![Does God Change His Mind?
by Graham Pockett
Scripture quoted is from the NIV Bible, not because it is ‘best’ but because it is in modern English. If in doubt,
please read the quotations in various translations. You might like to read Why I Quote The NIV Bible.
I doubt that any Christian would deny the fact that God, being omnipotent (all-
powerful), omnipresent (ever-present) and omniscient (all-knowing), could change
His mind if He wished, but the question is: Does God ever change His mind?
Anyone who is all-knowing must, by definition, know everything and therefore
should never need to change His mind because He knew what has, and what will,
happen in any set of circumstances. His word is quite clear – He knew us before we
were born (Jeremiah 1:5) so why would He ever need to change His mind?
To look at this properly we need to examine the subject of ‘freewill’.
Freewill
Recently I read that “the concept of freewill in the Christian church was over rated”
implying that freewill was not the motivator of our faith. The article – from a well known preacher – implied that
everything was ‘God ordained’ and that He had our lives mapped out for us so that freewill ceased to be an
important aspect of our walk with the Lord.
If you take that concept one step further you will accept that God has chosen us. Jesus said in Matthew 22:14
that “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” [NIV]. Therefore, according to that concept, some people are
born to be saved and others are born to lead a life of sin and be damned.
That Calvanistic concept does not sit well with me.
Almost the entire Bible – from Genesis to Jude anyway – talks about freewill, our choice of whether we believe
(have faith) that there is a God, the freewill to worship Him, the freewill to try and live a holy life. By the same
rules, we also have the freewill to turn away from God, to mock Him, to spurn Him.
Scriptures abound in this area. The first example in the Bible about freewill being exercised is the story of Adam
and Eve and the Fall. In Genesis 2:16-17 says:
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” [NIV]
In Genesis 3:6 it says:
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for
gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
[NIV]
Adam had exercised his freewill by refusing to accept God’s command and disobeyed Him by eating the fruit of
the tree of knowledge. Results, of course, were disastrous for mankind!
Further examples of man exercising freewill – and directly opposing God’s wishes – abound. In Genesis 4:6-10
we read the story of Cain and Abel:
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you
not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you
must master it.”
Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his
brother Abel and killed him.
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” [NIV]
So Cain killed Abel – even though God warned him about sinning – and then Cain stupidly tried to fool God by
saying “Am I my brother’s keeper?” As if God didn’t know what had happened! Still, by allowing man freewill,
God allowed Cain to go against Him and kill Abel.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/word-110323070920-phpapp02/85/slide1-9-320.jpg)
![By offering various rules of life or examples of how we should live (particularly the parables of Jesus) we can
choose to live in God’s favour (by The Law as in the Old Testament or by Grace as in the New Testament) or we
can choose to live outside of God’s favour. What are the Ten Commandments if not rules so that we may make a
choice?
But why would God give us these choices? It would have been easier to have given us a loving dog-like devotion
to Him. He could have commanded obedience – we would have been forced to live by His rules for us in the
same way we order the world in which we live. We could have been God’s cattle.
But God didn’t want blind obedience, He wanted our love, to be our loving Father and for us to be His loving
sons. But love does not live in a vacuum and for God to give us the opportunity to love Him, He had to also give
us the opportunity to turn away from Him. If there are no choices then there is no choice and He had to give us
the choice so that we had the opportunity to choose Him – otherwise how could we be sons and not cattle?
Would you want a robot for a son? Would you want unquestioning obedience? If there was no questioning then
there could be no love and what father doesn’t cherish the love of his son?
If God wanted children and not robots or domestic cattle then He had to give those children freewill, the choice to
love or not to love.
Therefore I believe that the preacher who advocated that freewill was overrated was wrong. Too many people
look at a verse and not at the book. The Bible is interrelated and it is dangerous to put your faith on one or two
verses and not comprehend the whole.
Does God ever change His mind?
Let us return to the original proposition. Does God ever change His mind?
If God is not going to manipulate us, if He is going to offer us the opportunity to express our freewill, then He is at
the mercy of that freewill. He can say to us “I would like you to donate a certain sum of money for missionary
work” but if we choose to ignore that ‘small still voice’ then God will get someone else to supply that need.
Maybe you were His first choice but your own inaction had led God to find someone else.
Do you ever wonder how many times God had a task for you and you didn’t listen carefully? Do you ever think of
lost opportunities to help someone find the Lord? Have you ever thought that maybe you should speak to
someone about Jesus and then failed to do so, only to find out later that someone else led that person to the
Lord?
