He Never Cha- Cha- Cha- Cha- Changes
iGod: His Character Playlist, part 5 of 10
Another significant attribute of God is that he is immutable, that is, He doesn’t mutate or change. God is the same yesterday. He is the same today. He is the same forever. Because God stays the same, we can reliable count on Him to be everything we want Him to be. He will never change His mood. He will never change His mind. He will never change His message and he will never change His mercy. For each of these we will learn how God, in His immutable, steady character can form a strong, bedrock foundation for our lives.
Download the notes.“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:16-17, NIV)
“I am the Lord, and I do not change.” (Malachi 3:6a, TEV)
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
I) FOUR THINGS GOD WILL NEVER CHANGE
(verse from TEV unless otherwise noted)
1) His ___MERCY___ (Closeness, Care).
“The Lord appeared… saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.’” (Jeremiah 31:3, NAS)
“For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5, NAS)
* BEDROCK #1: We can rely on His ___COMPASSION___.
“‘For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you…’ says the Lord who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10, NAS)
2) His ___MIND___ (Character).
“But His plans endure forever; His purposes last eternally.” (Psalms 33:11)
“God is not like men, who lie; He is not a human being who changes His mind. Whatever He promises, He does; He speaks and it is done.” (Numbers 23:19)
* BEDROCK #2: We can rely on His ___PERSONALITY___.
“We have this assurance in approaching God, that if we ask Him for anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
h3. 3) His ___MESSAGE___ (Clarity).
“Your Word, O Lord, will last forever; it is eternal in heaven.” (Psalm119:89)
“Yes, grass withers and flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
* BEDROCK #3: We can rely on His ___PRINCIPLES___.
“I find my happiness in obeying Your commands.”
“I understand more than all my teachers, because I meditate on your instructions.”
“Your Word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:56, 99, 105)
4) His ___MOOD___ (Charity).
_”for God is love.” (1 John 4:8b TEV)
“But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.” (Rom 5:8 THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language.)
* BEDROCK #4: We can rely on Him in ___PRAYER___.
“And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 AMP)
II) THE ONE THING GOD WANTS TO CHANGE: ___YOU________! (through Christ)
“the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord..” ( 2 Cor 3:17-18 NIV)