-by Jesse Fuqua

• The immutability (unchangeableness) of God is often confounded with the idea of God’s progressive revelation.

    A common misconception I often hear repeated among those who oppose or misunderstand a dispensational view to Scripture is that “dispensationalism teaches that God changes”.

Let’s look at some changes that God set forth in scripture.  One example is concerning what God told mankind he could and could not eat.  God told Adam that every herb bearing seed and fruit yielding seed is to be his food (Gen. 1:29), to Noah God said he could eat every moving thing that liveth (Gen.9:3), to Moses, God gives a list of clean and unclean animals he can and cannot eat (Lev. 11:24), and to the apostle Paul, God says every creature is good for food and nothing is to be refused (1 Tim. 4:4-5).  So does this show that God changed?  Do these changes in what foods mankind is allowed to eat show that God’s attributes or nature has changed somehow?  Or, does this show that God has changed how he administers a set of principles to mankind in light of a greater plan?  Is the Bible an unfolding of Gods plan, that as time goes on, He sheds greater light as to how He is going to redeem mankind and reconcile all things to Himself?

    With the above example and questions, one can see how the truth of God’s immutability (unchangeablness) and the truth about progressive revelation are sometimes confounded. Let’s briefly look at both of these doctrines from scripture so as to understand the distinction.

IMMUTABILITY

The doctrine of immutability simply states that God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). It is one of His many attributes. When you study God’s attributes in Scripture you find they are each beautifully interwoven with each other. We find in Scripture he is a God who is not bound by time and space (omniscient- Job 34:21-25, omnipresent- Psalm 139). We find He is holy and separate from sin (Lev. 20:26). We find He is love (1 John 4:8-10), longsuffering (2 Peter 3:9), truth (Deut. 32:4), and omnipotent (Rev. 19:6) just to name a few.

As fallible, finite beings, we can only comprehend a small percentage of our infallible, infinite God as revealed to us in His word (Romans 11:33). Even we who are united to God by faith in the gospel understand it is only by the Spirit of God that we can grasp a deeper understanding of who God is (1 Cor. 2:14).

    So when we say that God is immutable, that he never changes, we are talking about the nature and character of who he is. It is upon this basis which God acts. So when God reveals his truth to man it is regulated by his attributes which do not change.

PROGRESSIVE REVELATION

     The principle of progressive revelation is seen in how and when God has chosen to reveal his truth to mankind in Scripture.

Did God choose to reveal to Adam all the details of how he would redeem and reconcile mankind? No, not even Abraham or Moses had a full grasp of how God was going to do it. But, Abraham did have a little more clarity than Adam did. And Moses a little more than Abraham. What about Peter and the other 11 apostles when Jesus told them he had to go to the cross (Matt 16:21-23, Mark 9:31-32)? No, even they didn’t understand fully the glory of the cross as the resurrected, ascended Lord Jesus Christ revealed it to the apostle Paul later on (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23-24). What about Peter after the cross in the first 8 chapters of Acts? Did he at that point understand the mystery (1Corinthians 2:7-8) that was revealed to the apostle Paul (who wasn’t saved until chapter 9)…the “mystery which was kept secret since the world began”(Rom 16:25)? No, Peter’s message to Israel in Acts 2 & 3 was one of condemnation and guilt surrounding the cross for crucifying their prophesied messiah, not the glory of the cross. Peter’s message pointed back to that which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21), concerning the prophesied suffering and death of their Messiah, His resurrection, and return to sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem (Acts 2:23,30).  Surely Peter caught a glimpse in Acts 10 of what God was about to reveal to Paul, but didn’t come to a full realization of what that revelation of the mystery was until Paul came and explained it to them when he met with them in Jerusalem in chapter 15. It was then that the Holy Spirit confirmed it in Peter’s mind by reminding him of what took place in chapter 10 (Acts 15:7-9).

So throughout scripture, the only wise God has chosen how and when to dispense His purpose, through His chosen servants, to fallen mankind. It was by progressively unveiling His plan of redemption and reconciliation. God began with His earthly purpose (seen in Genesis through early Acts) using a chosen people, Israel. They were to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5-6). They were given the promise of an earthly kingdom with Christ, the son of David, as their King. The book of Acts is a transitional book showing the fall and diminishing of Israel and the dispensation of Grace ushered in. Next His heavenly purpose (Romans-Philemon) revealed to Paul, the steward of this dispensation of Grace, concerning Christ’s Body, made up of both Jew and Gentile, positioned in the heavenlies, with a glorified Head (Eph 1:18-23). After the Church (His Body) is taken to meet the Lord in the air, He will finish His prophesied earthly plan (Hebrews-Revelation) where God’s wrath will be poured out on His enemies and Christ will reign as King. Finally, God’s eternal purpose will be accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph 3:9-11, Col 1:20).

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him.

Ephesians 1:10