The More Things Change, The More God Stays the Same
God's Name, His nature, His Purposes and His Will remain
unchanged, and I would argue “unchangeable”.
When we discuss God's omnipotence, we will emphasize there are
innumerable things God cannot do, chiefly among those; God cannot act against
or change His Holy Nature.
Psalm 102:24-27 Your years continue through all
generations. Long ago You established
the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; all of
them will wear out like clothing. You
will change them like a garment, and they will pass away. But You are the same,
and Your years will never end. HCSB
An aside here about the unchanging and Divinely inspired Word
of God. Note the Psalmist 3,000 years
ago correctly identified that the fabric of our universe is winding down and
wearing out.
Dr. Mark Eastman writes:
“Some cosmologists have asserted that the Second Law does not apply to the universe as a whole. However, there is not one shred of evidence for such a claim. In fact, the evidence from decaying stars (novae and supernovae) indicates just the opposite. The universe is wearing out and winding down![i]”
Materialist and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov confirmed
that the Second Law applies to the universe as a whole:
"Another way of stating what the Second Law is, the universe is constantly getting more disorderly… In fact, all we have to do is nothing, and everything deteriorates, collapses, breaks down, wears out, all by itself- and that’s what the Second Law is all about."
God doesn't need to change His mind, or make new plans.
Psalm 33:11: The counsel
of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of His heart from generation to
generation. HCSB
His purposes or aims do not change, as poetically stated by Jesus' own brother, James:
James 1:17 Every generous
act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of
lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. HCSB
God's changeless faithfulness is our security. As explained in Hebrews, God Word is our
security:
Hebrews 6:17-19a Because
God wanted to show His unchangeable purpose even more clearly to the heirs of
the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath, so that through two unchangeable
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge
might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope as an anchor for our lives,
safe and secure... HCSB
God's omniscience is closely tied to His immutability because
He cannot learn or be surprised. His
plans are not frustrated or confused by events in this universe, so His Word
can be trusted. He does not change in
character, purposes or wisdom, therefore He can be trusted. Faith can only rest in a God who is
trustworthy.
God's immutability does not translate to unchanging for every
aspect of God's nature. He is the Living
God, ever renewing Love and Creativity, ever renewing His grace and forgiveness
to those who call on His name. Where
God is unchanging is His Wisdom, His Character, His Purpose and His Word
Psalm 119:89 Lord, Your
word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. HCSB
See further posts on the Doctrine of God
[i]Mark
Eastman, M.D. “The Origin of the
Universe “ http://www.marshill.org/Evidence%20for%20Creation/origin-of-the-universe-lecture.htm
Scripture citations are from: Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) © 2009 Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville TN or New King James Version®. (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson
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