When the bible says God is unchanging, what does it mean by that?

Question

What parts of him can change and which cannot? If you say his "essence" cannot change or something vague like this please explain.

If some aspects cannot change, then he can't be omnipotent or he could change them.

Changing includes thinking, feeling, talking, and performing actions. They all require a change in the compete description of the being involved. Are you saying he can't do these things?

Answer 1

We explain our existence by a combination of the anthropic principle and Darwin's principle of natural selection. That combination provides a complete and deeply satisfying explanation for everything that we see and know. Not only is the god hypothesis unnecessary. It is spectacularly unparsimonious. Not only do we need no God to explain the universe and life. God stands out in the universe as the most glaring of all superfluous sore thumbs. We cannot, of course, disprove God, just as we can't disprove Thor, fairies, leprechauns and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But, like those other fantasies that we can't disprove, we can say that God is very very improbable.

Answer 2

That is an excellent question!

The Eternal Presence or the All Potential One. The great I Am. The Timeless One. No beginning or end. No father nor mother. Father. Source of all. That part never changes, (no emotions, no joy nor sorrow can He have) nor can He be comprehended by the 'unconscious' time riders.

So, "He" needed to show his attributes to a mankind that knew not of Timeless Self. So he sent the best representation of Himself there is. Jesus the Christ fit the part very well, No one could do it but Him, (some may disagree on that point.) He has been sending Prophets and so forth, at various time frames. Each representing and giving of His attributes and gifts to the world. Some shining brighter than others. They all have their place to shine in the field of time and place. These show their attributes as wisdom planned it. One to give the laws that pre-existed. The law was to be written for ones in time, so that it related to them on their level. These are changeless edicts that give us a clue as to how to behave to better OUR life and lengthen the days of humans on Earth. We have lasted thus far, but many have not been too faithful in their part of the deal. We are Hu-Man, with two natures. We have a choice as to which way we will go, as a civilization, as well as individually. Hu (tiger or beast), and Manu which is the divine essence in all of us. We struggle daily with this choice. That, we can only do in 'time' as we know it. So, time is a tool. Choices between Possitive or negative, 'good' or 'evil.' These perfect ones help us along the path. I am grateful to them.

The divine part of us is Timelessness. There is a bit of divine in all of us, but some choose to ignore it for the more intising, immediate satisfactions. Some have more wisdom and see farther ahead, into the pitfalls of this "instant gratification."

The Holy Spirit is the middle 'guy,' comforter, protector and guide when we can listen to that inner voice beaconing us on the right path.

We are here, in time, to make the inevitable eternal choice and return to our Origin. Some choose to take "the scenic route" and that's okay too. It's not like The Eternal One is running out of time! The Eternal part in us, the Divine Essence is eternal too! Some may disagree with that. If they do, they may need to hurry perfection up a bit.

I hope that makes a little sense.
Then again, what do I know?

Answer 3

Okay, he can change in the sense that he is not a statute, he's a living breathing being.

He can't change in the sense that he lives by fixed moral laws and cannot deviate from them. He cannot change the attributes of his nature - loving, just, merciful, patient, wise, etc.

See 1 Corinthians 15: 40 onwards (esp. v 53)(http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_cor/15/42,50,53-54#42 ).

It talks about the incorruptible body of God. After resurrection we also will become incorruptible (ie unable to change our natures). This is why God wants us to use our mortal (changeable) lives to become now as he is (Matt. 5: 8, 48 - http://scriptures.lds.org/en/matt/5/8,48#8 ). Once we are resurrected, we won't be able to change our personalities anymore. And if we are not pure and holy as God is (ie a being of light and truth), we cannot dwell with God.

We obtain the purity of God through obedience to His laws, and faith in the Atoning blood of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:2-4 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/1/2#2 )

You're right about the omnipotence. If you search the Bible from cover to cover, you will not find a single reference that says that God can do anything and everything (Rev. 19:6 is the only reference to "omnipotence"). You will see many examples of the power of God but the Bible does not clearly define the limits of that power, except to say that God is "incorruptible".

I'm happy to discuss further my email, if you wish.