God must change His mind because He is dealing with self-centred mortals who often get so wrapped up in
their own petty problems that they neglect to listen to God. Because of our inability to be led, God must keep on
finding alternatives to our lack of action.
God knows us individually and will use us to the extent of our capabilities. We need to exercise our freewill so
that we can be vessels which God uses.
Does God ever change His mind? If He does then it should be outlined in the Word. If we look at Genesis 6:6-7
we read:
The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD
said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures
that move along the ground, and birds of the air – for I am grieved that I have made them.” [NIV]
So apparently God DID change His mind – and that change of mind led to the Great Flood.
If we look at the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 we read that God was so unhappy with his ‘stiff necked
people’ that, in verse10, the Lord said to Moses:
“Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make
you into a great nation.” [NIV]
But Moses pleaded for his people and finally God said to Moses (v14):
Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.[NIV]
If we continue on with the story of the errant Israelites we find that God is still unhappy with them. In Exodus 33:3
God says:
“Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/word-110323070920-phpapp02/85/slide1-10-320.jpg)
![and I might destroy you on the way.” [NIV]
This is extraordinary! God is saying that He might not be able to control Himself because of the attitude of the
Israelites. This is exactly what we have been looking at. God is, in some ways, at our mercy. The freewill He has
given us as the tool so that we can love Him as sons and daughters can also be turned against Him – it is a two-
edged sword. With gifts like freewill comes responsibility. One cannot flourish without the other.
Look what’s happening in our schools today. We tell children that they have ‘rights’ but be don’t balance that with
the knowledge that with those ‘rights’ comes ‘responsibility’ – one cannot successfully live without the other. God
has given us the ‘right’ to our freewill, but we must temper that by being responsible.
Let’s look at another Scripture where God has changed His mind. In 1 Samuel 15:35b it says:
And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. [NIV]
Again, man has let down God and God grieved His original decision to make Saul king.
One of the most remarkable stories in the Bible can be found in the book of Jonah (Jonah 1:1-4):
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it,
because its wickedness has come up before me.”
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship
bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break
up. [NIV]
With the ship threatened, Jonah told the crew to throw him overboard to appease God and to save them. This
they reluctantly did and the raging sea grew calm (v15). Jonah, of course, was swallowed by a “great fish” and
stayed there for three days and nights. Finally, God “commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land”
(Jonah 2:10).
Now let’s read from Jonah 3:1-4...
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the
message I give you.”
Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city – a visit
required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh
will be overturned.” [NIV]
So Jonah finally obeyed the Lord and told the Ninevites that they had only 40 days before their huge city of more
than 120,000 people would be overturned. Reading further from Jonah 3:5-10...
The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on
sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes,
covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.
Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste
anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let
everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows?
God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring
upon them the destruction he had threatened. [NIV]
So the Ninevites repented of their “evil ways and their violence” and God, again, changed His mind!
Obviously, how we behave – for good or for bad – determines how God treats us. God ‘adjusts’ His behaviour to
us dependent on how we behave and what choices we make.
So our freewill allows us to go against God’s wishes and that makes God change His mind. Often He will keep
on reminding us so that, if we do start to listen, we can finally obey God’s command. If we don’t then God allows
us that right to disobey and we are ultimately the losers.
Many people would have heard the story of the drunk who was captivated by the beautiful singing and staggered
into a church and was saved, never to touch the demon drink again. I have often wondered just how many
churches God led that drunk to before he finally took the hint and went inside. Was it a 100? 200?
God works to a plan – part of which is outlined in Revelation – but for that plan to come into effect many things](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/word-110323070920-phpapp02/85/slide1-11-320.jpg)
![must be done.
God’s Spreadsheet
God showed me that His plan is like a huge computer spreadsheet – a spreadsheet as large as this planet. The
first column is the present, and the last column is the culmination of God’s plan, but this spreadsheet works in
reverse to other spreadsheets. Normally, you make a small correction to a cell in the first column – you could call
it ‘the here and now’ – and the ripple effect amplifies that correction until the whole spreadsheet is upgraded with
new data – invariably with a new conclusion.
However God’s spreadsheet works the other way. The first column – the here and now – is where all the action
is and I can envision a huge turmoil in that column. The next column exhibits less turmoil, and the next even
less. This abating ripple effect goes on until we get to the end where there are no changes taking place. The last
column remains unchanged because that is God’s ultimate plan for us. That plan, outlined in Revelation, has not
changed and never will.
