“God can do anything!” Have you ever said (or heard anyone say) these or similar words. In any case, people who say such things are in great company. Jesus said long ago, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10.27). Given that Jesus spoke the truth when He made this statement, it would seem that the title of today’s message must be wrong. Our message today will deal with the question of God’s ability to do everything, and what limitations, if any, apply to Him.
Now we will consider two passages and compare them to the statement Jesus made regarding the power of God to do anything. “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6.17-18).” “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…”(Titus 1.1-2).
First of all, it is affirmed that God is a real entity; it is implicitly affirmed at the same time that He is not the figment of fertile imaginations. As a real entity, He cannot, at the same time, be not-real. Such would violate the laws of logic and reason. As a matter of fact, nothing can be real and not-real at the same time and in the same way. Again, such would violate the laws of logic and reason. Every real thing exists in a manner that is consistent with the laws of logic and reason. If this is not the case, it is useless to discuss whether such things as reason and logic exist. In such a scenario, reason and logic would be relative concepts without boundaries. Sense would be non-sense, and real would be un-real! Good would be evil, and evil would be good; black would be white, and white would be black!
Descartes coined a logical absolute when he said, “I think, therefore I am.” This is equivalent to saying that a non-entity cannot think! These and other self-evident truths frame the universe in which we live, a universe which was created by God. The universe partakes of His character just as surely as a painting depicts something of the character of the artist – except to an infinitely greater degree when it comes to God and the universe. If the universe displays and demands reason, then so did/does its Creator. God can no more contradict Himself than the laws of logic and reason can contradict themselves. Things are defined by who and what they are regardless of what anyone says or thinks about them. A rock is a rock whether I think it is or not. A rock does not become a rock merely because I think it is. God made this universe and He also imparted His character into it, including the characteristic of reason.
When Jesus said that nothing is impossible with God, He did not state all the caveats that such a statement implies; He knew that those to whom He was speaking had the ability to apply the laws of logic and reason and come to the right conclusion. If God can do anything with absolutely no caveats, could God think of something He could not do? Such reasoning involves logical contradictions and violates the character of God! This is the same reason that God cannot make a rock so large He cannot lift it! God is not non-sense; He is the origin and essence of reason!
The full statement with caveat would read, “God can do anything consistent with His character!”
Questions:
1. If reason did not come from God, then from whom did it come?
2. Can God do anything that violates His character? Why or why not?
3. When a person affirms that reason does not exist as an absolute of the universe, would that person have to argue his case using reason? Think about it!!!!
4. God is infinitely good. This being the case, could He lie? Would it be reasonable for Him to lie? Explain your answer.