Beeke and Smalley: Repentance in God is only a change of his outward conduct, according to his infallible foresight and immutable will.

We may summarize our conclusions as follows. The Bible asserts that God repents, but it also denies that he repents, because he is not a man. Therefore, the language of divine repentance is analogical and anthropomorphic.

We may not ignore it, for repentance reflects an important truth about God: he changes the course of his actions toward people when they sin or repent of sin. Sin and repentance change our relationship to God. On the other hand, we must not apply to God the human instability or passion suggested by repentance, for the eternal God does not change, and neither do his plans.

Edward Leigh said that God’s repentance is “not affective but effective,” not an inward change in his thoughts and feelings but an outward change in his acts. Charnock said, “Repentance in God is only a change of his outward conduct, according to his infallible foresight and immutable will.”

Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley, Reformed Systematic Theology: Revelation and God, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 715–716.

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