the god who never changes

A major difference between the gods of paganism and the God of the Judeo-Christian faith is that the latter never changes. The author of Hebrews speaks of the third person of the Trinity as being “the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8).  God can be counted on to always act in exactly the same way. There may be cultural adjustments, but that is necessary in order to stay true to the underlying principle. It’s the principle that never changes, not its particular expression in time. For example, scripture teaches that “to obey God’s precepts is to enjoy his favor,” and that “to disobey them is to suffer the consequences.” That will always be true, even though how it may look in various settings will appear to be different.
       We readily accept the law of nature that if you drop an object it falls. It has always been that way and we know that it wont be different next week.  We believe that since creation is an expression of a changeless God, its “laws” are necessarily changeless as well. It is broadly held that apart from the westward growth of Christianity there never could have been a scientific revolution. An unchanging God inevitably results in a universe that reflects this same characteristic. Acid always turns litmus paper red. If someday God changed his mind and decided that from that point on it should turn green, our confidence in the scientific method would be undermined.
       The bright side of God’s unchangeable nature is that he will never fail to bless those who honor him. His promises are steadfast and absolutely dependable. His presence is immediately available for those who come to him in genuine humility.  We can read the book of Acts with the confidence that today’s Peter or Paul can enjoy the same intimacy with God as did those two early apostles. Those who originally received the “cornerstone” found in him their hearts desire. Since he is an unchangeable God, the same joyful experience awaits us today as we turn from “darkness into his wonderful light” (2:9).