The Unchangeable Nature of God
GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE!
It is always with profound comfort and steadfast hope that we proclaim the unchanging nature of God. We stand on the integrity of Scripture – our confidence rooted not in emotion but in Truth itself. The Word of God affirms, again and again, this eternal constancy:
Malachi 3:6a “I the LORD do not change…”
James 1:17b “…the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
Numbers 23:19a “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind…”
We also know that God and His Word are one and the same. As He is unchangeable, so is His Word. As He is eternal, so His Word endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
But perhaps our view of this truth has been too narrow.
Why do we so often confine God’s unchangeable nature to His promises- His blessings, His healings, His abundant gifts? While these reveal His goodness, His immutability extends far beyond them.
The often-overlooked dimension of God’s unchanging nature is found in His instructions, His laws, His precepts, and His commands.
To walk in obedience.
To live righteously.
To pursue holiness.
To be kind and compassionate.
To turn away from evil.
To deal justly with others.
And, as written in Jeremiah 3:19b, “…to call Him Father, and never turn away from following Him.”
If God is unchangeable and His promises are immutable, then His commands and His desire for righteous living remain the same; yesterday, today, and forever.
God is not as impressed by our sacrifices as He is moved by our obedience.
Jeremiah 7:21–23 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but I gave them this command: Obey Me, and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.”
There is nothing we can offer that can ever fascinate God – for He is the Source and Creator of all things.
He confirmed this in Isaiah 66:1–2:
“Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.
Where is the house you will build for Me?
Where will My resting place be?
Has not My hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD.
Finishing off with God categorically stating the heart posture He desires – “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.”
That word tremble comes from the Hebrew chârêd—to fear and revere God’s Word deeply.
In the very next verse, Isaiah declares that the offerings of those who disregard God’s commands are detestable to Him; an abomination.
Today, this truth still confronts us.
Some believers emphasize outward holiness – how we dress, how we appear – while overlooking the inward posture of the heart. Others focus so heavily on grace that they misrepresent it, as though being “the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus” means God no longer sees our sin.
While it is true that Christ’s righteousness covers us, it does not excuse disobedience.
God, who is omniscient and omnipresent, sees beyond the cloak. He knows when our hearts stray from His commands.
Grace is not a free pass to live carelessly. Grace does not nullify God’s will for righteousness, it empowers us to fulfill it.
Romans 6:1–2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”
Grace eliminates the burden of striving for God’s approval through works, but it should stir in us a deeper gratitude, a holy desire to please the One who loved us so greatly. Because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, our obedience should not stem from duty, but from devotion; from love and reverence for His glory.
Christ is the fulfillment of the Law; He accomplished all that was required but He never abolished it (Matthew 5:17).
In verse 19 of the same chapter he stated “therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great.” depicting the great value of righteouness to God.
He concludes in this chapter in verse 48 with a call that pierces the heart:
Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
And the Apostle Paul echoes this in Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
To be clothed with Christ (Galatians 3:27) must mean more than covering ourselves in His righteousness—it means walking as He walked, living as He lived, and loving as He loved. It means total obedience and surrender to the Father’s will.
The Law was given as a temporary solution as “Our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)
Yet the Law still reveals the heart, the will, and the commands of God.
There are countless passages throughout the New Testament affirming this same truth – that believers are still called to live in obedience to God, according to the righteousness revealed in His commands.
Ephesians 4:24–25 “Put on the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.”
The truth is, it will never be easy to live up to the divine standard of perfection God has set. And He knows this better than anyone. That is why He offers His grace – not as a license to sin, but as an invitation to rest.
Perfectly stated in Hebrews 4:9–11, 16
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His.
Here’s how we can access that rest by in chapter 16 “approaching God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help us in our time of need.”
Take note however of verse 11 that admonishes “… us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”
Grace, then, is not a cloak to hide sin, it is God’s power to live righteously.
We must not be selective in how we interpret God’s unchanging nature.
The same God whose mercy never ends is the God whose holiness never fades.
Righteousness and justice are still the foundation of Your throne. (Psalm 89:14)
Holiness still matters to God.
Righteousness still matters to God.
Kindness still moves His heart.
Obedience still delights Him.
Compassion, forgiveness, these are still His requirements.
And only through His Spirit can we truly live in righteousness and obedience.
The heart of the matter is this:
God is still as deeply interested now as He was in the days of old in how we live – in our obedience, our alignment with His desires, His laws, and His precepts and He always will be.
*This is the unchangeable nature of God.*
By OkakaObari Obele-Legunsen
