Does God Ever Change His Mind
Sam Storms
All people are fickle, in varying degrees. I suspect wed be shocked to learn how many times in the course of a normal day we change our plans, reverse course, or pull out an eraser to delete an appointment or a task we had set for the week. Changing our minds feels so natural to us as humans, its hard to envision life without it. In most instances the changes are harmless and typically result from unforeseeable circumstances, as well as the alterations that other people make that directly affect us. But what would it mean for God to change his mind? Does he? Could he? Or are all his plans and purposes immutable?
The importance of defining our theological terms with precision is most evident in the case of divine immutability. Here is a word that in contemporary evangelical circles evokes either protest or praise. Some see it as a threat to the biblical portrait of a God who does indeed change: he changes his mind and he changes his mode of being . Others are equally concerned that a careless tampering with this attribute of God will reduce him to a fickle, unfaithful, and ultimately unworthy object of our affection and worship. It is imperative, therefore, that we proceed cautiously, and yet with conviction, in the explanation of the sense in which God both can and cannot change.
Immutability as Consistency of Character
Constancy of Being, Life, Character, and Plan
Can God Change His Mind?
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Notes
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid., 88.
4. Ibid.
Bible Verses About Gods Love Never Failing Kjv
We can learn about God from the Bible because he has shown himself in it. According to the Bible, God is all-powerful and capable of resolving all of our problems. His deeds and miracles demonstrate how much he loves and cares about us.
Jesus has promised that he will always be with us till the end of time. No one will be able to free us from his grip. We can put our faith in him because he is trustworthy.
We can trust him since the promises he made in the Old Testament have been totally fulfilled. All of Gods men have seen that Gods love never fails, and we can trust him because he established it by laying down his life for us.
When we dont see hope in our lives, the following bible verses will remind us that Gods love never fails.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Romans 8:37-39 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bible Verses About God Being The Same
Bible verses related to God Being The Same from the King James Version by Relevance
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.Malachi 3:6 – For I am the LORD, I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.Revelation 1:8 – I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.Psalms 90:2 – Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.Psalms 102:24-27 – I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Psalms 89:34 – My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.Revelation 1:6 – And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.1 Peter 1:24-25 – For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
Search the King James Version for more references about God Being The Same…
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The Imitation Of Christ
He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, saith the Lord. These are the words of Christ and they direct us to imitate his life and character. The Imitation of Christ is a guide to following the example of Jesus Christ. It should be our most earnest study to dwell upon the life of Jesus Christ. The Imitation of Christ.
The Revelation Of Gods Immutability
An unnamed psalmist asked that question in a moment of great trial. The inspired title of Psalm 102 says, A Prayer of the Afflicted, when he is faint, and pours out his complaint before the LORD. This man is in trouble. He is facing some devastating changes in his life. Listen to his lament.
Do not hide Thy face from me in the day of my distress Incline Thine ear to me In the day when I call answer me quickly. For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth. My heart has been smitten like grass and withered away, Indeed, I forget to eat my bread. Because of the loudness of my groaning My bones cling to my flesh .
My enemies have reproached me all day long Those who deride me have used my name as a curse .
My days are like a lengthened shadow And I wither away like grass .
Is there some kind of life preserver a person can hang on to when, like this psalmist, he feels as though he is about to go under? Is there something solid, stable, and unchanging? There is, and he is going to tell us about it.
But Thou, O LORD, dost abide forever And Thy name to all generations .
There is a God who will never cease to exist. But He is more than eternal. He is absolutely unchanging.
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Christian Quotes About Change
It is not so true that prayer changes things as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a mans disposition. Oswald Chambers
Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it. Harry Emerson Fosdick
If youre going to be a Christian, youre going to change. Youre going to lose some old friends, not because you want to, but because you need to.
Real contentment must come from within. You and I can not change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us. Warren W. Wiersbe
Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart And Do Not Lean On Your Own Understanding In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him And He Will Make Straight Your Paths Proverbs : 5
This Bible verse is very important for many of us in modern times. With all our external influences, like social media, we often find ourselves overthinking things and comparing our lives to others.
God reminds us that wherever we may find ourselves, do not overthink and rely solely on our own intelligence. He is always there, so trust in the name of the Lord and he will guarantee you safe passage through life.
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Gods Word Never Changes But The Way We Read It Does
In a crumbling economy, with rising inflation and interest rates, countless industries are flailingbut not Bible publishers.
Many Bible publishers will tell you that while it seems to be a time of plenty, they face many challenges that must be understood as opportunities. What sets them apart from the rest of the marketplace is their unifying commitment to distributing the unchanging, accurate Word of God into the hands of both Christians and the curious.
Bible publishers must walk a tightrope of honoring the inerrancy and sanctity of Scripture while still understanding the ebbs and flows of sales and marketing. With accurate translation as their number one priority, Bible publishers can then apply their creativity and consumer desires to aspects like cover design, special features, and suiting Bibles to certain age groups.
Whether publishers are designing covers that match a popular aesthetic or producing childrens Bibles according to elementary school reading levels, their goal is singular: We want the Bible to feel accessible to people, said Catherine DeVries, publisher at Kregel Publications.
These top four Bible publishing trends reflect publishers commitment to the text and ears open to the consumer so that the story of Scripture can be told to all.
1. Fighting for Underserved Populations.
2. Customizing for Consumer Appeal
3. Navigating the New, Virtual Frontier.
4. Meeting Consumer Needs in Troubling Times.
A Common Pursuit
Zimmerman couldnt agree more.
