God is incomprehensible because He does not change, while we are constantly changing.
God is incomprehensible because God does not change, and we do change.
The theological word for 'does not change' is immutable. The fancy word for 'change' is mutable. Notice the contrast? Immutable vs. mutable. They are opposites of each other.
In Psalm 102, we read: "In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But YOU REMAIN THE SAME, and your years will never end."
Now, not only does the Bible teach that God is immutable, but the universal creeds of the early church declare this too. The conclusion of the Nicene Creed, as formulated in 325 AD, reads: "And those who … AFFIRM THAT THE SON OF GOD IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR ALTERATION—these the catholic and apostolic church anathematizes."
"Anathematizes" means to be formally condemned and excommunicated by the church! So, to say that God changes puts you outside of orthodoxy! And philosophical reflection supports this conclusion too.
As one philosopher says, "Because God is perfect, he cannot change, because all change is either increase or decrease, improvement or decline, and perfection can neither be improved upon nor lost."
By contrast, everything about our lives is changing. The United States' National Center for Biotechnology Information says that, "In humans, as many as 10^11 cells die in each adult each day and are replaced by other cells. (Indeed, the mass of cells we lose each year through normal cell death is close to our entire body weight!)"
That's staggering. We are in constant change - biological, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual. We don't have any way of understanding what it is like to not change. That is an experience which is foreign to our very existence. We have a name to reference this reality about God - "immutable" - but the reality is something beyond the horizon of human experience or understanding.
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
How does God's unchanging nature provide comfort in a world of constant change?
In what ways have you experienced the effects of your own mutability—your constant changing—in your spiritual life?
Keep a "change log" for the next week. Every day, jot down at least three ways you've changed in the past 24 hours. It could be anything - a new wrinkle, a shift in your mood, a fresh perspective on an old problem.
At the end of the week, take a step back and look at your log. Really let the scope and speed of change sink in. Then, contrast how you've changed in one week with what you've learned about God's immutability.
Finally, spend some time in prayer, thanking God for His unchanging nature. Ask Him to be your rock and your anchor in the midst of life's constant changes.
Get a daily, five-minute Bible study to discuss with a friend.