The world is constantly changing. Technology evolves daily, culture shifts with every news cycle, and even our own minds and moods are in constant flux.
For many, the idea that God does not change sounds cold or distant—like an unfeeling force. But God’s immutability is not a barrier to His love and faithfulness—it is the very foundation of them.
If God could change, even in the slightest way, He could become less holy, less wise, less merciful, or less faithful tomorrow than He is today. And that would be terrifying.
A God Who Cannot Change
James 1:17 says, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James draws comfort from God’s unchanging nature. God’s goodness is not like shifting shadows that move with the sun—His generosity and grace are constant, reliable, and secure.
The prophet Malachi uses this truth to explain why Israel was not consumed despite their repeated unfaithfulness: For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
God’s immutability is not an abstract doctrine. It is the reason we have any hope at all. If God were changeable, He might change His mind about His promises, His covenant, or His mercy toward sinners. But because He does not change, His people are not destroyed, and His promises stand forever.
A God Who Cannot Grow
To say God cannot change also means He cannot grow.
He does not grow wiser, because His wisdom is already infinite (Romans 11:33).
He does not grow more loving, because “God is love” (1 John 4:8)—perfectly, eternally, and fully.
He does not grow in knowledge, because “his understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5).
As Herman Bavinck writes, “If God were not immutable, he would not be God... All that changes ceases to be what it was. But true being belongs to him who does not change.” (Reformed Dogmatics, 2:154)
A God who could grow could also diminish. A God who could increase in goodness could also decrease. Such a God could not be fully trusted.
A God Who Cannot Fail
The immutability of God means that His saving purposes are unshakable. The writer of Hebrews connects God’s unchanging nature with the believer’s assurance of salvation:
When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the 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)
Our hope rests not on our ability to hold on, but on the unchanging God who holds us.
Worship the Unchanging God
In a rapidly changing world, we can find deep rest in the One who never changes. God’s immutability is not a cold, abstract truth—it is the warm foundation of His covenant love.
When you feel like everything is in flux, remember that there is one Rock who never moves. Worship Him, trust Him, and take refuge in His unchanging goodness.