The Immutable Love and Purpose of God Malachi 3:6

Q: What does the Bible say about God's immutability?

The Bible teaches that God is unchanging in nature, purpose, and character, as stated in Malachi 3:6: 'For I am the Lord, I change not.' In the Scriptures, God's immutability is explicitly affirmed in Malachi 3:6, where He declares, 'For I am the Lord, I change not.' This means that God remains the same throughout all time and does not undergo any change in His essence, attributes, or promises. His immutable nature assures believers that His love, grace, and purpose for salvation are constants that do not fluctuate based on circumstances or human actions. Moreover, James 1:17 reflects this truth by stating that God is the Father of lights, with whom there is no variability or shadow of turning, underscoring the reliability of God in an ever-changing world.

Q: How do we know God's love is true?

God's love is shown to be true and immutable through His eternal purposes and the sending of Jesus Christ as our Savior. The truth of God's love is best understood through His immutable nature and His actions throughout history. Jeremiah 31:3 provides clarity about this love, stating, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love.' God's love is not contingent upon our circumstances or actions, but rather is rooted in His sovereign will and purpose. Romans 5:8 further emphasizes this by reminding us that 'God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' This act of sending His Son into the world as the propitiation for our sins signifies an everlasting and unwavering love that believers can always rely upon, regardless of changing life situations.

Q: Why is the love of God important for Christians?

The love of God reassures Christians of their salvation and sustains them through trials, as it remains constant and unfailing. For Christians, understanding the immutable love of God is crucial for both faith and assurance in their salvation. The promise in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus provides immense comfort, especially in times of distress or tribulation. This love is not dependent on our performance or circumstances; rather, it is an everlasting covenant anchored in God's sovereign will. Therefore, no circumstance—whether good or bad—can alter our standing before Him. His unchanging love empowers us to endure hardships with hope, encouraging us to live lives that reflect His grace to others.

Q: How do we know God's purpose is true?

God's purpose is affirmed in His sovereign control and eternal decrees, ensuring that His will will be accomplished. In the theological framework of sovereign grace, God's purpose is known to be true through the consistency and clarity of His revealed Word. Isaiah 46:10 highlights this truth by stating that God declares the end from the beginning and ensures that His counsel will stand. This means that whatever God purposes in eternity will come to pass without fail. The assurance of God's immutable purpose is a cornerstone of faith; it provides believers with a sense of security, knowing that their salvation is not left to chance or human decision. Furthermore, Ephesians 1:11 affirms that we have been predestined according to His purpose, demonstrating that the unfolding of our lives is part of His divine design.

Q: Why is God's immutability a source of comfort?

God's immutability offers believers assurance that His promises and character remain constant and reliable. The immutability of God serves as a profound source of comfort for believers navigating an unpredictable world. In a reality where everything is subject to change—emotions, relationships, health—God remains steadfast and unchanging. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,' affirming that His nature and promises are reliable. This stability in God's character means that His love, grace, and mercy are ever-present, regardless of circumstances. Consequently, when trials arise, Christians can rest assured in God's commitment to them, allowing them to face challenges with the confidence that He will never abandon them or alter His purpose for their lives.

Before we get in the message, we'll go to God in prayer again. I want to remind everyone concerning our conference coming up next month, almost, just a little over a month away. I think it is the, did we say the Saturday before? Did I clean up or was it? Okay, the Saturday before the conference, we're gonna meet here and clean the building. We'll have, pizza and fellowship together and spend some time together. Usually it's spending more time together than it is cleaning. Every time I come up here and Glenn's mowing the grass, I see Gene on the floor scrubbing somewhere. So it stays pretty clean, but I think we want to get everything with a chaired vacuum and things like that.

So if you would, if you got the opportunity to meet with us and spend time, we'll meet in the morning about Let's meet about 10.30 in the morning on Saturday before the conference. What is the 18th? 18th. OK. And we'll fellowship together and spend some time.

