Immutability (theology)

Part of a series on the
Attributes of God in Christianity
Core attributes
Omnibenevolence Omnipotence Omnipresence Omniscience Eternity
Overarching attributes
Aseity Oneness Perfection Trinity
Miscellaneous
Graciousness Holiness Immanence Immutability Impassibility Impeccability Incomprehensibility Incorporeality Kingship Mission Providence Conservation Righteousness Simplicity Sovereignty Transcendence Veracity
Emotions expressed by God
Jealousy Love Mercy Will Wrath
v t e

The Immutability or Unchangeability of God is an attribute that "God is unchanging in his character, will, and covenant promises."^[1]

The Westminster Shorter Catechism says that "[God] is a spirit, whose being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable." Those things do not change. A number of Scriptures attest to this idea (such as Num. 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Ps. 102:26; Mal. 3:6; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:17–18; Jam. 1:17) ^[2]

God's immutability defines all God's other attributes: God is immutably wise, merciful, good, and gracious: Primarily, God is almighty/omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere), and omniscient (knows everything); eternally and immutably so. Infiniteness and immutability in God are mutually supportive and imply each other. An infinite and changing God is inconceivable; indeed, it is a contradiction in definition.^[3]

The Compendium Theologiae of Thomas Aquinas derives the necessary existence of God from His immutability and immobility:^[4]

For everything that has the possibility of being and of not being, is mutable. But God is absolutely immutable, as has been demonstrated. Therefore it is impossible for God to be and not to be. But anything that exists in such a way that it is impossible for it not to exist, is necessarily Being itself, ipsum esse. Necessary existence, and impossibility of nonexistence, mean one and the same thing. Therefore God must necessarily exist.