God is Unchanging in his Being, Perfections, Purposes and
Promises
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Question
In what ways is God immutable?
Answer
To say that God's immutable means that he's unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes and promises. So, his being, his nature, his essence, his perfections, the degree to which he possesses those characteristics, his purposes, what he has determined to do, and his promises, what he's told us he'll do — so, God's unchanging in those ways. That's not to say that God doesn't relate to us in a dynamic, relational, personal way. So, he listens to our prayers. He grieves over our sin. He delights in our faithfulness. And so, it's been said that God is essentially immutable, but relationally mutable. There's a degree to which he adapts what he's doing to our relationship with him, while at the same time maintaining his essential attributes.
Dr. Erik Thoennes is Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Talbot School of Theology