The flyers are back there. If you know anybody that wants to come or that you think might come, hand it to them. Give it to them. Let them see if they'll come. And God will be gracious. And I'm glad when people come and visit with us, and it's wonderful, but really our conference is for you. It's for us. And I'm thankful when people come and visit with us, but I enjoy this because I get to sit where you are. I get to hear the gospel. And that's a blessing. It's a blessing for me. So pray about this, and Lord be gracious to allow this. keep the men safe and give them messages.

I ask your prayers for me this morning as I desire to preach the word. I had a message up until yesterday, and had one of those times where that just was not going to fly. It was not going to, no matter how I approached it, there's so many, I was gonna preach on the priesthood of Christ, and there's just so many ways to approach that, and I, exhausted multiple ways to bring that message. And it was not to be.

And I believe Lord put this again on my heart. I've preached from this text before. Matter of fact, from Malachi, I think this is really Malachi spends a lot of time with condemnation. And this chapter here is really this space here is the refreshing part of the book. But I believe the Lord gave me some comfort. Gave me some comfort from this text. And that's what I believe he will have for you. Give you some comfort. And so pray that God give me the liberty that I need.

And that he would open our ears and hearts to receive it. I was, just to let you in on some little things, I was very encouraged. I had heard, I don't know if I mentioned this Sunday or not, I may have, but my mother had called me and she had, was visiting some of my family members and she had walked into the room and one of my family members was talking to another about a gospel message they heard.

And I thought it amazing that, Mom said, I didn't even need to be in the room. I didn't need to instigate it. I didn't need to do anything. I said, that means this, God don't need us. I'm thankful when God uses us, but man, do you think we're that important? That we have that much sway and power over man? We don't. We long for men to hear and believe, but the power and the glory of salvation belongs to God, all of it. And he will not share it.

That's just right. That's just right. Matter of fact, the glory that he has, Jesus said, I'm going to give it to you. Isn't that amazing? The glory. He said, Father, glorify me with the glory I had with thee from the beginning. I finished the work you've given me. Then he says, glorify them. Isn't that amazing? God does it all. God does it all. And what do we do in heaven with such glory? What are you going to do with that? Well, you're going to give it all back. You're going to give it all back. You're going to praise Him forever and ever.

I'm so thankful for His mercy toward us. So, pray God give us comfort in this message this morning. Pray for those that are sick, those that don't have, having issues in the body. May God be gracious to heal them and those who have issues in their hearts. God's people are prone to all sorts of evils. All sorts of evils. May God help us and sustain us and keep us from the evils of our own hearts. Could you imagine what you'd be if God didn't keep you? Self-righteous, they'd think they'd be all right. God's people know this. I wouldn't be all right.

But I hope this text this morning concerning God's immutability gives you some comfort. Let's go to Him in prayer. Our gracious Father, We bow ourselves again before you in our hearts and minds. We lay ourselves at the feet of the Lord Jesus this morning, pleading for mercy, grace, help, strength, Confessing in ourselves there is none. There is no help in me. There is no strength in us. There is no power in us to keep ourselves. Father, we beg you, keep us.

Reveal yourself to our hearts this morning. comfort our souls in the midst of all of our afflictions. I pray, Father, that Christ be magnified and honored and glorified through the message. I pray, Father, that you would give me the liberty and unction of your spirit to preach it. I pray that you'd open the hearts of the dead and give them life. I pray for those that are sick, that you please be merciful. Raise them up. Give them strength. Help them, Father.

Those who are sick in their heart, those sick, Father, because of sin, those of your people, Father, who are troubled by it, I pray that you would forgive them. Father, help us with a view of your love cause us to love, cause us to be the most gracious and merciful people, seeing what grace and mercy you've had on us. Forgive us our sins, cleanse us of our unrighteousness. This we pray through the name of our Lord Jesus and for his sake. Amen.

All right, if you take your Bibles, turn back with me to Malachi. Malachi chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3. My text will be found in verse 6. Here God says, for I am the Lord. I change not. And the result of this is very encouraging. Therefore, because of this attribute of mine, therefore, you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Now I know this, that believers in Christ, as we live in this world, we are often filled with anxious thoughts. Again, maybe I'm speaking to myself because I have so many anxious thoughts. When we're anxious simply because of this, we don't know what's next. This produces anxiety and fear in the hearts of men. We don't know. I tell you there's one sure thing in this world, is this, nothing sure. In this world, this world is an ever-changing world. We live in a changing world.

