How Can We Know God Never Changes His Mind?
Share
When you think about who God is, one of the most reassuring aspects of his character is his immutability. For those of you who are not theologians, that simply means God does not change. This truth is an essential aspect of our faith because it gives us confidence in who God is.
Living in a world where the one thing that remains constant is change, it helps to know you serve a God who does not change with the shifting tides of the world. This gives you peace and calm in a world that is often chaotic and unpredictable. Yet amid this truth, there are certain passages in the Bible that seem to suggest something different. Maybe God does change his mind.
That’s why we must ask this question: does God ever change his mind? The answer is in the very place the question comes from – the Scriptures. So, let's take this journey together, as we seek to answer this all-important question.
God’s Nature Is Unchanging
Throughout Scripture, in both the Old and New Testament, there are affirmations that highlight the fact that God does not change. Consider these key verses:
"I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed” (Malachi 3:6).
“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 1:17).
These verses underscore that God’s nature is unchanging. Without this affirmation, we could not trust in God because we would not know who God would be at any given moment. However, we know his love, his faithfulness, his mercy, his grace, his commitment to honor his promises remains constant and unchanging. This makes God dependable because he is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
However, if we are going to do God’s word justice, we must consider some passages where God appears to change His mind. Let’s explore some of these instances and see what they really mean.
3 Occasions Where God Seems to Change His Mind
1. Jonah and Nineveh
Nineveh was a wicked city and God was ready to judge their sin. However, before he did, he sent Jonah to proclaim a message of impending judgment to Nineveh:
“Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown’” (Jonah 3:4).
After hearing Jonah’s message, the people of Nineveh responded, and they repented. They declared a fast and turned from their evil ways. Here is how God responded.
“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10).
Because the Bible says God relented, it might appear that he changed his mind because his initial plan was to destroy Nineveh. However, after they repented, he chose not to. Does this mean God changed his mind? Not really. The story of Nineveh highlights God’s nature. God is always willing to forgive anyone who repents. He used the warning of judgment as the wake-up call to move them to repentance. God simply responded to their decision. He always wanted to show mercy, and when they repented that is what they received. Had they not repented, then he would have brought judgment just as he said.
2. God Extends Hezekiah’s Life
In 2 Kings 20, this is what the prophet Isaiah tells Hezekiah.
“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover’” (2 Kings 20:1).
When Hezekiah heard this, he prayed fervently to God, pouring his heart out before him in tears, and God responded to his prayer. Before Isaiah had left the middle court, God sent him back with a new message for Hezekiah.
“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life” (2 Kings 20:5-6a).
This passage forces us again to ask, did God change his mind? But looking deeper, this story highlights the power of prayer and God’s compassionate response to those who earnestly seek him. God’s decision to extend Hezekiah’s life was not a change in his nature, but shows how God responds to fervent prayer.
3. Moses and the Golden Calf
In Exodus 32, after the Israelites made a golden calf and worshipped it, God was furious and declared his intention to destroy them.
“’I have seen these people,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation’” (Exodus 32:9-10).
From there, we know Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites and here was God’s response to Moses’ prayer:
“Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened” (Exodus 32:14).
Again, it seems that God changed his mind. But what this passage really shows is the power of intercession. Moses stood in the gap for the people, and God, in his mercy, responded to his intercession. The underlying purpose of God was always to bring his people back to himself, and through Moses’ prayer, he accomplished that purpose.
One Major Aspect of God’s Unchanging Nature in These Three Stories
When you consider these three stories, the focus is not God changing his mind. The focus is on the power of repentance, fervent prayer, and intercession. God is encouraging us to repent, to pray, and to intercede, because he responds to us when we do. This is how we become participants in achieving God’s purpose on the earth.
Beyond that, we see there is one element of God’s unchanging nature on display, especially with Jonah and Moses. God’s desire for humanity is redemption, not judgment. God did not change his mind when he did not bring judgment. He simply responded in alignment with his eternal nature.
Let’s be abundantly clear. There will be a day when God will judge the sins of those who don’t repent and there will be no further opportunity for grace. However, now is not that time and God is not rushing to get there either. Consider these verses:
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Psalm 103:8).
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8).
God’s overarching plan for creation and redemption is unchanging. His desire will always be to redeem humanity and one day he will establish his kingdom forever on the earth. God will never change his mind about those things. Yet, when God deals with us, he interacts with us in ways that respond to our actions, prayers, and repentance. When God "relents" or "changes his mind" in response to human actions, it is not a change in his eternal character or purpose, but a demonstration of his personal relationship with his creation. It shows that God is not distant or detached; he is deeply involved in our lives, responding to our choices and prayers in real-time.
God Does Not Change
So, does God change his mind? In his eternal purposes and character, God does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. However, in his relationship with humanity, God responds to our actions, prayers, and repentance. These changes are not shifts in his nature but demonstrations of his mercy, compassion, and willingness to engage with us in a living relationship. As you navigate your walk with God, you can rest in the assurance that God does not change. He sees, he listens, and he responds to your sincere prayers and repentance. Because he is unchanging, then your faith in him can remain unchanged as well.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Kriangsak Koopattanakij
