Theogical Term of the Week

 

Let’s do some “im” words.

 

immutability
Unchangeability. Used of God, it refers to “that perfection of God by which He does not change in His being, perfections, purposes, or promises.” (Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology)

• From the Bible:

  Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
  and the heavens are the work of your hands.
  They will perish, but you will remain;
  they will all wear out like a garment.
  You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
  but you are the same, and your years have no end. (Psalm 102:25-27, ESV)

  So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…. (Hebrews 6:17-19, ESV)

• From The Belgic Confession, Article 1:

  Article I - There is Only One God
  
  We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God; and that He is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.

• From Knowing God by J. I. Packer, page 77:

  Created things have a beginning and an ending, but not so their Creator. The answer to the child’s question “Who Made God?” is simply that God did not need to be made, for he was always there. He exists forever, and he is always the same. He does not grow older. His life does not wax or wane. He does not gain new powers nor lose those that he once had. He does not mature or develop. He does not get stronger, or weaker, or wiser, as time goes by. “He cannot change for the better,” wrote A. W. Pink, “for he is already perfect; and being perfect, he cannot change for the worse.”
  
  The first and fundamental difference between the Creator and his creatures is that they are mutable and their nature admits of change, whereas God is immutable and can never cease to be what he is.

Learn more:

1. Arthur Pink: The Immutability of God
   
2. Rev. D. H. Kuiper: The Immutability of God
3. Robert Reymond: God’s Immutability (mp3)
4. From my Attributes of God posts: God’s Immutability
   

Have you come across a theological term that you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

 

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.

Comments

[TameraMoran21]

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