Time is progressing – from left to right – towards the end of God’s spreadsheet. The furthest left hand column
has more major corrections required to ensure that the last column remains unchanged. As the period between
the ‘here and now’ and God’s triumph over this world diminishes, so more and more corrections are required to
keep everything ‘on track’.
Yes, but not in regard to the Final Plan. That Final Plan He gave to us through the Apostle John is recorded in
Revelation. That plan has not changed, the only thing which keeps constantly changing is how we listen to God,
how we obey Him, and therefore how God can use us.
God has to change His mind because He is dealing with us! That is not a pleasant thought for a switched-on-for-
Jesus, Bible-believing Christian.
An interesting thought. In Revelation 21:6 Jesus said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the
End.” He doesn’t speak about His authority during man’s reign on this Earth! The ‘beginning and the end’ but no
mention of His absolute authority in the middle!!! He is there to help man but, ultimately, man must choose life or
death, Jesus or Satan. With the promise for the future recorded in the Bible, I know where my focus must lie.
End Times
Is the future (often called the ‘End Times’) really pre-ordained? In Habakkuk 2:2-3 it says:
Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait
for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” [NIV]
So the ‘appointed time’, as God told Habakkuk the prophet, ‘will not prove false’. God set His plan into motion
many thousands of years ago and that plan is still unfolding today.
As we rush towards that ‘appointed time’ the Saints are being tested and many are found to be wanting. The
ones who don’t listen carefully to God’s word are likely to be left behind, to become so disillusioned with
Christianity that they turn away from God.
We can see that turmoil in the world around us even now. As we get nearer to the End Times we will find that
God will call on us even more. We will be given more and more tasks as the final day of the Lord draws near.
If we listened perfectly and obeyed Him in all things there would never be a need for God to change His mind.
Finally
God has the ability to make-good our mistakes. If we just live under our own fleshly desires and powers we will
always fail. If we submit ourselves to God then we will receive the rewards He has promised us.
However, it is pleasing to know that, even if we don’t always listen and obey 100 per cent of the time, God can
still use us in more ways than we think possible. Look how He blessed King David, even though David was a self
confessed sinner in many areas. Guess we don’t have to be perfect, just repentant!
Just remember Hebrews 13:20-21 which says:
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/word-110323070920-phpapp02/85/slide1-12-320.jpg)
![us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. [NIV]
A clarification:
It has been pointed out to me, quite rightly, that the Bible states that God does not change His mind. For
example:
God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. (Numbers
23:19a, NIV).
While I agree with this statement completely, I think of it in terms of God’s Spreadsheet (above). The end result
may not change but the path to that end result will always change due to the actions of others (ie our inability, or
outright refusal, to listen to God and obey Him 100%).
Another analogy is this. You are driving your motor vehicle between two towns. The start and finish points of the
journey (the two towns) does not change, but along the way you have to make small diversions – you avoid
potholes in the road, maybe road workers have erected a temporary detour because of repairs, there is a slow
vehicle that you overtake, or you pull over a little to let a faster vehicle pass, etc.
Along the way you speed up and slow down because of other road users and the changing conditions on the
road. Your actions are being controlled by other people and by circumstances beyond your control.
No two voyages you take over that road will be identical because of these changing conditions. However, you
finally get to your destination in spite of the detours, potholes, and the actions of other people (motorists,
pedestrians and cyclists).
God either orders us (pre-ordained blind obedience where we have no choice but to obey) or He allows us
freewill. If He allows us freewill then He must allow for us to exercise that freewill – and that means constantly
changing His mind in the same way we do when we drive between two towns and make constant tiny changes to
our path (caused by actions outside of our control).
The destination (as outlined in Revelation) does not change, but the path to that destination changes constantly.
Graham Pockett
I pray you have found this article interesting and I would be pleased to read any comments you may have.
However, my workload is such that I may not be able to respond to all mail. Address any comments to Graham
Pockett.
Get a copy of this article in ASCII text format either zipped (freewill.zip – 8kB) or as a normal text document
(freewill.txt – 18kB). Please note that this article is copyright and may not be reproduced without written
permission (given freely for Christian purposes). Often it is better to simply link directly to this page!
