ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Monite ‘Aokosi 9, 2021 

You shall walk after the Lord your God

Te mou muimui kia Sihova ko homou ‘Otua

Teutalōnome 13 (Deuteronomy 13)

(v. 4) Te mou muimui kia Sihova ko homou ‘Otua, ‘o mou ‘apasia ki ai, pea ko ‘ene ngaahi tu‘utu‘uni te mou tauhia, pea ko hono le‘o te mou fakaongo ki ai, pea te mou tauhi kiate ia mo pīkitai kiate ia.

(v. 4) You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.

GOD IS . . . (KO E ‘OTUA´, ‘OKU . . )

6.        GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE

               Ko e ‘OTUA´ ‘oku TA‘ELILIU

            TOKĀTELINE

Kapau te tau lau ‘a e tu’unga ‘itaniti ‘o e ‘Otua´ mo hono tu’unga ta’eliliu´ ki he’ene ‘ilo me’aa´, te tau pehē, ‘oku afio’i ‘e he ‘Otua´ ‘a e me’a kotoa pe ‘i he taimi pe ‘e taha. Ko e tu’unga ta’eliliu ‘o e ‘Otua´ ne ‘oku malu’i ‘a e ‘ilo ‘a e ‘Otua´ ke ta’eliliu. ‘Ikai ko ia pe, ka koe’uhi´ ko e laumalie ‘a e ‘Otua, ‘oku ‘ikai ke toe ‘i ai ha liliu ‘i he natula ‘o e ‘Otua´ ‘o hangē ko e anga ‘o e natula ‘o e me’a mo’ui´ ‘a ē ‘oku ‘i ai hono sino´.

Naʻe hanga ‘e he Pulitani ko Tomasi Viniseni ‘o fakamaʻopoʻopo ‘a e founga ki hono mahinoʻi ‘o e tuʻunga taʻeliliu ‘o e ‘Otua´:

1.         ‘Oku taʻeliliu ‘a e ‘Otua´ ‘i hono natula´ pe uhoʻi ‘Otua´ (Saame 102:25-27).

2.         ‘Oku taʻeliliu ‘a e ‘Otua´ fekauʻaki mo hono finangalo´ mo ‘ene ngaahi taumuʻa´ (‘Aisea 46:10).

3.         ‘Oku taʻeliliu ‘a e ‘Otua´ fekauʻaki mo ‘ene ‘ofa´ mo ‘ene fili´ (Loma 11:29; Semisi 1:17).

Ko e tuʻunga taʻeliliu ‘o e ‘Otua´ fekauʻaki mo ‘ene ngaahi palomesi´ mo ‘ene taumuʻa´, ‘oku hoko ko ha fakafiemālie lahi: “‘Oku ‘ikai ko e tangata ‘a ‘Ela ke loi ia; Pe hako‘i ‘Ātama ke ne fakatomala: Ko e pehē ke ne lea ‘o ‘oua ‘e fai? Pe folofola ‘o ‘ikai fakaai?” (Nomipa 23:19). Ko ‘ene palomesi, ‘oku fengaueʻaki ‘a e meʻa kotoa pe ki he lelei kiate kinautolu ‘oku ‘ofa ki he ‘Otua´ (Loma 8:28), ‘e kula noa kapau naʻe toe liliu ‘ene taumuʻa kiate kitautolu. ‘Io, ko e taʻeliliu ‘a e ngaahi palomesi mo e taumuʻa ‘a e ‘Otua´ maʻa Kalaisi´, naʻe toe poupou pe ia kiate Ia (Sione 17) ka ko e pauʻia ko ia´, naʻe mei toe mole kapau naʻe toe liliu ‘a e ‘Otua´.

            DOCTRINE

If we apply God's eternality and immutability to his knowledge, then we have to say that God knows all things at once. Immutability precludes change in God's knowledge. In addition, because he is spirit, God is not subject to mutations that belong to those with bodily natures.

The Puritan Thomas Vincent aptly summarizes the several ways that we are to understand how God is unchangeable:

1. God is unchangeable in regard to his nature and essence (Ps.102:25-27).

2. God is unchangeable in regard to his counsel and purpose (Isa. 46:10).

3. God is unchangeable in regard to his love and special favors (Rom. 11:29; James 1:17).

God's immutability regarding his promises and purposes provides great comfort: "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will be not fulfill it?" (Num. 23:19). His promise that all things work together for the good of those who love God (Rom. 8:28) would be jeopardized if he could change in his purposes toward us. Indeed, God's immutable promises and purposes toward Christ afforded assurance even for him (e.g., John 17), but that assurance would have been lost if God could change.