Message 19th Feb 06

Immutability of God
Character of God Series by Pastor Jeremy Wong

Text: James 1:17 “….the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. “

1. God is immutable in His essence
•Immutable means unchangeable.
•"I am the Lord, I change not" (Mal. 3:6)
•His nature and being are infinite, and so, subject to no mutations.
•There never was a time when He was not; there never will come a time when He shall cease to be.
•God has neither evolved, grown, nor improved. All that He is today, He has ever been, and ever will be.

2. God is immutable in His attributes.
•Whatever the attributes of God were before the universe was called into existence, they are precisely the same now, and will remain so forever.
•Eg. Psalms 100:5 ; 119:87; Jeremiah 31:3 - His love and mercy never change

3. God is immutable in His counsel
•His will never varies
•Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent."
• what are the factors that cause a man to change his mind and reverse his plans?
–No foresight to anticipate everything
–Lack of power to execute them
–fear of unknown consequences.

4. What about the “apparent” differences between the Old & New Testament?
•The reference point of the Old Testament is the Law - but grace was always there.
•The reference point of the New Testament is Jesus Christ.
•The more you know, the more is expected of you


5 What do we gain from Knowing this?

•Comfort in times of sorrow
•Certainty in the midst our chaos
•Call upon him in times of need
•Challenge to Change and to Conform to be more like Christ