All of Graham’s Christian writings (see below) can be download as a set of archived text files
GrahamsWriting.zip (you will need an unzipping tool – like the free Stuffit Expander – to extract the separate
documents from this archive).
Further Reading
If you enjoyed this article, you will probably also enjoy If God Doesn’t Change His Mind, Can Prayers
Work? by the "Oldtimer", Jim Tabb, from Georgia, USA. Jim also uses Isaiah 38:1-6 as confirmation
that God really does change His mind.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/word-110323070920-phpapp02/85/slide1-13-320.jpg)
slide1
- 1. GET TO KNOW GOD (Deuteronomy 4:29-31 NKJV) "But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. {30} "When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice {31} '(for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. (1 Chronicles 16:10-11 NKJV) Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! {11} Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! (1 Chronicles 28:9 NKJV) "As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15 NKJV) "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. {15} "Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. (Ezra 8:22 NKJV) For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him." (Psalms 10:4 NKJV) The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. (Psalms 27:7-10 NKJV) Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. {8} When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." {9} Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. {10} When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. (Psalms 32:8-10 NKJV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. {9} Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. {10} Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him. (Psalms 34:8-10 NKJV) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! {9} Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. {10} The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. (Psalms 46:10 NKJV) Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
- 2. (Proverbs 28:5 NKJV) Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the LORD understand all. (Isaiah 45:2-6 NKJV) 'I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze And cut the bars of iron. {3} I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel. {4} For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. {5} I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, {6} That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; (Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV) Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. {7} Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; {24} But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 24:7 NKJV) 'Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart. (Daniel 11:32 NKJV) "Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. (Hosea 6:3 NKJV) Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. (Hosea 10:12 NKJV) Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. (Acts 17:27-28 NKJV) "so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; {28} "for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' (Ephesians 1:17-21 NKJV) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, {18} the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, {19} and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power {20} which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, {21} far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, {17} that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
- 3. Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:24) New Beginnings Helpful Not Helpful Jeremiah 29:11 ESV / 121 helpful votes For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Helpful Not Helpful 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV / 102 helpful votes Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. Helpful Not Helpful Isaiah 43:19 ESV / 62 helpful votes Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Helpful Not Helpful Deuteronomy 28:1-68 ESV / 28 helpful votes “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ... Helpful Not Helpful Acts 3:19 ESV / 22 helpful votes Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, Helpful Not Helpful
- 4. Luke 7:47 ESV / 18 helpful votes Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Helpful Not Helpful 1 John 4:18 ESV / 16 helpful votes There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. Helpful Not Helpful John 1:1-14 ESV / 16 helpful votes In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ... Helpful Not Helpful Psalm 121:1-8 ESV / 14 helpful votes A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. ... Helpful Not Helpful Malachi 4:2 ESV / 13 helpful votes But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. Helpful Not Helpful Psalm 102:25 ESV / 12 helpful votes Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Helpful Not Helpful John 3:16 ESV / 11 helpful votes “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Helpful Not Helpful
- 5. John 1:1 ESV / 9 helpful votes In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Helpful Not Helpful Amos 1:1-15 ESV / 9 helpful votes The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. And he said: “The Lord roars from Zion and utters his voice from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the top of Carmel withers.” Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron. So I will send a fire upon the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad. I will break the gate-bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven, and him who holds the scepter from Beth-eden; and the people of Syria shall go into exile to Kir,” says the Lord. ... Helpful Not Helpful Exodus 20:1-26 ESV / 9 helpful votes And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, ... Helpful Not Helpful Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV / 8 helpful votes The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Helpful Not Helpful Revelation 21:4 ESV / 7 helpful votes He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Helpful Not Helpful Hebrews 12:24 ESV / 7 helpful votes And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Helpful Not Helpful
- 6. John 3:1-36 ESV / 7 helpful votes Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ... Helpful Not Helpful Zechariah 4:10 ESV / 6 helpful votes For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” Helpful Not Helpful Job 1:1-22 ESV / 6 helpful votes There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. ... Helpful Not Helpful Genesis 1:1-31 ESV / 6 helpful votes In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ... Helpful Not Helpful Genesis 1:1 ESV / 6 helpful votes In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Helpful Not Helpful Lamentations 1:1-22 ESV / 5 helpful votes How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great
- 7. among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. Judah has gone into exile because of affliction and hard servitude; she dwells now among the nations, but finds no resting place; her pursuers have all overtaken her in the midst of her distress. The roads to Zion mourn, for none come to the festival; all her gates are desolate; her priests groan; her virgins have been afflicted, and she herself suffers bitterly. Her foes have become the head; her enemies prosper, because the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions; her children have gone away, captives before the foe. ... Helpful Not Helpful Isaiah 65:25 ESV / 5 helpful votes The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord. Helpful Not Helpful Ecclesiastes 3:11 ESV / 5 helpful votes He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Helpful Not Helpful Genesis 4:1-26 ESV / 5 helpful votes Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. ... Helpful Not Helpful 1 Peter 1:3 ESV / 4 helpful votes Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Helpful Not Helpful Deuteronomy 2:32-33 ESV / 4 helpful votes Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Jahaz. And the Lord our God gave him over to us, and we defeated him and his sons and all his people. Helpful Not Helpful
- 8. 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. ... Helpful Not Helpful Genesis 12:1-9 ESV / 3 helpful votes Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, ...
