~By: Jeanne Litke~
The book Victory Over the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson is a powerful reminder that our identity and freedom are found in Christ alone. I read this book in its entirety in 2015, and it resonated with me. It struck a chord with me so much so that I am re-reading it. Currently, I am reading the chapter titled The Power of Believing the Truth. I underlined, highlighted, and wrote so many notes to myself in the margins of this chapter. What was true then is still true today, and that is the beauty of God’s Word. Hebrews 13:8 tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
One of God’s many attributes is His immutability, meaning He is unchanging in His character, will, and covenant promises. The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that “[God] is a spirit whose being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.” Those things do not change. This is the hope that I can cling to! A number of Scriptures attest to this, such as Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 102:26; Malachi 3:6; 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 6:17-18; and James 1:17:
[Numbers 23:19] “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” [1 Samuel 15:29] “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” [Psalm 102:26] “They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.” [Malachi 3:6] “I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” [2 Timothy 2:13] “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” [Hebrews 6:17-18] “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” [James 1:17] “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
God’s immutability defines all of God’s other attributes: God is immutably wise, merciful, good, and gracious. The same may be said about God’s knowledge: God is almighty (having all power), God is omnipotent (having all power), God is omnipresent (present everywhere), and God is omniscient (knows everything). His characteristics are all eternal and immutable. Infiniteness and immutability in God are mutually supportive and imply each other.
In his book, Anderson writes, “Consider what the world has accomplished just by believing in itself. How much more could we accomplish if we really believed in God? We are not called to just think positive thoughts; we are called to think the truth. Without God as the object of our faith, thinking is merely a function of the mind that cannot exceed its input and attributes. Faith actually transcends the limitations of the mind and incorporates the real but unseen world. The believer’s faith is as valid as its object, which is the living [Christ] and written [Bible] Word of God.”
Hebrews 6:19 is one of my favorite verses. It says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...” You don’t need an anchor for calm seas. The rougher the weather, the more important your anchor is. We are anchored upward in heaven, not down in the ground, and we are anchored to move on, not to stand still. Anderson states, “Believing you can live a victorious Christian life takes no more effort than believing you cannot. So why not believe that you can walk by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit; that you can resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil; and that you can grow as a Christian? It is your choice.”
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