The Immutability of God

James 1:16-18

Big Idea – God’s immutability adorns his attributes, upholds the gospel, and assures your salvation

Biblical teaching on Immutability

Verses listed on screen: Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:25-27, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 6:13-20, Hebrews 7:20-28, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17, 1 Peter 1:3-5

Theological Teaching on Immutability

Definition: Divine immutability is the perfection of God in which he is free from any change or potentiality to change in his essence, knowledge, will and purpose.

Immutability adorns all God’s attributes and acts as a predicate to them

“Biblical” objections to immutability

Verses listed on screen:  Genesis 6:5-6, Exodus 32:11-14, 1 Samuel 15:10-29, Jonah 3:10 – 4:3

"Biblical" objections to immutability fail either by misunderstanding, taking verses out of context, or forgetting divine accommodation 

Theological objections to immutability

Creation | Christ’s Incarnation and Death | Immutability = Immobility

Application

In the gospel, the immutable God changes us to become what we could not be by ourselves: united to Christ as children of God

 "The immutability of Christ comes as eternally good news to those who have been united to Him. It is in Christ’s inalterability – by virtue of His divine nature – that many of the functional needs of the economy of redemption are met. In the immutable Christ, God’s people find an unchanging mediator who ever pleads their innocence before God and in the immutable Christ, God’s people find an unchanging adoption in which they’ll ever be endowed the undeserved script of “Abba, Father”.  In the immutable Christ, God’s people find an unchanging righteousness granted them as the merits of Christ become their own. In the immutable Christ, God’s people find an unchanging atonement in which the spilt blood forever pardons their darkest sins. And it is in the immutable Christ that God’s people find an unchanging resurrection in which they’ll ascend to the right hand of the Father and enjoy the prize of their faith evermore. The immutability of the second person of the Trinity – Jesus Christ – protects vital elements needed for the economy of redemption. Christ immutability protects the righteousness and merits needed for reconciliation, He protects the once-for-all sacrifice needed to propitiate the just wrath of the Father, He protects the priestly intercession needed as He pleads on our behalf, and He protects the eternal resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father."

     Ronni Kurtz, No Shadow of Turning, p. 187