The doctrine of the incarnation, that God became man in Jesus Christ, seems at first glance to contradict the doctrine of God’s immutability, that he does not and cannot change. How can an unchanging God take on human flesh and enter into human history? This is a profound paradox that has challenged Christian thought since the earliest centuries of the faith.
To start, we must recognize that Scripture clearly affirms both doctrines. Passages like Malachi 3:6 declare God’s unchanging nature: “I the Lord do not change.” Yet the New Testament unambiguously teaches that the eternal Word of God took on human nature in the incarnation (John 1:14). This includes verses like Philippians 2:6-8:
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
How do we reconcile these two important truths? Here are several key considerations:
The incarnation involved addition, not change
When the eternal Son of God took on human nature, he did not change his divine nature. Rather, he added a human nature to himself. This is known as the hypostatic union – the joining of two natures, divine and human, in the one person of Jesus. His divine nature remained untouched and unaltered even as he took on human attributes. As the early church father Gregory of Nazianzus said, “Remaining what he was, he became what he was not.”
In the incarnation, God the Son humbled himself by veiling his divine glory with a human nature (Phil. 2:6-7). But he did not cease to be fully God. The incarnation involved addition, not alteration. Jesus was and is the God-man – fully divine and fully human in hypostatic union.
God’s immutability refers to his essential attributes, not his relationship with creation
God’s immutability means that his essential divine attributes do not and cannot change. For example, his holiness, justice, love, and truth are constant. However, this does not mean that God cannot interact with, respond to, or enter into relationship with his changing creation. When Scripture speaks of God “changing his mind” or “relenting” in response to prayer (Ex. 32:14; Jon. 3:10), this refers to his interactions with humans, not an essential change in his being.
Likewise, the incarnation involved God the Son entering into human history and a changing human experience, including growth and death. But this did not require an essential change in who God is. His loving and just character remained even as he participated in a changing human story.
The incarnation was consistent with God’s eternal purpose
God’s decision to become incarnate in Jesus Christ was consistent with his eternal purpose and foreknowledge (1 Pet. 1:20). Although it was new for humanity when Jesus was born, it was not a surprised response to changing circumstances from God’s perspective. Rather, it flowed from his eternal plan to create the world and redeem humanity through Christ (Eph. 1:4-10). The incarnation displayed God’s love and justice in space and time, but it originated in his unchanging purposes from eternity past.
This means that the incarnation did not require God to change or compromise his nature. He did not have to become something he was not in order to fulfill his purposes. The incarnation displayed his loving and just character in a new circumstance, but it was consistent with who he eternally is.
Jesus had two wills – divine and human
As the God-man, Jesus Christ had both a divine and human will. His human will, like ours, could change – for example, not wanting to die on the cross (Luke 22:42). But his divine will remained constant and could not change. The fact that Jesus experienced the changing human reality of having a will that developed and responded does not contradict the immutability of his divine will.
Jesus’ life on earth revealed his unchanging divine attributes embodied within the changing circumstances of human experience. His divine will upheld his divine nature, while his human will allowed him to fully enter into human nature.
The incarnation was a gracious act of divine humility
Ultimately, the incarnation is a magnificent and gracious act of divine humility for the sake of human redemption. God the Son veiled his glory and entered our humble human condition while remaining fully God. He limited himself to take on human attributes while remaining the unchanging, exalted Lord of glory. This voluntary self-limitation allowed him to achieve our salvation in a way consistent with his justice and love (Phil. 2:6-8).
The incarnation does not compromise God’s immutability. Rather, it displays his immutable character – especially his grace, mercy, and love – in an incredible new way. Out of his eternal love, the unchanging Son of God became human while remaining fully divine, in order to save us.
In summary, Scripture affirms that God is immutable and that the Son of God became incarnate as Jesus Christ. These doctrines appear paradoxical, but careful consideration shows they can be held together:
- The incarnation involved addition, not change in God’s nature
- God’s immutability refers to his essential attributes, not his interactions with changing humans in history
- The incarnation was consistent with God’s eternal purpose and love
- Jesus had both an unchanging divine will and a changing human will
- The incarnation displays God’s immutable humility and grace for our salvation
Though profoundly mysterious, the incarnation is an act of sublime love and mercy by an unchanging God, for the sake of changeable humans in need of redemption. God became man while remaining God. That is the wonder we celebrate and proclaim.
