Immutability Of God Analysis

The word immutable means “unchanging” or “unchangeable.” In Theology it refers to the constancy of God. It is a Meta-physical, or supernatural, attribute in the same class as Self-existence or Eternality.[1] God is unchanging in his nature, unchanging in his desire, and unchanging in his purpose.[2] The Immutability of God does not mean he is Impassable—that he cannot be emotionally moved by human situations that may cause him grief, anger, sadness, pleasure, or gladness. The Immutability of God refers to his invariability—“To say that God is immutable is to say that He never differs from Himself. His desire and his purpose for humankind has also been unchanged since the beginning of human life, and what He has promised, He will do.

God’s

James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” This verse speaks of the Unchangeable Nature of God. Prior to this verse James describes Spiritual maturity,[14] and part of this maturing process is the testing of faith, and subjection to temptation[15] which is a constant inner struggle of a sinful human nature. Verse 17 is the encouragement that in the midst of testing and temptation we can be sure of God’s “invariable goodness.”[16] He only gives good gifts and “His own perfection and invariability are seen by contrast with the heavenly light-giving bodies, the variation of lights and shadows.”[17] God isn’t like the sun which shines for a time and then hides in the shadows of clouds or of night for a while before shining again. God is always good, and “God’s gifts are invariably good. In all the changes of a changing world they never vary.”[18] A God who never differs from Himself means that “In coming to Him at any time we need not wonder whether we shall find Him in a receptive mood.”[19] We can trust that “He is always consistent with his character of love and righteousness. He is the source, ground and author of ultimate truth and