Now we try to change things, don't we? We always are trying to, we see something that causes us fear, causes us anxiety, what do we do? We want to change. We wanna make it so it doesn't cause us anxiety, doesn't cause us pain, it doesn't cause us hurt, we want to fix it. And so we make resolutions, we make determinations on what to do.

I'm gonna do this. And yet, you know that, you don't know if it's ever gonna turn out just the way you thought it is. Most of the time it doesn't. No matter what, we know this, we live in a mutable and changeable world. Now this is because of sin. The root cause of all change is because of sin.

When Adam was in his holy perfection, Everything was well, nothing changed. The sun was always bright and it was never freezing cold and every tree produced fruit and he didn't have to get up and work. Everything was well. Until when? Until he sinned. And when sin came, change.

And God says you're no longer going to just go up and pick fruit off a tree. You're going to have to cultivate the ground. You're going to work by the sweat of your brow. Pain and sorrow and trouble and difficulty will abide you from this day on. Why? Sin entered into the world. And we by nature are children of Adam. We are sinners. Because we are sinners, we change. We change. We change because we're never satisfied. We're never satisfied. We change because of this.

We're never perfect. Nothing's ever perfect. There's never going to be the perfect situation. There's never going to be the perfect time. There's never going to be the perfect family. There's never going to be the perfect There's never going to be all that we strive for and we know this. It's just not going to happen.

This is especially true in religion. When circumstances come upon a natural man and he starts to feel the guilt of his sin, what does he want to do? He wants to change. He wants to change his life. He stops doing these things over here that made him feel guilty, and he starts doing these religious things over here to make him feel holy.

What's the problem? The problem is he's the same. He's the same. I told you this many times. A man says, well, I'm going to turn over a new leaf. The problem is it's just the same old leaf. It's just a different size. Jesus told those Pharisees, He said, you're like whitewashed tombs. You have a tomb and inside it's full of rotten corpses. It stinks. And yet what do they do? They want to change the outside. That's what men, that's all men can do is change the outside. They paint the tomb. It's religion. Religion only paints the outside. It has no work on the inside. So no matter what you do to try to change, you can't change this. By nature we are dead in sins.

In this world, in this world we face all kinds of changes, some good. You notice that there's sometimes it changes for good, man. You were sick and now you're not. Well, that's good. And other times it changes what we seem to be evil or bad. Our Lord says this himself. He said there's a time and a season and there's a time and season for every purpose under heaven. But there's one truth that you can be sure of in an ever-changing world, and that's in our text. You can be sure of this. Well, you can be sure of this, that the world changes. So then nothing is what? Sure, in the world. But we know this, in this mutable, changeable world, God says this, I change not. I change not. The immutability of God. He does not change. Now, James says this, that God is the father of lights in whom there is no variability nor shadow of turning. Not even a shadow of turning. It's not even a hint of turning. You see, God declares himself that he doesn't change. How great is that God who is unchanging?

Nothing reaches God. Nothing touches God. Nothing affects God. Nothing moves God. Nothing changes God. You see, God reaches all things, but nothing reaches him. God touches all things, but nothing touches Him. He affects all things, but nothing affects Him. He moves all things, but nothing moves Him. God changes all things, and yet none of these things change Him. See, God is sitting upon His high and glorious throne in absolute, total serenity and total, absolute sovereignty. doing exactly what He determines to do with His creation. Yet nothing He does with His creation changes Him.

None of us can say that, right? You go into someone's life and you try to change them, it changes you, it affects you. We affect each other, don't we? Do you realize that nothing affects God? Nothing moves Him. Satan led a revolt, but God was not changed. Sin entered in the world, God was not changed. Nations rise and fall, God is not changed. Heaven and earth is going to vanish away and God doesn't change. A new heaven and a new earth will appear and yet God is still the same.

