What is impossible for God?

[amadeus]

Perhaps if I may be so bold as to suggest that without the shedding of life... Body soul and Spirit... There is no remission. The Son of God did really and truly die. The second death.

Yes, but some may say, when you presume to describe the second death in a some outside of traditional... that you are way off. I do not say that. I really doubt that their traditions are correct!

I certainly do not know all of the explanations. I have a little here and a little there from God but putting them all together they fit perfectly...? I believe that if more of these well versed Bible students would... But, no I will cut off that idea now. Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear from God will perhaps know what I was about to say...

Give God the glory!

 

[Wrangler]

Ok, so if God is a liar why not throw the good book out.

God does not lie to his children. Some are destined for the Lake of Fire and God already knows who they are. Is it too extreme to call them enemies of God?

What is your definition of a liar?

I reject the notion of personal denotations.

 

[MatthewG]

Found this today: @amadeus

1 John 5:
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

[Brakelite]

If we fall away like that alone we are finished... but we do serve a merciful God who may hear us and overturn that finished state in which find ourselves. God is always paying attention

Consider King David when committed adultery and effectively had her husband murdered. For either one of those offenses the penalty under the law given by God to Moses was death and David when confronted with his sin by the prophet Nathan knew that when he spoke here... but hear also what the prophet said:

"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." II Sam 12:13

In spite of his sins, God saw something in David and had mercy on him. Our God is like that always looking into our hearts and rendering a judgement which often may also contain mercy when He sees it is warranted. This is why that final judgment should always be left to God alone! Only He is capable of seeing all and understanding all of the facts of anyone's case.

Don't expect always the clear cut black and white answer as per the verses you quoted from Hebrews. That may indeed be it for a person... but is God without mercy? What is in our heart? Is it possible for God to have mercy on us or on someone we know in spite how black things may seem?

It is one thing to fall into sin. Even the egregious sin like stealing ones wife and then murdering the husband. Even worse a husband who had such sympathy for you and his friends he was willing to sacrifice time with his wife for your sake. Even worse than that, a foreigner who has embraced your nation, and your God, and was willing to fight for the honor of both. One who's reputation and personal honor and integrity was so impeccable and trustworthy he was permitted a house next door to the royal palace. That's one thing. And God forgives that. Even that.
But God cannot forgive any who fall away from Him. The unpardonable sin. The sin of unbelief. Not unbelief in God's power to provide dinner. Not unbelief in God's willingness to even supply all your needs. But unbelief in His willingness to forgive. What hope have we if we reject the gospel? If we reject the spirit of prophecy that was manifested in Nathan... Other kings rejected the prophets and had them killed. They blasphemed the holy Spirit sent to convince and convict them off their sins... Their murders and idolatries and all manner of wickedness could not be forgiven because in the end they refused utterly to acknowledge them. And in that refusal to acknowledge sin, they refused to acknowledge God's authority to define what is sin through His holy law and to require obedience. By blaspheming the spirit and shutting out all conviction by killing the prophets (eg the Pharisees and Stephen) refusing to acknowledge sin despite all the contrary evidence of God's grace and love and willingness to forgive, you have chosen to reject God. Which I believe would be, after coming to a knowledge of the truth, an incredibly hard thing to do. But such is the power of sin and rebellion. The Pharisees for example knew that Jesus was the Son of God, and that He was everything He claimed to be. But they killed Him anyway. Such is the power of sin... Greed, pride, lust for power. Forgiving in that circumstance was impossible.

 

[Brakelite]

God does not lie to his children. Some are destined for the Lake of Fire and God already knows who they are. Is it too extreme to call them enemies of God?



I reject the notion of personal denotations.

What kind of just judge condemns those who follow His example...?
KJV Revelation 21:8
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

[Curtis]

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt 5:48

It’s impossible for God to lie...

 

[Curtis]

Yes, because to lie would be to invite death and God cannot die, can He?

What is a lie to God? Is it not different than what most men would describe?

