“Impassibility” 6-26-22

Overview

The Impassibility of God

Does God ever have a bad day? Does He get cranky, moody, or emotionally tossed about by what happens around Him? The historic Christian answer is no. God is impassible—He is not acted upon from the outside. Unlike us, whose moods rise and fall with red lights and green lights, kind words and hard ones, God does not change emotionally in response to His creation. This flows directly from His immutability: because God cannot change, His emotional life cannot change either.

Scripture certainly speaks of God grieving Psalm 78:40, being angered Deuteronomy 1:37, being pleased 1 Kings 3:10, and rejoicing over His people Zephaniah 3:17. Yet these are not reactions imposed on God by external circumstances—they are the constant, perfect expression of who He is. The clearest window into this truth is 1 John 4:8 and 1 John 4:16: God is love. Notice the direction: not "love is God," but "God is love." He is not moved to love; He does not fall in love, grow in love, or find us so attractive that He is drawn to affection for us. He simply loves, because love is who He is. The same holds for mercy, justice, and grief over sin. We must be moved to mercy by a sad image or a desperate need; God is mercy. We must be stirred to hate injustice; God already and always hates it. His joy, anger, and grief are not provoked—they are the steady outflow of His perfect being.

The pastoral comfort here is enormous. If God's emotions could be jostled by our performance or circumstances, we would have no assurance of His love. His grace might wax and wane; His mercy might cool. But because He is impassible, the love poured out in the atonement—"He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" 1 John 4:10—is as constant as God Himself. The cross is not the work of a God having a good day toward us; it is the eternal expression of who He is. In Christ we are reconciled, brought "at one" with God, claimed as His own in Baptism, and indwelt by His Spirit 1 John 4:15.

So when life batters your emotions and you wonder whether God's disposition toward you has shifted, remember: He does not have moods. He does not have bad days. His love, mercy, and grace toward His people in Christ are not feelings He works up but the very essence of His unchanging life. How blessed we are that God is not like us.

Transcript

Would you open your Bible's please with me for our study today to the book of First John? 3s

We're going to study out of the fourth chapter. 9s

If you're using a Pue edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find that on page 213 in the 12s

New Testament. 17s

First John the fourth chapter for our study today. 18s

Does God ever have a bad day? 24s

Does God ever have a bad day? 27s

Are there those things that impinge on his feelings to where he says, 30s

it's just a bad day today? 38s

Does God ever get cranky? 43s

Does God ever get cranky? 48s

Is God ever in a mood? 52s

Does he have mood swings? 57s

We continue our study today. 63s

All summer long, we are taking a look at a different attribute of God. 66s

Sunday after Sunday, a different attribute all throughout the summer. 70s

We studied so far the acety of God. 74s

That's God's self-existence. 78s

God is independent. 80s

He's self-sufficient. 82s

We studied last week about the immutability of God. 83s

That's the attribute that God does not change. 88s

He cannot change. 93s

Well today I'd like to take a look at the emotions of God. 97s

The emotions of God. 102s

And we're going to take a look at an attribute that's called 105s

the impassibility, the immpassability of God. 110s

To do so, we're going to study out of first John the fourth chapter. 118s

It's going to take me just a little bit to get there. 123s

However, but I think you'll understand why. 126s

The other day I was late for an appointment. 132s

And I had those lights timed perfectly that every light was red. 136s

I found myself thinking, can't somebody coordinate these kind of things? 145s

Where you know, if you get in that kind of stretch, you're just not stuck in it for a while. 152s

Can't somebody kind of coordinate and give a little variance to it. 159s

And when I would come to a red light, I'd be frustrated inside. 163s

I was stressed. 169s

I was late. 172s

Red light after red light, after red light, frustration and stress. 174s

Building as I went along and it wasn't until I got closer to my destination that I picked up a few green lights. 180s

The red light invoked frustration. 187s

Stress, the green light invoked happiness. 193s

When I'd get another red light, the stress would return. 199s

The occasional green happiness. 204s

See the red lights and the green lights. 210s

They influenced my emotions. 214s

Red, frustration, green and happiness. 220s

That's what's called passability, passability. 227s

When those things from the outside influence us and it affects our emotions, that's passability. 232s

Let me give you another example. 244s

The children's book entitled, Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 248s