This is one of His attributes, friend. It's like His holiness. And we're going to deal with a couple of His attributes this morning. His love, His purpose, His will, His faithfulness. All of these are drenched in this attribute of immutability. Everything about God is changeless. Changeless.

We sing that hymn, To its close ebbs out life's little day. Earth's joys grow dim. Its glories pass away. Change and decay in all around I see. O thou that changest not, abide with me. The immutability belongs only to God alone. So let's look at this text. He says this. For I am the Lord. I am the Lord. Friends, I want you to understand that there's only one God. There's only one God. There's only one great I Am.

Go to Isaiah chapter 44. Isaiah chapter 44. Look at verse six. This is what God says. Isaiah 44. In verse six, Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. I am the first and I am the last. And beside me, there is what? No God. God says I alone was first. Now He has to use language we can all understand because He had no beginning. So He says I'm first. He means that I was eternally first. There was nothing before me. I'm first. And you know what? I'm going to be last. Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

I am God. And look, there's no other God. There's no other God. Look at 45, chapter 45, verse 5. He said, I am the Lord. There is none else. There is no God beside me. I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord and there is none else. I form the light. I create darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things.

There's no other God. God is, it's, the image is that God looked around him. And he said, there's no God beside me. He's searching, there is no other God but me. Beside me. Now listen, the gods of men are many. I remember in college I took a mythology class one time and the number, the sheer number of gods that men have created over the centuries is too many to count. Many of them have been lost in history, never to be heard of again. I mean, we've got some in scripture. Baal and Nebo, you know who they are? Where are they? Nobody knows what they were or who they are. They're gone.

But there are, according to men, there are many gods, because man, by nature, is a god factory. We, by nature, create a god of our own choosing. We're idol makers. And the gods of men are all alike. They're very similar. In that they're like their creator. When man makes a god, he makes him much like himself. Or maybe a little above himself. You know, he makes his standard of his god just enough so he can reach But I'll tell you this, the gods of men are like men in this, they're all mutable. They're all changeable.

God declares this, thou thoughtest that I was altogether such in one as thyself. But God says, I am the Lord. And there's no other God but me. And this is how you should know me. This is how you should know me. I change not. Here's the distinction. I change not. I am the only Lord. I change not. Any God who can change his nature, his character, his purpose, is not God. You understand that? Anybody that, any God that can change his nature, if his nature can change, you know, this is what people say, well, that, you know, when they read the Old Testament, they say, well, that's the God of the Old Testament, as though somehow he changed.

No, God has not changed. That's the God of a man. His nature hasn't changed. His character hasn't changed. God is holy. God is just. God is righteous. God is merciful, God is gracious, God is love. All of these characteristics never change. His purpose doesn't change.

Any God whose purpose changes is not God. Because if God changes, then he wouldn't be perfect. Isn't that why we change? We change because we're not perfect. We want to be. So we try to change something to make ourselves better. God doesn't need to do that. because he is holy and perfect as he is. He need not change. The God of this world is always evolving, isn't he? I mean, he may even have the same name.

I mean, I know this, that most so-called Christian churches use the name Jehovah, and they call their God, you know, Jesus, and they believe in the cross and salvation by grace, But if you put their God against the God of Holy Writ, you find out that they're two distinctly different characters. Two different beings. And notice this, the God of the false free will works religion God of pages 1950.

You listen to some of the messages those people preached in 1950 and look at the free will church today and you'll see this, he's changed. He's changed, he's totally changed. He changes with the culture, you notice that? The God of this world changes with the culture. The God of this world is one that may love men and accept men based on what they do. Wouldn't that then cause fluctuation? If God loved you based on what you do, and you did well today, and then you didn't do so well tomorrow, His love was based on that, then it would change. It would change. Therefore, His acceptance would change.

But this morning, I want to talk about the only God. The only God who said, I change not. Now, we can vastly go through every attribute of God, and that would be true of every attribute. I want to look at two things this morning, two things about the changeless God, two things about God that does not change. First of all, I want you to see this. The love of God does not change. And second of all, I want you to see the purpose of God. The will of God does not change.

