We live in a universe defined by change. Our bodies weaken, relationships evolve, careers shift, and even our most firmly held opinions can soften over time. Everything is in a state of becoming.
But what if your greatest hope rested on a single, unmovable reality?
That’s the profound truth at the heart of the Prophet Malachi’s message. In one of the clearest statements in all of Scripture, God declares His eternal nature, giving His people the reason they were not utterly consumed because of their own unfaithfulness:
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” — Malachi 3:6
The theological term for this is the Immutability of God: He is not liable to change. He is pure being, an everlasting Rock (Deuteronomy 32:4), completely steady in a fluctuating universe. This is more than just theological trivia—it is the bedrock of our faith.
This foundational truth of God’s unchanging nature manifests itself in four crucial areas that define our relationship with Him and guarantee our security.
1. He is Unchanging in His Being
When we rewind the tape of time all the way back into eternity past, we don’t find a God who was becoming or developing. We find a God who simply is.
The concept of God’s unchanging nature keeps us from falling into error. It refutes any notion that God started out “like a man” and worked His way up. Before the mountains were brought forth, He was already God (Psalm 90:2). When He spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He revealed His name as Yahweh, or “I AM” (Exodus 3:14)—He is self-existent, dependent on nothing, and therefore always the same.
2. He is Unchanging in His Character
Imagine a boss who starts out kind and attentive, but slowly grows irritable and uncaring. This happens to humans—our characters fluctuate. But when it comes to God, not a single one of His perfections has ever grown or diminished. He has no weaknesses and requires no development. Here’s two examples that are especially gospel-related:
- Immutable Justice: God will never, at any time, relax His holiness or waive His justice. Sin will never become more palatable to Him. This is a sobering truth for the unrepentant, yet it is also a beautiful guarantee that His perfect justice was fully satisfied on Christ at the cross.
- Immutable Love and Faithfulness: This is the good news for the “up and down” Christian. Our fluctuations and inconsistencies do not cause Him to waver in His commitment to love us to the very end. His love and grace are not just there when we feel them; they are a constant reality, guaranteed by the Father of lights, “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).
3. He is Unchanging in His Purposes
If God’s plans could be thwarted, He wouldn’t be sovereign. We constantly change our plans because of changed circumstances or simply changing our minds. God never does either.
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” — Psalm 33:11
God has never had a “Plan B.” Whatever He has purposed and decided from eternity past, He will do. We are not watching God’s plan evolve in history; we are watching it unfold. His purpose for each Christian—that all things work together for your good to conform you to the image of His Son—will stand, because no one can turn Him back (Job 23:13).
4. He is Unchanging in His Promises
The immutability of God is ultimately about the immutability of His Word. Everything about His unchanging nature leads to this assurance: we can trust His promises.
In Malachi, He tells Israel they haven’t been wiped out because of His unchanging promises to their fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). You haven’t been spared because of your character; you’ve been spared because of His character.
For the believer in Christ, this unchanging promise is highlighted in the Golden Chain of Romans 8:
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son… and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” — Romans 8:29–30
If God set His love on you in eternity past, and justified you through faith in Christ, He will certainly bring you all the way home to glory. The chain in those verses cannot be broken.
When fears arise, when anxiety overwhelms, and when the tempests of life blow, grab hold of this truth like an anchor: “I the Lord do not change.” His promises are as good today as they have ever been, and they are guaranteed to all those who trust in Christ.
This is an edited A.I. summary of the sermon: “The Unchanging God”
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