Remember what happened to poor, Alexander on that day? 255s

He went to bed with gum in his mouth, never a good idea, right? 259s

Wolk up with gum in his hair. 264s

He tripped over his skateboard. 266s

He dropped his sweater underneath the running water. 268s

He got to school and Paul told him that he was no longer his best friend. 272s

In fact, he was now his third best friend. 280s

On and on the story goes, 284s

Alexander's terrible, horrible, very bad day. 286s

See the gum in the skateboard and dropping of the sweater and what Paul told him when he got to school. 293s

And on and on goes the list, it all impacted how he felt emotionally. 298s

Alexander was passable. 309s

In fact, all of us have the attribute of passability. 312s

All of us were that from the outside influences, our emotions. 325s

God is in passable. 340s

That's a negation, isn't it, of passability. 346s

God is not affected by that which comes from the outside of himself. 352s

Put it another way. 362s

God does not change emotionally in response to his creation. 364s

He doesn't change emotionally in response to his creation. 371s

I mean, I'm not way in it here. 375s

Wait a minute. 377s

Is it certainly seems as we read the account of Scripture that there are those things that are influencing and changing the emotions of God, doesn't it? 379s

I think, for example, of Psalm 78. 394s

How often they rebel against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert? 399s

Sure, seems as if that which is occurring outside of God is impacting him and causing the emotion of grief, right? 408s

It was the disobedience of the people. 419s

Or we read about the anger of God. 421s

Moses says in Deuteronomy 1, 425s

even with me, the Lord was angry on your account saying, 428s

you also shall not enter there the anger of God. 432s

We read, first Kings, the third chapter. 440s

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 444s

Well, what pleased? The Lord. 450s

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 452s

Sure, seems as if the emotions of God are influenced by that which is outside, 457s

Solomon asking for wisdom which invoked then the pleasure of God, doesn't it? 464s

Or, is F. and I, a three? 474s

He will rejoice over you with gladness. 477s

Well, that there's a small sampling of where it seems like that which is outside of God is influencing, 485s

causing his emotions. 495s

So how is it that we can say that God is impossible? 498s

Because this has been an attribute of God that has been taught in the church for centuries. 507s

How is it then that we can say that God is impossible? 513s

Now we're ready for first John. 523s

First John, let's start in verse 14 of chapter 4. 528s

John writes this. 534s

And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his son as the Savior of the world. 537s

Verse 10 is a related verse. 548s

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his son to be the 552s

atoning sacrifice for our sins. 561s

Remember that's such a key word, atonement. 565s

Remember it's an easy word to remember the meaning. 567s

You just break down atonement into at one meant. 570s

That's what God affects for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. 574s

We are separated by God from God because of sin, through the Lord Jesus Christ that relationship 578s

is restored. 587s

The Lord Jesus bears all of our sin on the cross. 589s

God's just wrath for sin is laid upon the Savior. 593s

All of our sin covered through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 599s

The sacrifice for sin accepted. 604s

We see it so clearly in the resurrection. 607s

God's validation that the sacrifice for sin indeed was accepted. 611s

And what's the result? 617s

We are brought back into relationship with God. 619s

We are forgiven. 622s

God calls us His own in the waters of baptism. 624s

At one meant the love of God expressed in the atonement. 627s

Look now, please, at verse 15. 636s

God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God and they abide in God. 641s

