As you know I work in the world of geekdom. This week I was on a call where the attendees keep using the word “immutable” over and over again.. Its almost as fun as idempotent. So I decided to instant message my neighbor and said:
Butcher, Jason T [11:46 AM]:I’m Immutable
But then, I started thinking about that word and what it means.
not subject or susceptible to change or variation in form or quality or nature
For lots of things in life immutability is a great thing, but for a follower of Christ this good be a bad thing. Do I really want to be immutable? Do I want to not be subject to change in nature? Do I want to be unalterable? This is an interesting thought, because for many things in life, yes you do want to be constant, fixed and enduring. Like this:
24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. (1 John 2:24-25)
But in other situations being immovable, unalterable, unchangeable and changeless is a terrible place to be. I think as followers of the Christ, we also need to be looking for places that we are not immutable, because God’s promise is immutable. I want to be able to say I “used to walk in these ways, in the life I once lived”, but I have changed because of the unchanging, unwavering, immutable love of God!
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
9-11Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Colossians 3:3-10 (The Message)
I think today I will tell him
Butcher, Jason T [11:46 AM]:I’m Immutable because I have changed