Do Not Be Anxious About Anything But In Everything By Prayer And Supplication With Thanksgiving Let Your Requests Be Made Known To God And The Peace Of God Which Surpasses All Understanding Will Guard Your Hearts And Your Minds In Christ Jesus Philippians : 6
Do you worry about change? Anxiety issues are one of the results of continuous worry. Instead of bottling these feelings within yourself, share with Christ Jesus and he will aid in the renewing of your mind.
Therefore, if anyone is struggling, all they need to do is pray and ask honestly and openly for guidance. The Lord will guard you and help you think clearly to get through these turbulent times.
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The Resistance To Gods Immutability
Not everybody believes what you are reading right now. They point to Scriptures that tell us God repents and they say, You see, God is mutable. He does change His mind. Therefore, He may not keep His Word. He may not carry out His purposes. He may not know everything. We need not read more than a few pages in our Bibles before coming to a passage that raises that question. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart .
But there are other passages, however, assuring us that God will not change His mind:
God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind for He is not a man that He should change His mind . Is that a contradiction in the Bible? I do not think so.
Pastor’s Corner: God Never Changes: Trust Him
The God of the Bible never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. That is why He is the only secure place man can put his faith and trust in. The fact that God is eternally unchanging makes Him unlike any other being in existence.
Everything and everyone else in life changes constantly. Relationships change, people change, landscape changes, health changes, culture changes, etc. With everything around us changing so rapidly and our immediate future being filled with such uncertainty, we need to find an unchanging place to put our hope in. Lamentations 3:22-24 says, Through the Lords mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning Great is Your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him! Malachi 3:6 says, For I am the Lord, I do not change Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. God is unchanging in His existence, in His Attributes, and in His counsel. That is why He is where unshakeable hope comes from.
His Mercy is unchanging. Psalm 100:5 says, For the Lord is good His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. The same is true with His knowledge, sovereignty, holiness, power, faithfulness, goodness, patience, grace, and even His wrath. His attributes never change.
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The Word Of God Never Changes
The Bible says, The Bible is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged blade, it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow it evaluates the hearts thoughts and attitudes . The Bible never changes we do. If we disagree with something in the Bible, we must change, not the Bible. Change our minds in light of Gods unchanging Word. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. If the Word changed, we could not depend on it for progress.
John chapter one talks about how God is the Word and how His Son became the Word showing its infallible nature. As a matter of fact, Revelations 22:19 warns the world not to take away or add to the Word, for we are sinners and cannot create perfection like God. In John 12:48, Jesus states, The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. The verse shows how immutable the Word remains.
8. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
9. Psalm 119:89 it is firmly fixed in the heavens.
10. Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
11. 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
14. Psalm 119:152 Long ago I learned from Your testimonies that You have established them forever.
The Lord Is My Rock My Fortress And My Deliverer My God Is My Rock In Whom I Take Refuge My Shield And The Horn Of My Salvation My Stronghold Psalm 1: 2 Esv
Psalms is filled with many beautiful Bible verses on change. This is an exceptionally great one that can be applied to any difficulty in your life. When change comes knocking, remember that the Lord is your shield
If you discover this protection from God, then there truly is nothing that you wont be able to face.
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Examples Of Change In The Bible
As change offers a reoccurring theme in the Bible, many have experienced life-altering adjustments. Here are a few notable people who went through massive transformations as they learned to walk toward God:
Moses was a Jewish-born slave in Egypt who became the son of the Pharaohs daughter. He grew up to leave his Egyptian life behind and take up the cause of God by leading the Israelites out of the country and into slavery. Even though he was destined to die at birth by the Pharaoh, he later received the written word of God. Not only did Moses receive the Ten Commandments, but he also built a house for God despite his Egyptian upbringing. You can read his entire life story Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Daniels change and transition are described in 1 Samuel 16:5-13. God selected David, a shepherd boy, the last child in his family, with siblings in the army, rather than his bigger and stronger brothers. David was unwittingly prepared for transformation. He killed lions and bears while protecting his flock, and God was preparing him to kill Goliath and many more. Ultimately, He led lambs to prepare to lead Israels children.
Acts 9:1-30 tells about Sauls transformation into Paul. He changed nearly instantly when he met Jesus. Paul went from persecuting Jesus disciples to being an apostle, speaker, and prisoner, and the author of most of the Bible.
Therefore If Anyone Is In Christ The New Creation Has Come The Old Has Gone The New Is Here 2 Corinthians : 17 Niv
This powerful Bible quote reminds us of the sacrifice that Lord Jesus Christ made for us. God uses change as a powerful tool to bring about growth and better circumstances. God gave His own Son so that we could be forgiven for our sins.
Instead of fearing the trials and tribulations of change, we should look forward to the new lives that they bring. As long as anyone is in Christ and you trust in God as your savior, the new will always outweigh the old.
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So We Do Not Lose Heart Though Our Outer Self Is Wasting Away Our Inner Self Is Being Renewed Day By Day For This Light Momentary Affliction Is Preparing For Us An Eternal Weight Of Glory Beyond All Comparison As We Look Not To The Things That Are Seen But To The Things That Are Unseen For The Things That Are Seen Are Transient But The Things That Are Unseen Are Eternal 2 Corinthians : 16
We can look at this Bible verse on change in two ways: physically or about life in general. As we grow older, our bodies will start to wither. This physical change is something many people fear and resent on a daily basis.
The Lord reminds us in 2 Corinthians that this life is only temporary. Anything we are experiencing, whether old age or general life changes, we should always remember that they are only temporary. Through our faith in God, we will experience an eternal joy far greater than any momentary suffering.