Q.
76
Is there a scriptural basis for God changing
God’s mind? Why?
David J. Lose
Who is...
?
David J. Lose
I’m a sixth-generation Lutheran pastor.A.
Yes. At several places in scripture, God enters into dialogue with
humans—Abraham and Moses, for instance—and seems to change
God’s mind.
At fi rst blush, this can be a little unsettling. I mean, isn’t God supposed to
be absolutely consistent, unchanging, and unmovable? Isn’t part of what we
look for in God a kind of rock-solid permanence? Finally—and here, I think, is
the ultimate question—can we trust a God who changes God’s own mind?
Before answering this question, it’s crucial to remember that God typi-
cally changes God’s mind in and through conversation with God’s people.
That’s important because it means that the relationship we have with God is a
real relationship. Lots of Christians talk about having a relationship with God,
but for a relationship to be genuine there needs to be (1) ongoing conversa-
tion and (2) the possibility for growth and change on both sides. The biblical
witness portrays a God who enters into a real relationship and cares enough
about us to change.
So can we trust a God who changes God’s mind? Well, we can trust that
God will hang in there with us, keeping the conversation going even when
it gets diffi cult. We can trust that God won’t give up on us. We can trust that
God will take us seriously and even be affected by us. We can trust that God
wants a real relationship with us and will go to great lengths to be in relation-
ship with us. In many ways, that’s what the cross is all about: God loving us
enough to suffer and die for us. And when it comes to loving us, that’s one
thing scripture promises God will never change God’s mind about.
Yes, I think we can trust this kind of God.