- 9. Does God Change His Mind? by Graham Pockett Scripture quoted is from the NIV Bible, not because it is ‘best’ but because it is in modern English. If in doubt, please read the quotations in various translations. You might like to read Why I Quote The NIV Bible. I doubt that any Christian would deny the fact that God, being omnipotent (all- powerful), omnipresent (ever-present) and omniscient (all-knowing), could change His mind if He wished, but the question is: Does God ever change His mind? Anyone who is all-knowing must, by definition, know everything and therefore should never need to change His mind because He knew what has, and what will, happen in any set of circumstances. His word is quite clear – He knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5) so why would He ever need to change His mind? To look at this properly we need to examine the subject of ‘freewill’. Freewill Recently I read that “the concept of freewill in the Christian church was over rated” implying that freewill was not the motivator of our faith. The article – from a well known preacher – implied that everything was ‘God ordained’ and that He had our lives mapped out for us so that freewill ceased to be an important aspect of our walk with the Lord. If you take that concept one step further you will accept that God has chosen us. Jesus said in Matthew 22:14 that “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” [NIV]. Therefore, according to that concept, some people are born to be saved and others are born to lead a life of sin and be damned. That Calvanistic concept does not sit well with me. Almost the entire Bible – from Genesis to Jude anyway – talks about freewill, our choice of whether we believe (have faith) that there is a God, the freewill to worship Him, the freewill to try and live a holy life. By the same rules, we also have the freewill to turn away from God, to mock Him, to spurn Him. Scriptures abound in this area. The first example in the Bible about freewill being exercised is the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall. In Genesis 2:16-17 says: And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” [NIV] In Genesis 3:6 it says: When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [NIV] Adam had exercised his freewill by refusing to accept God’s command and disobeyed Him by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Results, of course, were disastrous for mankind! Further examples of man exercising freewill – and directly opposing God’s wishes – abound. In Genesis 4:6-10 we read the story of Cain and Abel: Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” [NIV] So Cain killed Abel – even though God warned him about sinning – and then Cain stupidly tried to fool God by saying “Am I my brother’s keeper?” As if God didn’t know what had happened! Still, by allowing man freewill, God allowed Cain to go against Him and kill Abel.
- 10. By offering various rules of life or examples of how we should live (particularly the parables of Jesus) we can choose to live in God’s favour (by The Law as in the Old Testament or by Grace as in the New Testament) or we can choose to live outside of God’s favour. What are the Ten Commandments if not rules so that we may make a choice? But why would God give us these choices? It would have been easier to have given us a loving dog-like devotion to Him. He could have commanded obedience – we would have been forced to live by His rules for us in the same way we order the world in which we live. We could have been God’s cattle. But God didn’t want blind obedience, He wanted our love, to be our loving Father and for us to be His loving sons. But love does not live in a vacuum and for God to give us the opportunity to love Him, He had to also give us the opportunity to turn away from Him. If there are no choices then there is no choice and He had to give us the choice so that we had the opportunity to choose Him – otherwise how could we be sons and not cattle? Would you want a robot for a son? Would you want unquestioning obedience? If there was no questioning then there could be no love and what father doesn’t cherish the love of his son? If God wanted children and not robots or domestic cattle then He had to give those children freewill, the choice to love or not to love. Therefore I believe that the preacher who advocated that freewill was overrated was wrong. Too many people look at a verse and not at the book. The Bible is interrelated and it is dangerous to put your faith on one or two verses and not comprehend the whole. Does God ever change His mind? Let us return to the original proposition. Does God ever change His mind? If God is not going to manipulate us, if He is going to offer us the opportunity to express our freewill, then He is at the mercy of that freewill. He can say to us “I would like you to donate a certain sum of money for missionary work” but if we choose to ignore that ‘small still voice’ then God will get someone else to supply that need. Maybe you were His first choice but your own inaction had led God to find someone else. Do you ever wonder how many times God had a task for you and you didn’t listen carefully? Do you ever think of lost opportunities to help someone find the Lord? Have you ever thought that maybe you should speak to someone about Jesus and then failed to do so, only to find out later that someone else led that person to the Lord? God must change His mind because