When I read the teaching below, I thought it would be a good example for highlighting false teaching methods:
“When we make our feelings and wishes known, God responds.… The Bible is clear. It is as though God says, ‘If it really means that much to you, it’s okay with me.’ One of the most astounding teachings of the Bible is that we can influence God. It wouldn’t be a real relationship if we couldn’t. ‘“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord’ (Isa.1:18 NASB).… He says, ‘Let me hear your side of things and I will consider them. They matter to me. Maybe you can convince me to change my mind.’” Boundaries, p. 264
False teachings use half-truths:
Some Old Testament passages talk of God “changing His mind” about destroying nations because they repented. But that's merely an illustration of God's grace. Of course, we are free to ignore God's desires and choose our own, but it's a stupid choice.(1)
Multiple Scriptures refute this Boundaries claim.(2)
False teachings use out-of-context Scripture:
Isaiah 1:18 has nothing to do with convincing God of our plans. It's about acknowledging our sins and receiving forgiveness:
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow.”
So use your discernment, dear Christians. Half-truths and out-of-context Bible passages are the basis for most false teachings.
Isn't it good to know that God's plans are always best for us?
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I think you'll enjoy these devotions which add extra details about “God changing His mind.”
Does God Change His Mind: Genesis 6
Does God Change His Mind: Nineveh
Does God Change His Mind: Polygamy
Boundaries materials offer abundant examples of false teachings based on half-truths and out-of-context Scriptures. To study more, see Are Boundaries Biblical?
Footnotes:
(1) The two Scriptural examples of when God changed His plans to accommodate the desires of others:
⮞ Hezekiah was a godly king. He became ill, and God sent a prophet to tell him to put his house in order because it was his time to die. Hezekiah prayed fervently that he might not die, so God gave him fifteen more years. During those fifteen years, Hezekiah made the most serious mistakes of his reign and fathered an incredibly evil heir to the throne. This situation involves some mystery. Why did God answer Hezekiah's prayer? We can only speculate, but Hezekiah and Israel would have been better off if he'd died according to God's original plan. See 2 Kings 20-21 and Does God Change His Mind: Hezekiah
⮞ God agreed to the Israelites' demand for meat in the wilderness, using it to highlight and punish their ungodly attitudes. See Numbers 11 and Does God Answer Stupid Prayers?(2) Scriptures addressing God's unchanging nature:
Numbers 23:19: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
1 Samuel 15:29: “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”Scriptures explaining that God's plans are best:
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.’”
Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Bible Love Notes
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