And if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, these are two things that will bring you the most comfort in a changing world. Seeing this, that his love and his purpose are not dependent upon circumstances. It doesn't change based on any circumstance. If God loves you from eternity, He loves you now regardless of the circumstance, and He will love you to eternity because His love doesn't change. If God purposed to save you, was there any chance of you not being saved? No, because His purpose is immutable. He purposed to save.

So let's see these two things. First of all, the love of God does not change. Jeremiah, Look at Jeremiah 31. This is a very clear text. Jeremiah 31 in verse 3. If I can ever get there. He said, The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yes, And there's not even a question. I always admire that he's not before the question was asked. This is what he says to Israel, to his people. Yes. Already knowing what we would ask.

Do you love me? You don't love me. I'm in trouble. How often, because of changing things, do you ask that question? Because of difficulties or strife and tension or sin in your own self, you say that. Do you love me? He's already answered the question. Yes. Yes. Yes, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. And I know this. Men view God's love based on circumstance. This is just natural to us. It's natural to all men.

You. Everything's going well. You've got a great family. Your kids love you. You've got a good job. I know I'm putting this bar pretty high, but you got all this. Your job's going well. You're well off. You're situated. And everything is going well. It's natural for men to think, well man, God really loves me. Now this is, even believers, listen, we get caught into this. It's easier for us to see and feel the love of God in good providences. When everything is well. Isn't it? When everything's well. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh.

Oh, and the songs just roll off our tongues, and our hearts are so full, and we feel His presence, and we say, man, God really loves me. Didn't let the circumstance change. Your family is a mess. The children despise you. The spouse you love leaves you. Your health that you enjoyed is now sickness. Sorrow and pain fill your heart and your mind is so corrupt, so full of sin that you can't even breathe. Instead you ask that question, do you really love me? We are so naturally inclined to look to the circumstances to see if God loves me. And God never told you to look at the circumstances. Ever. In this word, He never told you to look at the circumstances to prove His love.

The only place you're going to find that is Christ. The only manifestation of God's love is that He sent His Son. Ecclesiastes 9 and verse 1, the wise man said, you cannot tell love or hatred by all that is around you, by all the works around you, all the circumstances. You can't tell the love of God by this. Look at the rich man and Lazarus. Could you tell the love of God by that? The rich man prospered and God did not love him. Lazarus suffered and the only doctor he had was a dog to lick his wounds. And yet God loved him. You can't tell God's love by circumstances.

But I know this, if God loves you regardless of your circumstances, his love does not change. It does not vary. It does not fluctuate. However high the love of God is, He has loved you with an infinite, eternal, immutable, changeless love. And you can't even understand that. We can't wrap our minds around it if we had a million years to think about it. The mercy and grace of God are just as immutable as His wrath and judgment. Every attribute of God is immutable. You want to see the love of God, go to Romans 9. Romans 9, God expresses His love here in these two. And God expresses His hatred. I want you to know this. Whatever attribute we're talking about, love or hatred, it's immutable. It doesn't change.

You know this, these two children in the womb of one mother with one father, he says in verse 11, for the children not yet being born, listen to this, neither having done any good or evil. Now, why is he bringing this up? That the purpose of God, according to election might stand not of works, but of him that called it. He saith unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. When do you say that? Before they were born. As it is written, this settles it. This is it. It's written. For Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. You see, God loved Jacob with an immutable love. And you listen, God hated Esau with an immutable hatred. Why? God is God.

He does not change. None of his attributes change. People say, well, that doesn't mean that. I mean, that's their only argument for it. Well, I don't mean that. It's got to mean something else, right? Well, this is why the objection is put there. Look at the objection. What shall you say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? That's what you're going to say. God forbid. God did not hate Jacob and then love him. God did not love Esau and then hate him. Why? I am the Lord. I change not. You see, both men were born of Isaac. Both were born dead in sins. Both could not ever please God. By outward obedience, neither were any of them worthy of his love or mercy. In fact, if God had not in sovereign grace set his love on Jacob, Jacob would have had the same fate as Esau.

