Have you ever felt like you're standing on shifting sand? Think about the world around us. The news cycle changes every hour. The economy that was booming yesterday is uncertain today. Technology that was cutting-edge last year is now obsolete. Fashions come and go.
Even closer to home, things change. Our bodies change—we grow up, we grow older, we get wrinkles and gray hairs we didn't ask for. Our relationships change—friends move away, families evolve, loved ones are lost. Our own emotions can be a rollercoaster, can't they? One day we feel full of faith and confidence, and the next we’re wrestling with doubt and anxiety. Everything in our experience is marked by change, by flux, by instability. It can be exhausting. It can be frightening.
But into this whirlwind of uncertainty, the Word of God speaks a profound and anchoring truth. It’s the truth from our text this morning in Malachi 3:6: “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
Did you hear that? Amidst all the change, there is one constant. One rock. One unshakable reality: God does not change. This doctrine, the immutability of God, isn't some dusty, abstract theological concept for a seminary classroom. It is the firm foundation for our hope, our security, and our very salvation. It's the anchor for our souls in the storm of life.
Let's explore what this means together.
I. God Is Unchanging in His Being
First, God is unchanging in His very being.
The psalmist declares this in Psalm 102:25-27, speaking of creation: "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... but you are the same, and your years have no end."
Everything created has a beginning and an end. It grows, and it decays. But God is not a created being. He is perfect, infinite, and complete in Himself. Think about it: change is either for the better or for the worse. God cannot get better, because He is already perfect. And He cannot get worse, for that would mean He is no longer perfect. He doesn't learn or discover things, because He is all-knowing. He doesn't grow more powerful, because He is already all-powerful.
When Moses asked God for His name at the burning bush, God replied, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Not "I will be" or "I once was." Just... "I AM." He is the one eternal, self-existent reality.
The apostle James puts it beautifully in James 1:17, saying that every good gift comes from the Father of lights, “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Have you ever watched a shadow move throughout the day? It lengthens, it shortens, it shifts with the slightest turn of the object casting it. We are like those shifting shadows. But God is the light itself—pure, constant, and unwavering. His essence never fades or flickers.
II. God Is Unchanging in His Character
Second, because His being is unchanging, God is also unchanging in His character.
His essential attributes—His love, His justice, His holiness, His goodness, His mercy, His wrath against sin—these are not moods that come and go. They are eternally the same.
Hebrews 13:8 gives us this glorious news: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Since Jesus is the perfect image of the invisible God, this tells us that the very character of God is constant. The love that God had for His people in the Old Testament is the same love He has for you today. The justice He demonstrated at the cross is the same justice that will one day make all things right.
This is profoundly comforting. It means God will not be loving today and cruel tomorrow. He won't be merciful this morning and vindictive this afternoon. His goodness is not a finite resource that can be used up. We can depend on His love and mercy because they are as steadfast and eternal as He is. We never have to wonder which version of God we are approaching in prayer. We always come to the same loving, holy, and faithful Father.
III. God Is Unchanging in His Purposes
Third, God is unchanging in His purposes.
His plans are not reactive. He is never caught by surprise, forced to come up with a Plan B. Listen to His own words in Isaiah 46:10: “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” From eternity past, God has had a plan for the redemption of the world, and nothing—not the rebellion of humanity, not the schemes of the enemy, not the shifting empires of history—can ever derail it.
His promises never fail. His plan of salvation remains sure.
And this has a deeply personal application for every believer here today. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6 that he was confident of this, "that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Your salvation, your journey of faith, is not a project God started and might get tired of. The purpose He has for your life is rooted in His eternal, unchanging counsel. What He starts, He finishes.
Now, you might ask, "If God never changes, why does it seem like He deals with people differently at different times?" The illustration of the sun is helpful here. ?? The sun itself does not change. Its heat and light are constant. But that constant energy has a different effect on different things. It will melt ice, but it will harden clay. The sun is the same, but the response of the object determines the outcome.
In the same way, the unchanging holiness and grace of God are experienced differently depending on the state of our hearts. To a heart that repents, His presence brings mercy, melting us and molding us. To a heart that remains hard in rebellion, that same holy presence confirms its hardness, preparing it for judgment. God doesn't change; our response to Him changes everything.
IV. What This Means For Us
So what does this mean for us, as we leave here today and go back into our ever-changing world? It means everything.
1. It gives us an unshakable assurance of salvation.
Our salvation does not rest on our changing feelings or our inconsistent performance. If it did, we’d be lost! No, our salvation rests on the unchanging character and unchanging promises of God. His grace is constant. His forgiveness, secured by the finished work of Christ, is final. Your eternal security is anchored not in your flimsy grip on Him, but in His unbreakable grip on you.
2. It gives us a firm foundation for our faith.
In a world that feels like shifting sand, the Word and promises of an unchanging God are a solid rock. When circumstances change, when the culture shifts, when you don't know who or what to believe, you can stand on the promises of God. They never expire. They never need updating. They are true forever.
3. It gives us confidence in prayer and worship.
We don't have to approach God wondering what kind of mood He’s in. We don’t have to bargain with Him or try to appease Him. We can come boldly to the throne of grace, knowing we are praying to a God who is steadfast, never moody, never fickle, but always, always faithful to His character and His promises.
Conclusion
Friends, everything in your life will change. It’s a guarantee. Your health will change. Your relationships will change. Your circumstances will change. Even your own heart and mind will change from day to day.
But our God remains the same. He is your constant.
Let's go back to our text one last time. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you... are not consumed.”
That is the gospel in this verse. The only reason we are not consumed by His holy justice for our sin, the only reason we are not overwhelmed by the chaos of this world, the only reason we have any hope at all, is because our God is unchanging in His mercy, His grace, and His love.
So, when the ground beneath you feels like it's shaking, when the winds of change are howling around you, lift your eyes. Trust the God who never changes. Anchor your soul to the Rock that is higher than you. He is your fortress. He is your hope. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
