Please, everyone who reads this should, before commenting, try to understand the writer's perspective and what prompted the write-up, as well as what he seeks to achieve. This is indeed a simple yet complex question.
Whatever you think God cannot do does not exist in the realm of God. Before you say God cannot lie, God cannot change, or any other things you might believe God cannot do, ask yourself: does that thing exist in reality? It’s similar to saying God cannot eat, because in reality, God does not eat. If I had said, “Tell me one thing that God does not do,” then you could say He does not lie, eat, change, or whatever.
Words are very powerful. "Cannot" implies limitation, and I believe you would not want to limit God by using the term "cannot" to describe Him.
The God that I worship, whose name is Jesus Christ, can do all things, and there is absolutely nothing He cannot do.
There is not a thing, there is nothing, I mean not one thing that God cannot do.
Connotatively and denotatively, what I said stands. Indeed, there is nothing God cannot do, no matter how it is viewed. If viewed critically, you would see why the word "cannot" should not be used for God. We’ve moved from discussing the almightiness of God to discussing His ability. It is the word "cannot" that is the subject of critical consideration.
Some might say God never does certain things, and “never do” can be likened to “cannot do."
The nuance between "cannot do" and "never do" is subtle but significant. "Never do" relates to will, while "cannot do" relates to power.
Some may ask, what about the Bible associating God with the word "impossible" in Hebrews 6:18, which states, "...it is impossible for God to lie"?
"I accept that," because of what "impossible" means and implies. How can you imagine God lying? That is not possible. There are many things that are not possible within the realm of God. "Impossible" and "cannot" also carry the nuance I mentioned earlier. The two words do not carry the same weight. The writers of the Bible were guided by the Holy Spirit to use the word that best suits God. To explain this clearly concerning the Bible itself, let’s look at the preceding verse in Hebrews 6:17. It reads: “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.” Verse 18 reads: “God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which God can't lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.”
Now, take note of the phrase "unchangeable nature." What it implies is that God's nature does not include the possibility of lying, and as such, it cannot happen. "Cannot happen" means "impossible to happen." But it is not accurate to say that God "cannot lie," because the term "cannot" does not apply to God.
We should be cautious when speaking about God to avoid limiting Him. So, we should be careful with our language.
Very well said friend
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chris.
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