Answer 4

When God says that He does not change, He is speaking about His nature and character. But this does not mean that He cannot change how He works with people throughout history.
When we see God changing His mind, we are seeing it from a human perspective. Since God knows all things from all eternity, He as always known the ultimate plan that He would carry out; even the plan to "change His mind."

Answer 5

"For I, Yahueh--I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed." Mal. 3:6

"Jesus Christ (Yahushua Messiah): the same yesterday, and today, and forever." Heb. 13:8

God is not subject to whims or fancies. He stands the test of time and is the rock of creation. He is omnipotent but we also were given free will.
However, on all understandings of Omniopotence, it is generally held that God is able to intervene in the world by superseding the laws of physics, since they are not part of his nature, but the principles on which he has created the physical world. However many modern scholars (such as John Polkinghorne) hold that it is part of God's nature to be consistent and that it would be inconsistent for God to go against His own laws unless there were an overwhelming reason to do so.

Answer 6

God's divine nature is perfect. His holy purposes are perfect. The only thing you can do to change perfection is to lessen it.

You are trying to grasp at the eternal nature of God. That's fine, everyone should. But, understand that you can never fully comprehend the infinite from this imperfect and finite reality we live in.

For the believer, we have the great promise that we will know him even as we are known. (Later)

Trying to divide God as a specimen is not going to work. To begin to understand God, you must begin to know God. You begin to know God by doing his will. His first and primary purpose, or will, for you is to believe on the one he sent.

We call him Jesus Christ and he rose from the dead.

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Dellow, the fact that people commit crimes does not change the constitution. Nor does the fact that people are confused mean that God has changed. God has made his revelation clear, man's sin and rebellious heart is the problem.
TEK

Answer 7

Jehovah God is unchanging in several respects.
His purpose. God has a purpose that he will work out and that cannot be thwarted.(Isaiah 55:8-11) 8 “For the thoughts of YOU people are not my thoughts, nor are my ways YOUR ways,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than YOUR ways, and my thoughts than YOUR thoughts. 10 For just as the pouring rain descends, and the snow, from the heavens and does not return to that place, unless it actually saturates the earth and makes it produce and sprout, and seed is actually given to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so my word that goes forth from my mouth will prove to be. It will not return to me without results, but it will certainly do that in which I have delighted, and it will have certain success in that for which I have sent it.

Unchanging in Qualities and Standards. As Jehovah told the people of Israel: “I am Jehovah; I have not changed.” (Mal 3:6) This was some 3,500 years after God’s creation of mankind and some 1,500 years from the time of God’s making the Abrahamic covenant. While some claim that the God revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures differs from the God revealed by Jesus Christ and by the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures, examination shows this claim to be without any foundation. Of God, the disciple James rightly said: “With him there is not a variation of the turning of the shadow.” (Jas 1:17) There was no ‘mellowing’ of Jehovah God’s personality during the centuries, for no mellowing was needed. His severity as revealed in the Christian Greek Scriptures is no less nor his love any greater than it was at the beginning of his dealings with mankind in Eden.

Answer 8

If God, like man were constantly changing, then we, his children would have nothing 'solid' to base our beliefs on.
the bible would be useless, and church would be un-necessary. There would be no doctrine to preach, because it would never be the same, having no foundation, ever changing. If for example the foundation of your home were constantly shifting, because it was ever-changing, how secure would you feel about being there, sleeping there, or leaving your valuables there, knowing they could disappear at any time due to the ever-changing foundation.

God is our foundation, for some a source of sanity in a world of chaos, he is the only constant, in a world of inconsistency.
what he said in the beginning, he still maintains today.

Answer 9

It makes little or no sense at all. Here's an example of God changing: God sees two cities. For lack of a better name we'll call them 'sodom' and gomorrah'. They don't behave the way He'd like them to, but He gave them free will so He endures it. Then one day He changes His mind. He just can't stand it anymore. BLAM! Obliteration. One day He's ok with it, the next day He stomps 'em out. That's called changing. I know that women are allowed to change their minds, but this is ridiculous.

Answer 10

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