Bridge of Reason

  The immutability of God is defined as God’s not changing in any way in his nature, in his moral character; God is ‘without variableness or shadow of turning.’ James 1:17 A corollary of this is God’s impassibility, meaning God is emotionally unchangeable; he doesn’t suffer, he is not subject to fits of passion in response to circumstances. James writes: ‘ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shadow due to change.’ 1:17 In the Old Testament we read: ‘ God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfil it? Numbers 23:19 Yet we also read: ‘ Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people...And [Moses] said, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here...And the L...