See when we are brought to faith, the Holy Spirit takes residence in us. 651s

Next verse, verse 16. 658s

So we've known and believe the love that God has for us. 660s

God is law. 667s

God is law. 677s

Now you can't reverse that. 679s

You can't say love is God. 682s

No, God is law. 685s

What does that mean? 693s

God is not moved to love. 698s

There is nothing outside of God that moves him to be loving. 704s

No God is law. 713s

He's not moved to be loving. 720s

He is law. 722s

Put it this way. 728s

God does not fall in love. 730s

God doesn't grow in love. 735s

Love doesn't mature in God. 736s

God doesn't fall in love. 741s

We can fall in love, right? 743s

We can fall in love. 746s

We can grow in love. 747s

Love can mature. 748s

But God doesn't fall in love. 753s

Why? 756s

Because He is love. 758s

Love and perfection of in constancy. 764s

He doesn't fall into it. 768s

He is love. 771s

Put it this way. 776s

God does not fall in love with us because He finds something 780s

attractive in us. 786s

God never says, I really enjoyed being with that person. 788s

He doesn't move on to say, I think I like that person. 793s

He doesn't then say, I like you. 797s

He doesn't say, oh, I think I might be falling in love with that person. 800s

And then he doesn't say, well, I'm now in love with you. 805s

There's nothing attractive in us to where God is drawn to us. 811s

And God then falls in love with us because we are so lovable. 817s

And so attractive to God. 824s

No, God simply loves. 827s

There's nothing outside of Him that makes him love. 829s

Why? 837s

Because God is love. 840s

He's not affected in His emotions from the outside. 850s

God does not change emotionally. 862s

Based upon a response to His creation, the impossibility of God. 869s

Now, ponder that a little bit. 888s

And that in relationship with all of God's emotions. 892s

His impossibility. 900s

Ponder that a little bit. 901s

As an example, I think of a very, very effective advertisement, I think. 905s

Perhaps you've seen it. 910s

It's an advertisement from an organization that cares for animals. 913s

And as a part of the advertisement, they show pictures of animals who are suffering. 917s

Maybe it's been because they've been abused or neglected or they're hungry or they're cold. 927s

Now, why is the advertisement geared that way? 935s

Why are so many pictures of animals suffering in a pan in to many of their eyes? 939s

Why is that? 947s

Because the organization wants to move us to mercy. 948s

So that, in this case, there would be a financial contribution to the organization so that they can continue and further their work of caring for these hurting animals. 955s

That advertisement is effective because it moves to mercy. 968s

As human beings, we have to be moved to mercy. 984s

We have to be moved to mercy. 991s

We are in no way consistent in the expression of mercy. 994s

We are in no way perfect in the expression of mercy. 997s

To be merciful as human beings, we have to be moved to mercy. 1003s

So the situation outside of us then moves us to mercy. 1010s

Humans have to be moved to mercy. 1017s

God doesn't have to be moved to mercy. 1020s

In other words, God doesn't look at situations and say, oh, the terrible situation that is going on. 1025s

I am now moved to mercy because of the situation that is going on. 1031s

God doesn't have to be moved to mercy. 1036s

Why? 1040s

Because God is mercy. 1044s

He is mercy. 1048s

God doesn't have to be moved to hate injustice. 1054s

Then you have to be moved to hate injustice. 1058s

God doesn't look at a situation and say, that situation, why that moves me to hate that particular injustice? 1061s

God hates injustice. 1075s

God doesn't have to be moved to grieve over sin. 1081s

God doesn't look down from his throne and sees a situation of sin. 1085s

He doesn't have to be moved by that situation to grieve over the sin and its impact on the person. 1091s

And perhaps those around the person, God doesn't have to be moved to grieve. 1098s

No, God is the one who grieves sin. 1107s

So God does not move to anger. 1121s

He's not moved to joy. 1123s

He's not moved to grief over sin. 1125s

He's not moved to anger over injustice on and on down the list. 1127s

No, when God expresses his joy, when God expresses his anger, when God expresses his grief over sin. 1132s

That's not because he's been moved. 1140s

It's simply God being God. 1142s

Because it's who He is. 1145s

How different that is from us humans. 1152s

How different that is. 1159s

Because we're moved from the outside. 1163s

And God simply expresses his perfect emotions in a perpetual, perfect, constant, state. 1172s

So that when God expresses his joy, his anger, his grief, etc. 1190s

It's not because he's been moved to that. 1201s

It's because who He is. 1207s

Who He is. 1211s

So does God ever have a bad day? 1218s

Is God ever cranky? 1224s

Is God ever just in a mood? 1229s

And has all kinds of mood swings? 1234s

No, no, and no. 1239s

Because remember God is immutable. 1244s

He doesn't change. 1248s

He can't change. 1250s

He's God. 1252s

And because He can't change, therefore, he must be impossible. 1254s

Which means his emotions cannot change. 1260s

Now why is that important? 1270s

Because if we could change an influence God's emotions, 1274s

if we could change an influence God's emotions, 1284s

then there would be no assurance of the constancy of His love and His grace and His mercy. 1292s

If God's emotionally influenced by the outside, 1311s

if His emotions can change in response to His creation, 1318s

no assurance of His grace, His love. 1328s

And His mercy. 1336s

The immpassability of God. 1343s

How blessed we are. 1353s

That God is not like us humans. 1357s

And that makes me really happy. 1367s

You too? 1374s

Thank you. 1386s