Yet God had set his love on Jacob from eternity, and God does not change. His love for His elect people never changes. He loves them with an immutable, unchangeable, eternal love. Therefore, consider the love of God, you that believe." Now, this is only to those who believe on Him. Friends, God does not love every man without exception. Why? Because His love with a necessity changes. He would have to love them and then because of their sin, hate them. No, God doesn't change.

You that were chosen of God, redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, called by the Spirit of God. Listen, you are loved of God. You're loved of God not based on anything you've ever done. Isn't this comforting? that God's love is not contingent upon you in any measure.

Look at a couple places with me in 1 John. Look at 1 John chapter 4. 1 John chapter 4 and look at verse 9. In this was manifest the love of God toward us. Now how do you know God loves anybody? Here it is. John said, in this is manifest. Now if you want to know if God loves you, in this you can know. This is the manifestation of it. because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we love God. See, that love is not based on your love.

Isn't that comforting? Because I'm telling you what, I love him. I love him and I want to love him more. But I'll tell you what, if I look at my love, I get sick. I get distressed. I don't find any comfort in looking to my love. Well, John says don't.

Herein is love. Not that you love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation, the mercy seat for our sins. The love of God, the immutable love of God. Look at Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Look at this work of God for his people. He said, what shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Isn't that wonderful? If God's for you, it doesn't change. It doesn't change. He's always for you. Who can be against us?

He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. This is the result of God's love. He justified you. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, the manifestation of that love. He died, yea, rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us then from the love of Christ? Isn't that a question you're asking? In this changeless world, that's all the question you constantly ask. What is it that's going to separate me from the love of God that's in Christ? Nothing. Also, I'm persuaded that not life or death or anything in between. Angels, principalities, powers. You read the news, aliens. Not aliens going to separate you from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus? Nothing. Why?

Because God says, yes, I have loved thee with an immutable, unchangeable, everlasting, eternal love. And I proved it by this, sending my son to die for your sins. Grace and power of the Spirit, I called you by love. Wasn't it the love of Christ that drew us? I'll tell you what, the judgment of God made me expose my sin, but it was the love of Christ that drew me to it.

And I'll tell you this, what keeps you? What constrains you, you that believe? Paul says this, it is the love of Christ that constrains us. What kind of love is that? Immutable, eternal, unchangeable love. God loves you. He's always loved you. He loves you now. And he will always love you regardless of the change in the circumstance.

Second of all, the purpose of God. God's love is not the only thing that's immutable. God's purpose. There's another great difference between the God of this age and the immutable God of Holy Writ. And it is this matter of sovereign purpose. Sovereign purpose.

Back over In Isaiah, that was the whole deal. The Lord in Isaiah chapter 44, 45, 46, he's showing the distinction between him and all false gods. When he said, he looked around, there's no other god, he was making a distinction between himself and every other god, and this is the distinction, sovereignty. You see, every god of man determines and purposes to do something, but can't. I've told you that story many times. I think it's a good picture. I think it was Walter Gruber told this story.

It was a young Mexican boy that believed the gospel. Spanish people at that time were very superstitious. So they had statues of all their idols and things like that. And this young boy came to his father and he said, Dad, these idols, these are idols. And he tried to preach the gospel to him. And he said, no, son, these are our gods. These are our gods. And his son one day took a hammer and beat all of those idols. He just smashed them.

And then he put the hammer right next to the last idol, left it alone, put it right there. His father came in and said, son, what'd you do? He said, I didn't do it. He did. He said, son, these, they could not do that. He said, that's what I've been trying to tell you. They have no power. They can't save themselves.

This is the distinction between the true God is this, that God's sovereign purpose never failed. It is immutable. It's unchangeable. God of this world has a plan for your life. You can hear that on any so-called Christian radio station in the world. God has a perfect plan for your life. What sounds so good? I mean, that sounds good, right? I mean, that just makes people stand and say, wow, man, God's got a plan for my life. What is it?

