Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20060205.htm

RELISHING THE ESSENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Part III: The Nature Of God
E. Treasuring The Immutability Of God
(Psalm 102:24-27; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8)
  1. Introduction
    1. When God relates to creation, He reveals His nature, the combination of His essence and attributes, and a key aspect of His nature is the fact that He is immutable, or unchanging in contrast to us sinful mortals!
    2. As we humans are so unsettled or mutable due to sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23), this aspect of God's nature causes us either great blessing or defeat depending on how we relate to an immutable God (as follows):
  2. Treasuring The Immutability Of God, Psalm 102:24-27; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8.
    1. God's immutability provides us mortals great solace and deliverance from the weaknesses we have that are the effects of sin providing we cleave to God in faith in time of need , Psalm 102:1-8, 17, 24-28:
      1. The author of Psalm 102 expressed great personal need in the face of (a) physical weaknesses such as a high fever (verse 3), frailty (verse 4) and pain (verse 5) and in the face of (b) emotional weaknesses signified by feelings of loneliness (verse 6), insomnia (verse 7) relationships rejection and sorrow (verses 8-9), cf. Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Psalm 102:3-9.
      2. The psalmist's solution was to hope in God's will to heed his prayer, Psalm 102:17, a hope in God's unchanging or immutable goodness to which he could always cling in hope, Psalm 102:24-28.
    2. God's immutability provides us great solace and deliverance from His own judgment against our sin providing we cleave to God's unchanging grace in faith , Psa. 102:1, 10-12, 24-28; Malachi 3:6:
      1. The author of Psalm 102 expressed dismay at God's judgment upon him for his sin, Psalm 102:10-11.
      2. Yet, God's unmerited favor stayed the same, being immutable, so the psalmist found comfort in knowing that his call to God for salvation from his sin would be heard, Psa. 102:1, 24-28; Malachi 3:6.
    3. God's immutability provides us mortals great solace and deliverance from errant doctrines that we face, errant views that lure us into sin that leads to devastating human weakness and divine judgment providing we cleave to God's unchanging spiritual provisions in Christ in faith, Hebrews 13:8:
      1. The writer of the Book of Hebrews noted that Jesus Christ is the same eternally: He immutably stays the SAME yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8.
      2. This claim is sandwiched between two key topics discussed by the author:
        1. The author of Hebrews had previously directed his readers to remember the great track record of former human spiritual leaders who had (presumably) finished their earthly lives and ministries as examples to follow in life and ministry, Hebrews 13:7; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 812.
        2. After the author's reference to Christ's immutability in Hebrews 13:8, the author of the book then directed his readers to avoid being carried about by false doctrines of Judaism to which he had been warning his readers all along, Hebrews 13:9-14 with Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:1-3 et al.
      3. Accordingly, the reference in Hebrews 13:8 to Christ Who is immutable is designed to show Christ fills the void left by the passing of former human leaders who had been "pillars" in the Church, a filling of the void to equip the surviving believers effectively to overcome false doctrines they faced, Ibid.!
      4. Since errant beliefs form the basis for errant actions, the author of Hebrews called on his readers to rely on the immutable Lord Jesus Christ and His spiritual provisions (the Holy Spirit, Scripture) to stay true in doctrine lest they sin in resulting errant actions and experience debilitating human weakness and defeat along with God's discipline for sin, Hebrews 13:8-9 (as affirmed by Hebrews 3:7-4:10 et al.)!
Lesson: God is IMMUTABLE, or not INNATELY able to be AFFECTED by sin and its results, so we can ALWAYS look to Him in faith for His CONSTANTLY AVAILABLE and RELIABLE HELP (1) over sin's debilitating physical, mental and spiritual results, (2) over SIN ITSELF that produces its terrible effects, and (3) for equipping to heed the TRUTH of SCRIPTURE versus FALSE DOCTRINE so that we might MAINTAIN victory over sin, its debilitating effects and God's discipline for sin!

Application: To avoid spiritual defeat, may we (1) trust in Christ for salvation from sin to receive eternal life (John 3:16) (2) and trust in Him and His Word for victory over sin, its effects and its cause!