He is dealing with self-centred mortals who often get so wrapped up in their own petty problems that they neglect to listen to God. Because of our inability to be led, God must keep on finding alternatives to our lack of action. God knows us individually and will use us to the extent of our capabilities. We need to exercise our freewill so that we can be vessels which God uses. Does God ever change His mind? If He does then it should be outlined in the Word. If we look at Genesis 6:6-7 we read: The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air – for I am grieved that I have made them.” [NIV] So apparently God DID change His mind – and that change of mind led to the Great Flood. If we look at the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 we read that God was so unhappy with his ‘stiff necked people’ that, in verse10, the Lord said to Moses: “Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” [NIV] But Moses pleaded for his people and finally God said to Moses (v14): Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.[NIV] If we continue on with the story of the errant Israelites we find that God is still unhappy with them. In Exodus 33:3 God says: “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people
- 11. and I might destroy you on the way.” [NIV] This is extraordinary! God is saying that He might not be able to control Himself because of the attitude of the Israelites. This is exactly what we have been looking at. God is, in some ways, at our mercy. The freewill He has given us as the tool so that we can love Him as sons and daughters can also be turned against Him – it is a two- edged sword. With gifts like freewill comes responsibility. One cannot flourish without the other. Look what’s happening in our schools today. We tell children that they have ‘rights’ but be don’t balance that with the knowledge that with those ‘rights’ comes ‘responsibility’ – one cannot successfully live without the other. God has given us the ‘right’ to our freewill, but we must temper that by being responsible. Let’s look at another Scripture where God has changed His mind. In 1 Samuel 15:35b it says: And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel. [NIV] Again, man has let down God and God grieved His original decision to make Saul king. One of the most remarkable stories in the Bible can be found in the book of Jonah (Jonah 1:1-4): The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. [NIV] With the ship threatened, Jonah told the crew to throw him overboard to appease God and to save them. This they reluctantly did and the raging sea grew calm (v15). Jonah, of course, was swallowed by a “great fish” and stayed there for three days and nights. Finally, God “commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (Jonah 2:10). Now let’s read from Jonah 3:1-4... Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city – a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” [NIV] So Jonah finally obeyed the Lord and told the Ninevites that they had only 40 days before their huge city of more than 120,000 people would be overturned. Reading further from Jonah 3:5-10... The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. [NIV] So the Ninevites repented of their “evil ways and their violence” and God, again, changed His mind! Obviously, how we behave – for good or for bad – determines how God treats us. God ‘adjusts’ His behaviour to us dependent on how we behave and what choices we make. So our freewill allows us to go against God’s wishes and that makes God change His mind. Often He will keep on reminding us so that, if we do start to listen, we can finally obey God’s command. If we don’t then God allows us that right to disobey and we are ultimately the losers. Many people would have heard the story of the drunk who was captivated by the beautiful singing and staggered into a church and was saved, never to touch the demon drink again. I have often wondered just how many churches God led that drunk to before he finally took the hint and went inside. Was it a 100? 200? God works to a plan – part of which is outlined in Revelation – but for that plan to come into effect many things
- 12. must be done. God’s Spreadsheet God showed me that His plan is like a huge computer spreadsheet – a spreadsheet as large as this planet. The first column is the present, and the last column is the culmination of God’s plan, but this spreadsheet works in reverse to other spreadsheets. Normally, you make a small correction to a cell in the first column – you could call it ‘the here and now’ – and the ripple effect amplifies that correction until the whole spreadsheet is upgraded with new data – invariably with a new conclusion. However God’s spreadsheet works the other way. The first column – the here and now – is where all the action is and I can envision a huge turmoil in that column. The next column exhibits less turmoil, and the next even less. This abating ripple effect goes on until we get to the end where there are no changes taking place. The last column remains unchanged because that is God’s ultimate plan for us. That plan, outlined in Revelation, has not changed and never will. Time is progressing – from left to right – towards the end of God’s spreadsheet. The furthest left hand column has more major corrections required to ensure that the last column remains unchanged. As the period between the ‘here and now’ and God’s triumph over this world