Well, he wants everything good for you. He wants to do you good. He desires for you to be healthy and happy and wealthy and enjoy the things of the world. God wants you to do that. But see, He can't do that without you. See, you've got to contribute. You've got to help. You've got to at least make a decision for Him. Or He can't do it. His purpose will fail.

There God desires to save all men. He loves all men. He loves them so much that He sent His Son to die for their sins. But His love and His blood can't save them except they do something for Him. I remember Henry preached a message on the love of God a long time ago.

And he made this statement, he said, if God loves all men the same, and some men die and go to hell and some men go to heaven, then tell me this, what does the love of God have to do with salvation? If God loved Judas and Peter the same, and Judas went to hell and Peter went to heaven, tell me what the love of God has to do with it. If Christ died for Judas, and he died for Peter, Judas went to hell, and Peter went to heaven, tell me, what does the blood of Christ have to do with salvation?

The answer is nothing. Why? Because their salvation, the purpose of their God is dependent upon man. And so what do you find? You find it fails. It fails. The purpose of their God changes. And that's why they have to change, right? Because it failed. So then they've got to... You ever see those guys trying to make predictions on the dates, right? Of the end of the world. And then when it comes and goes, they got to make a reason why it didn't happen. They've changed. See, their God had to change. That's not the true and living God. He does not change. Therefore, Neither does his purpose or decree change.

Go over to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 55. I know I've got to move on. Isaiah chapter 55. Look at verses 9 and 10 and 11. He says, so shall my word. Verse 10, for as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth in bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word, just like that, so shall my word go forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me a void, but accomplish, accomplish that which I please. and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it. You realize this gospel goes out and it does exactly what God determines it to do. Every time. Every time. Why? Because what is taking place in time was purposed in eternity. Look over the next chapter there. Isaiah 46. Isaiah chapter 46. And look at verse 10.

He said, he said, declaring the end from the beginning. Now, when was everything determined? When was it determined? From the beginning. From ancient times, from ancient times of things not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

And then he proves it. A ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country. I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. Listen to that. 200 years before this man was born, he said, I will call Cyrus. Why? Because God purposed it. God says, I'm going to bring Cyrus, and he's going to deliver my people, and he's not even going to know who I am. Before this man was born, God purposed it. Why? Because when God purposed something in eternity, it doesn't change. It doesn't change. So God says to his people, to you. Now flip over to another place in Jeremiah 29. I know I'm flipping a little bit. And I need extra time because I'm not doing good at flipping. So I think I accrued a few extra minutes because I'm not able to flip fast enough. Jeremiah 29, look at verse 11.

He says this, for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a unexpected end. God says to his people, regardless of what you experience, I know my... In other words, they were saying, Lord, what are you thinking? You obviously are thinking evil! He said, don't tell me what I think about you. My thoughts of you, regardless of your circumstances toward eternal peace and an expected end, a sure end, When David was upon his deathbed, he said this, when his house was a mess, two of his sons had died.

He had sinned against God. He had lost his kingdom. He had got it back. Now that his house was a mess, he said, although my house be not so with God, yet this is my hope. He hath made with me a covenant, an everlasting covenant. Listen to this, order in all things. ordered in all things ensured. The covenant that David had was what? Jesus Christ. That was the covenant. Now you that believe, I want you to get a hold of this for your comfort. The immutable God purposed your salvation. It wasn't accidental. It was on purpose, wasn't it? He saved you on purpose. Why? Because the immutable God from eternity purposed to save you.

He loved you with an everlasting love. And with that love, He made you one with His Son. And then in an act of divine manifestation of that love, He sent His Son into the world. And by love, the Lord Jesus Christ made your righteousness for you. All of you. In an act of divine love, he gave himself to die for your sins. He was made sin for us. Out of love. According to the eternal purpose of God.

It wasn't accidental Christ was crucified, was it? God said, before he said, they shall pierce my hands and my feet. Crucifixion wasn't even invented then. Have you ever noticed around the cross it's kind of like a play being played out, isn't it? All of those prophecies are taking place. Those soldiers have no idea rolling those dice for his garments. They had no idea what they were doing.

