What Does the Bible Say About Change?
God never changes, and His attributes of love, mercy, kindness, justice, and knowledge are always flawless. His methods of dealing with humans have evolved with time, but his values and goals remain constant. People change, including their bodies, minds, opinions, and values. God gave us the ability to change. Humans are made in God’s image and can think, reason, and reach conclusions that transcend physical or material realities. Take a look at what the Bible says about change to start a personal transformation.
Christian quotes about change
“It is not so true that “prayer changes things” as that prayer changes me and I change things. God has so constituted things that prayer on the basis of Redemption alters the way in which a man looks at things. Prayer is not a question of altering things externally, but of working wonders in a man’s disposition.” Oswald Chambers
“Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, nor even to profit by it, but to cause it.” Harry Emerson Fosdick
“If you’re going to be a Christian, you’re going to change. You’re going to lose some old friends, not because you want to, but because you need to.”
“Real contentment must come from within. You and I can not change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.” — Warren W. Wiersbe
God never changes
In Malachi 3:6, God declares, “I, the Lord, never change.” That is where we will begin. A change is a movement in a different direction. God changing would imply that He either improves or fail because God is the pinnacle of perfection; we know He cannot change. He cannot change because He cannot get any better than He is, and He cannot fail or become less than perfect because He cannot get any worse. Immutability is God’s property of never changing.
Nothing about God changes, and nothing about Him changes (James 1:17). His character attributes of love, mercy, kindness, justice, and wisdom are always perfect. The techniques He uses to deal with people have evolved over time, but the ideals and purposes that underpin those approaches have not.
God did not change when humans fell into sin. His longing for friendship with people and his love for humanity remained unchanged. As a result, He took steps to rescue us from our sin, which we are powerless to change, and He sent His only begotten Son to save us. God’s way of restoring us to Himself is via repentance and faith in Christ.
A god who changes is not worth knowing as we would not be able to put our faith in that god. But God does not change, allowing us to put our faith in Him. He is also never irritable, nor does He possess any of the negative qualities found in humans because it would be impossible for Him (1 Chronicles 16:34). Instead, his demeanor is constant, which provides us with comfort.
1. Malachi 3:6 (ESV) “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”
2. Numbers 23:19 (NIV) “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
3. Psalm 102:27 “But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.”
4. James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.”
5. Hebrews 13:8 (KJV) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
6. Psalm 102:25-27 “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”
7. Hebrews 1:12 “And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”
The Word of God never changes
The Bible says, “The Bible is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged blade, it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it evaluates the heart’s thoughts and attitudes” (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible never changes; we do. If we disagree with something in the Bible, we must change, not the Bible. Change our minds in light of God’s unchanging Word. Furthermore, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.” If the Word changed, we could not depend on it for progress.
John chapter one talks about how God is the Word and how His Son became the Word showing its infallible nature. As a matter of fact, Revelations 22:19 warns the world not to take away or add to the Word, for we are sinners and cannot create perfection like God. In John 12:48, Jesus states, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” The verse shows how immutable the Word remains.
8. Matthew 24:35 (NLT) “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.”
9. Psalm 119:89 “Your word, O LORD, is everlasting; it is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
10. Mark 13:31 (NKJV) “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
11. 1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
12. Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
13. 1 Peter 1:25 “but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.”
14. Psalm 119:152 “Long ago I learned from Your testimonies that You have established them forever.”
God has changed you
Everything changes once we have been reborn (John 3:3). Our perspectives and viewpoints shift to align ourselves with God’s Word as we adjust our values and actions. When the Holy Spirit works within us, we discover that we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). As we grow in knowledge, faith, and holiness, the Christian life is a continuous series of changes (Romans 12:2). We mature in Christ (2 Peter 3:18), and maturity necessitates change.
We are not captives to faulty thinking. We can regulate our ideas (Philippians 4:8). Even in a bad situation, we can think about the positive and lean on God’s word for strength which will inevitably change our life. God wants us to change, not just our circumstances. He values altering our character more than changing our surroundings or our conditions. We won’t change from the outside in, but God wants a change from within.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Often this verse is taken out of context as it means we are to enjoy our blessings from God and value His gifts such as positive changes. In addition, while many people think this verse means God will give you the things you want, it means He will give you desire for the things your heart needs. As a result, your desires will change to align with God’s.
Regeneration
Regeneration ties to the biblical phrase “born again.” Our rebirth is distinct from our first birth when we inherited our sinful nature. New birth is a spiritual, holy, and divine birth that makes us spiritually alive. Man is “dead in trespasses and sins” until Christ “makes him alive” when we trust in Christ (Ephesians 2:1).
Renewal is a radical shift. Like our physical birth, our spiritual birth results in a new person entering the heavenly realm (Ephesians 2:6). A life of faith and holiness begins after regeneration when we begin to see, hear, and pursue divine things. Now that Christ is created in our hearts, we share in the divine essence as new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). This change comes from God, not man (Ephesians 2:1, 8).
The rebirth is due to God’s immense love and free gift, His boundless grace, and mercy. The resurrection of sinners demonstrates God’s great power—the same power that brought Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19–20). The only way to be saved is by trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross. No amount of good actions or law-keeping can repair the heart. In God’s eyes, no human can be justified by acts of the law (Romans 3:20). Only Christ can heal through change in the human heart. Therefore, we need rebirth, not renovation, reform, or reorganization.
15. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
16. Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
17. John 3:3 “Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
18. Ephesians 2:1-3 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”
19. John 3:3 “Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
20. Isaiah 43:18 “Do not call to mind the former things; pay no attention to the things of old.”
21. Romans 6:4 “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.”
Bible verses about change and growth
The Bible says a lot about change and progress. Growth is one of the Bible’s major themes. God does not want people to be satisfied with their lives, and He does not want us to perpetuate harmful habits and behaviors. Instead, he wants us to evolve toward His will. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 tells us, “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact, you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”
Believers are told to grow and strive to improve all the time to live more agreeably with God (1 John 2:6). Further, we are advised to walk worthy of God and be fruitful in our walk by increasing our knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).
Being fruitful involves increasing the nine characteristics found in Galatians 5:22-23. Increasing our knowledge of God entails studying the Bible more thoroughly and then living by the words.
22. Colossians 3:10 “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
23. Romans 5:4 “and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.”
24. Ephesians 4:14 “(NASB) As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.”
25. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”
26. Ephesians 4:1 “As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received.”
27. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
28. Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Change is Good
God can change the world by altering our minds. To change the world, He needs to change our wisdom, spirit, and heart. The same way God begins to remove the obstacles in our lives when we endure the pain of transformation and trust in God’s grace offers hope. He focuses on weaknesses and personality qualities first. Then, He washes away resentment, jealousy, lies, and dishonesty before working on various restraints and vices.
God uses life’s cocoons to free us from our chains. Then God’s children must mature. Like the butterfly, we shall become our true selves if we accept change (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Struggle generates a new vision of life. Likewise, our yearning for change will bring out our best. We will suddenly learn to follow God willingly, and the work will be rewarded! It may be challenging and dark. But keep in mind that your new heart and spirit provide everlasting life and wash away sin (1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 4:22-24).
29. 2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
30. Psalm 31:24 “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!”
31. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Living with an Eternal Perspective: Changing yourself for the better
When God changes and renews our minds, He gives us an internal perspective, one that thinks about eternity and not just the needs and wants of our fleshly bodies. We change from flesh to spirit in flesh as God is forming in us beings capable of living in a spiritual eternity. He cares about our character and motivations.
An everlasting God who sees and knows all has planned our particular tribulations on earth. We must understand that God sees everything eternally, yet our world wants everything today, which is why we must be spiritually and eternally minded to grow towards God. Paul told believers,” Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
32. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
33. Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
34. 1 Peter 4:7-11 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
The fear of change Bible verses
No one likes change. People who fear change will stay on the earth stagnant and subject to the whims of unbelievers and the world (John 10:10, John 15:4). The world offers darkness that alienates us from God because of ignorance and hardened hearts (Romans 2:5). While the world has become callous, God remains constant.
While change may not be comfortable, you do not need to fear change from God. When you do fear transformations, it’s a sign you need to communicate with God to help you work past your fears, as God loves you and wants to help you in this process. Matthew 7:7 says, Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you.” God wants us to lean on Him (1 Peter 5:7).
35. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
36. Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
37. Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
38. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
39. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
39. 2 Timothy 1:7 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
40. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
41. Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
42. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Sometimes change is bad
The world is changing for the worse, and how unbelievers think and act can lead people away from God. Technological advances have radically changed our lives and now threaten our very survival. Ideological shifts have shifted global power and jeopardize our nation’s freedom. Revolutions seem as common as eating and sleeping, with governments falling and new ones rising overnight. Every day, the news highlights a new global development.
But the problem remains that Satan prowls for prey and seeks to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The fallen angel’s goal is to take us away from God, and he will lead you to every change possible, hoping to destroy your walk with the Lord. For this reason, we are told to “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4).
Test every change in your life to know if it’s from God, the world, or the adversary. For the devil leads the world away from the path of salvation to eternal suffering and torment. When God tells you to avoid something, follow His lead, as many changes in your life may test your faith or take you off God’s path.
43. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
44. Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.”
45. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
46. 2 Corinthians 2:11 “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
47. 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
48. Proverbs 14:16 “The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.”
Examples of Change in the Bible
As change offers a reoccurring theme in the Bible, many have experienced life-altering adjustments. Here are a few notable people who went through massive transformations as they learned to walk toward God:
Moses was a Jewish-born slave in Egypt who became the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. He grew up to leave his Egyptian life behind and take up the cause of God by leading the Israelites out of the country and into slavery. Even though he was destined to die at birth by the Pharaoh, he later received the written word of God. Not only did Moses receive the Ten Commandments, but he also built a house for God despite his Egyptian upbringing. You can read his entire life story Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Daniel’s change and transition are described in 1 Samuel 16:5-13. God selected David, a shepherd boy, the last child in his family, with siblings in the army, rather than his bigger and stronger brothers. David was unwittingly prepared for transformation. He killed lions and bears while protecting his flock, and God was preparing him to kill Goliath and many more. Ultimately, He led lambs to prepare to lead Israel’s children.
Acts 9:1-30 tells about Saul’s transformation into Paul. He changed nearly instantly when he met Jesus. Paul went from persecuting Jesus’ disciples to being an apostle, speaker, and prisoner, and the author of most of the Bible.
49. Exodus 6:6-9 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord. 9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.”
50. Acts 9:1-7 “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.”
Conclusion
Change is neither good nor evil in and of itself. It all depends on where you want to go with the transformation. When we are shown that we are incorrect by God’s flawless Word, we should be willing to change our minds and habits. When it comes from God, we should embrace change, no matter how difficult the change. However, we must recognize that some things never change and are never meant to change, such as God and His Word. Are you ready for a change?
