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If God is |
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Those who know how the Bible compares God’s strength to man’s strength understand why Jesus once answered his disciples, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) Yet, there are some who actually claim that they can prove that it is “impossible” for God to be all-powerful. The “proof” that God cannot be all-powerful goes something like this: If God is all-powerful, then...
Answer: It makes several wrong assumptions: 1) Actually, God cannot do anything that can be imagined. · For example, he cannot contradict his own nature. 1.
Hebrews 6:18 says, “It is impossible for God to lie.”
2. And James 1:13 says, “God cannot be tempted by evil.” 2) Neither can God do what is logically impossible. Let’s consider several examples: 1.
For instance, it is impossible for God to make a square circle.
2. Once God has chosen to create he cannot then choose to “un-create.” 3. God cannot force creatures with a free will to believe things against their will. 3) It assumes that God can test himself by creating something that goes beyond himself. But a created thing cannot go beyond an uncreated Creator. This is just another example of a logical contradiction. (Here we can visualize God continually creating rocks that are each bigger than the others, until He finally says, “Wow! That one’s too big for me.” But Isaiah 40:28 says, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.” 4) And finally, it also assumes that he would knowingly do something foolish. This, he will not do. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God days, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Let’s summarize all of this by simply saying, God cannot, and will not do nonsense. Footnotes: (1) Adapted from Baker’s Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Norman Geisler, Baker Publishing Group, Nov 1, 1998. Other relevant scripture references: Matthew 19:23-26 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 5:17-18 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” James 1:13-14 "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." Hebrews 6:18 "God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged." Compiled by Tim Nordgren |
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