weaken; His arm will never shorten. He will always remain omnipotent. His knowledge will never diminish; His wisdom will never fail. He will always remain omniscient. His grace and mercy will not lessen. He will always be perfectly holy; He will always be just. He will always be absolute truth; He will always love with a perfect everlasting love. God has always been perfect. By definition, He cannot change and remain perfect. He cannot become more; he cannot become less. “I am the Lord, I change not.”
Unchanging Plans
“But he is unchangeable, and who can turn Him back? What He desires, that He does. For He will complete what He appoints for me…” (Job 23:13-14a). The unchangeableness of God pertains not only to His essence and attributes but also to His plans. God is not reactionary. There is nothing unseen that will surprise Him necessitating a change in plans. The wisdom behind His plans is infinite. The resources to carry out His plans are unlimited. Being eternal, He will never run out of time to see His plans come to fruition. What are a thousand years to God? If God decrees something, who has the power to alter His plans? God’s plans reflect His perfect nature. Why should He change them?
Unchanging Promises
We like to cling to the promises of God. And rightly so. But what value would they be if they were subject to change? Of course, they are not. God’s promises will never be revoked. His mercies will always be new every morning; those who call upon the name of the Lord will always be saved. As heirs of the promise, we have this hope, “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of promise the unchangeable character of His purpose, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:17-18). Cling to the promises of God. They will never change.
Unchanging Threats
As much as we like to claim the promises of God, we would often prefer to ignore His threats. But that is foolish. Just as God’s promises are unchanging, so are His threats. God’s justice demands it. Sin must be punished. There is a literal hell for those that do not believe. God’s plan of salvation is perfect. God’s plan of salvation is exclusive. To reject it has eternal consequences. There is great comfort in the immutability of God unless one is His enemy. Heed God’s warnings. They are as unchangeable as His promises.
Real Change
I am not implying that all change is bad. Nor can I promote change for the sake of change. Instead, I believe we have to recognize that our only hope for “real” change comes from our unchanging God who makes all things new. He gives us a new heart. He gives us a new spirit. He gives us a new name. He gives us a new body. He gives us a new home. He gives a new life. He gives us a new song. As Malachi wrote, our salvation is contingent upon the fact that God doesn’t change. As the seasons of life carry us closer to the grave, it is comforting to have the only true constant to cling to! Every seed of hope that He plants will produce fruit.
I’ll take the “changes” of an immutable God over those of a fallen world any day.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:17-18