And God predetermined that to happen. Why? To save us. To save us. I'm so thankful my salvation is not accidental. He was by divine purpose that Christ came to die. He said, you who crucified, you did exactly what God determined before to be done. Acts chapter 2, Peter said that. He said, God had determined this to be done. And not only this, God, by His grace, sent His Holy Spirit on purpose to give you life. I think of the many the many people that I grew up around and God passed them by. It's no different. I was dead in sins, incapable of being righteous, and God gave me I saw thee polluted in thine own blood, and I said, live.

What else could I do? What else could you do? When he said, believe on me, was that a suggestion? It wasn't. What else can you do? You that believe, can you do anything else? Why is it that you don't want to leave? When circumstances are bad, why is it that you won't quit? You can't.

God purposed that we not quit. You see, I don't quit because I'm kept. And I'm kept on purpose. Peter said we are kept by the power of God unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last time. I believe on Christ, the only begotten Son, full of grace and truth. He is all my righteousness. He is all my wisdom. He is all my sanctification. He is all my redemption because God purposed it. So I declare to everyone, to every sinner, listen, there is an immutable hope, an unchangeable hope. For who? Well, we know it's for the elect. We know it's only for those that Christ died for. Well, who are they? Listen, they are everyone that believes on the Lord Jesus Christ alone. They're everyone called by the Spirit of God.

If so, then what does it matter what will come next? If God loves you with an immutable love, if God purposed to save you with an immutable sovereign will, then tell me, what does it matter what comes next? What does it matter, the difficulties and strifes and troubles of this life, when we have this? The immutable God, the purpose to save me, what then can thwart his purpose?

The only answer is nothing. Nothing can change His purpose. None of His salvation or His love was ever based on anything in me. It was His. And the simple answer is grace. He loved me simply by grace. He purposed to save me simply by His grace. And He will keep me simply by His grace.

We'll close with the illustration. The wheel within the wheel. Remember, Ezekiel saw that wheel within the wheel. Two wheels spinning within each other. Scripture says they move straight forward. They didn't turn to the right or to the left. Immutability, right? God's providence is immutable just like his love and his purpose. His providence is immutable. It goes straight forward. It doesn't turn.

To us, it's crooked. To me, it seems like it's all over the place. It's not. It just runs over the way I think. You know, I think it should go this way and it just runs right over. You know what it does with you? It just runs right over your purposes. But you know what happens when you look with the wheel within the wheel? You get dizzy. You look at the spokes, you get dizzy. You look at this providence and that providence and this providence and try to determine how God can love me with all of these things happening.

Don't look at the spokes. Look at the one that doesn't change. Jesus Christ is saying yesterday, today, forever. Man, I hope God will comfort you. I hope you'll just nestle into His immutable love and just rest there. His immutable purpose and just rest there. Because it doesn't change. Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer. Terrace, dismiss in prayer, please.

Our Father in heaven, we bow before you in the name of our Jesus. Thank you for this opportunity to gather together with your people once again. this glorious gospel proclaiming how we love to hear the immutability of Christ and the Scriptures and His providence and His love for us. We're so thankful that He is God and God alone and that He changes not. Lord, just let us rest in that. Let us call to remembrance these Lord, we thank You for this day. We thank You for this place You've given us to gather and hear this gospel preached time and time again. How we pray, Lord, that You would cause this life to stay here in this place forever. years to come, and we pray for those other churches, Lord, as you raise up other men, and to preach this gospel. Lord, just keep us upright. Forgive us of our sins. Give us wisdom to walk in this world. You're welcome.

The Immutable Love and Purpose of God Malachi 3:6

What does the Bible say about God's immutability?

How do we know God's love is true?

Why is the love of God important for Christians?

How do we know God's purpose is true?

Why is God's immutability a source of comfort?

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The Immutable Love and Purpose of God Malachi 3:6

What does the Bible say about God's immutability?

How do we know God's love is true?

Why is the love of God important for Christians?

How do we know God's purpose is true?

Why is God's immutability a source of comfort?

Sermon Transcript

About Fred Evans

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