diminishes, so more and more corrections are required to keep everything ‘on track’. Yes, but not in regard to the Final Plan. That Final Plan He gave to us through the Apostle John is recorded in Revelation. That plan has not changed, the only thing which keeps constantly changing is how we listen to God, how we obey Him, and therefore how God can use us. God has to change His mind because He is dealing with us! That is not a pleasant thought for a switched-on-for- Jesus, Bible-believing Christian. An interesting thought. In Revelation 21:6 Jesus said: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” He doesn’t speak about His authority during man’s reign on this Earth! The ‘beginning and the end’ but no mention of His absolute authority in the middle!!! He is there to help man but, ultimately, man must choose life or death, Jesus or Satan. With the promise for the future recorded in the Bible, I know where my focus must lie. End Times Is the future (often called the ‘End Times’) really pre-ordained? In Habakkuk 2:2-3 it says: Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” [NIV] So the ‘appointed time’, as God told Habakkuk the prophet, ‘will not prove false’. God set His plan into motion many thousands of years ago and that plan is still unfolding today. As we rush towards that ‘appointed time’ the Saints are being tested and many are found to be wanting. The ones who don’t listen carefully to God’s word are likely to be left behind, to become so disillusioned with Christianity that they turn away from God. We can see that turmoil in the world around us even now. As we get nearer to the End Times we will find that God will call on us even more. We will be given more and more tasks as the final day of the Lord draws near. If we listened perfectly and obeyed Him in all things there would never be a need for God to change His mind. Finally God has the ability to make-good our mistakes. If we just live under our own fleshly desires and powers we will always fail. If we submit ourselves to God then we will receive the rewards He has promised us. However, it is pleasing to know that, even if we don’t always listen and obey 100 per cent of the time, God can still use us in more ways than we think possible. Look how He blessed King David, even though David was a self confessed sinner in many areas. Guess we don’t have to be perfect, just repentant! Just remember Hebrews 13:20-21 which says: May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in
- 13. us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. [NIV] A clarification: It has been pointed out to me, quite rightly, that the Bible states that God does not change His mind. For example: God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. (Numbers 23:19a, NIV). While I agree with this statement completely, I think of it in terms of God’s Spreadsheet (above). The end result may not change but the path to that end result will always change due to the actions of others (ie our inability, or outright refusal, to listen to God and obey Him 100%). Another analogy is this. You are driving your motor vehicle between two towns. The start and finish points of the journey (the two towns) does not change, but along the way you have to make small diversions – you avoid potholes in the road, maybe road workers have erected a temporary detour because of repairs, there is a slow vehicle that you overtake, or you pull over a little to let a faster vehicle pass, etc. Along the way you speed up and slow down because of other road users and the changing conditions on the road. Your actions are being controlled by other people and by circumstances beyond your control. No two voyages you take over that road will be identical because of these changing conditions. However, you finally get to your destination in spite of the detours, potholes, and the actions of other people (motorists, pedestrians and cyclists). God either orders us (pre-ordained blind obedience where we have no choice but to obey) or He allows us freewill. If He allows us freewill then He must allow for us to exercise that freewill – and that means constantly changing His mind in the same way we do when we drive between two towns and make constant tiny changes to our path (caused by actions outside of our control). The destination (as outlined in Revelation) does not change, but the path to that destination changes constantly. Graham Pockett I pray you have found this article interesting and I would be pleased to read any comments you may have. However, my workload is such that I may not be able to respond to all mail. Address any comments to Graham Pockett. Get a copy of this article in ASCII text format either zipped (freewill.zip – 8kB) or as a normal text document (freewill.txt – 18kB). Please note that this article is copyright and may not be reproduced without written permission (given freely for Christian purposes). Often it is better to simply link directly to this page! All of Graham’s Christian writings (see below) can be download as a set of archived text files GrahamsWriting.zip (you will need an unzipping tool – like the free Stuffit Expander – to extract the separate documents from this archive). Further Reading If you enjoyed this article, you will probably also enjoy If God Doesn’t Change His Mind, Can Prayers Work? by the "Oldtimer", Jim Tabb, from Georgia, USA. Jim also uses Isaiah 38:1-6 as confirmation that God really does change His mind.