The Fruit of the Faithfulness: An Unchanging God
by Daniel Burton
It seems that the world is in a constant state of changing. Technology develops and grows faster than our ability to understand it, the issues of our daily life shift with cultural tides, and our relationships ebb and flow as we move into different seasons. For all the changes in the world, though, our God remains faithful throughout the changing times. Our faith in God lays its foundation on God’s unchanging nature as He will not change His character or persona. The Holy Spirit inside of us produces a steadfast faithfulness that the world trusts to lead them to the perfection of God. Yet, our faithfulness is the result of God’s steadfast unchanging nature. No matter the circumstance and whatever may fade fade around us, God will remain perfect so that we too can stand in that same perfection. We have faith and remain faithful because God establishes all things by his powerful and sovereign hand.
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
God is Unchanging
The author of Hebrews describes God as existing beyond the very confines of time. God stood before the beginning of time and He will be standing when time fades. Other things, even things that come from the hand of God, will decay from the effects of sin that we subjected creation to. 
God, though, will not change. This is the full strength of God. No thing holds power over that which creates it and God rules triumphantly, seated on the throne, having created all things according to His plan. God does not need to change as His seat on the throne is secure and He will not be dethroned by any other ruler or principality. Other things will change and decay but God will stand firm throughout all eternity.
To say that God changes implies that God would be wrong in His first assessment. God cannot be wrong. God possesses all knowledge, all ability, in all places and thus cannot be wrong. Claiming that God changes comes from our desire to form God in our image rather than allowing God to shape our image to be more like Him. Despite the changing world, God will not bend or bow to any of the pressures of the world no matter how determined they may be to unseat The Lord. In the face of a hostile world, God remains unchanging. We remain faithful in this unchanging God and it is this God who establishes all things and sets everything in motion according to His perfect will.
Expressing God’s Unchanging Nature
As men and women of the faith, we can never forget where we place our faith. Our God does not change or decay and He is not swayed by the changing winds of society and turmoil. In seeking to express the fruit of faithfulness in the course of our lives, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to stand strong in the steadfast nature of God. Our faith is built on the foundation of God’s strength. Just as our God never changes, our will remains resolute in God’s goodness. The world gives us numerous opportunities to depart from our faith and turn to various idols in an attempt to displace God. Yet, we remain faithful to God because we know He will not fail us. Our faithfulness is fully dependent on God’s ability and He can do all things.
The unchanging nature of God is best seen in the face of a the chaos of life and the temptation of sin. Each presents an opportunity for the faithfulness of a believer to shine through a dark situation. Furthermore, the world will look to how Christians respond when face to face with sin and hopelessness. Christians will be judged by harder standards than others and their actions will be scrutinized. Rather than cry discrimination, in remaining faithful to God, present an opportunity to display the Gospel by your actions and so remain faithful to the one who saves the world. Christians are criticized for moral failures because deep down, people understand that the Christian is called to remain faithful to God and be held to a higher standard. Part of our witness of the Gospel to the world is our faithfulness to God when things are difficult or during temptation. As the world continues to devolve into chaos, when the world looks at those who out their trust and hope in Jesus Christ, they will see the unchanging, immovable God. By the faithfulness of the Holy Spirit inside of us, the Gospel will be proclaimed.
For more in this series, check out The Fruit of the Spirit