Why was Rahab the harlot of Jericho [Joshua ] listed in Hebrews 11 for her faith? Was she not a liar? What about what John under God's anointing wrote about liars?

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." Rev 21:8

Is there anything we do not yet understand about God and His ways?

The command doesn’t say, thou shalt not lie - it specifically prohibits bearing false witness AGAINST your neighbor.

Thus lying to hurt someone is a sin, but Rahab lied to save two spies sent by God, not to harm them, therefore she was rewarded for it, not punished for it.

Do you think Germans who sheltered Jews from being killed by the Nazis committed a sin when they lied to protect them from being found in their house?

IMO it’s evident that some lies are good - that’s why the command doesn’t say thou shalt not lie.

 

[Wrangler]

What kind of just judge condemns those who follow His example...?

Lying is a means to an end. If you lie to defeat evil, as when the midwives of Moses time did to thwart the Pharaohs order to kill all Hebrew babies, that’s one thing. If you lie for self aggrandizement and self glory, that is another thing.

Let me ask you this; do you think God would have wanted you to turn over Ann Frank to the Nazi’s?

 

[amadeus]

Found this today: @amadeus

1 John 5:
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

His commandments are not burdensome when we really love Him. Those who truly believe that he is the Son of God will strive toward and by the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome .

Of course an underlying question in some may be, Who really loves God so much and who really has been born again? Many people claim to have been born again, but when we see manifested the fruits of the flesh instead of or more than the fruits of the Spirit, questions come into our minds. God knows! Do we?

Then we must say, Dear Lord, make my mind and my heart more like Yours. Help me Lord to do always Your will. Help me Lord to surrender my all to You! Help me Lord to do always Your will rather my own and to make my will become Your will!

 

[amadeus]

It is one thing to fall into sin. Even the egregious sin like stealing ones wife and then murdering the husband. Even worse a husband who had such sympathy for you and his friends he was willing to sacrifice time with his wife for your sake. Even worse than that, a foreigner who has embraced your nation, and your God, and was willing to fight for the honor of both. One who's reputation and personal honor and integrity was so impeccable and trustworthy he was permitted a house next door to the royal palace. That's one thing. And God forgives that. Even that.
But God cannot forgive any who fall away from Him. The unpardonable sin. The sin of unbelief. Not unbelief in God's power to provide dinner. Not unbelief in God's willingness to even supply all your needs. But unbelief in His willingness to forgive. What hope have we if we reject the gospel? If we reject the spirit of prophecy that was manifested in Nathan... Other kings rejected the prophets and had them killed. They blasphemed the holy Spirit sent to convince and convict them off their sins... Their murders and idolatries and all manner of wickedness could not be forgiven because in the end they refused utterly to acknowledge them. And in that refusal to acknowledge sin, they refused to acknowledge God's authority to define what is sin through His holy law and to require obedience. By blaspheming the spirit and shutting out all conviction by killing the prophets (eg the Pharisees and Stephen) refusing to acknowledge sin despite all the contrary evidence of God's grace and love and willingness to forgive, you have chosen to reject God. Which I believe would be, after coming to a knowledge of the truth, an incredibly hard thing to do. But such is the power of sin and rebellion. The Pharisees for example knew that Jesus was the Son of God, and that He was everything He claimed to be. But they killed Him anyway. Such is the power of sin... Greed, pride, lust for power. Forgiving in that circumstance was impossible.

Aye! Again when we read of the beginnings of Saul and of David as kings of Israel, both anointed by the prophet Samuel, both failing God at times greatly, but then the one is finally rejected by the God and the other is called the apple of His eye and a man after God's own heart! What is the difference? Was not God right there to lead them both all the way to the Light?

Too many people today presume they qualify for the labels of David... but are not too many walking more like Saul? If one really sees in himself a King Saul then he perhaps should find the place of that publican, who beside the proud Pharisee would not even lift up his head. He knew he was worthless before God. Do we? Help us dear Lord!

 

[amadeus]

The command doesn’t say, thou shalt not lie - it specifically prohibits bearing false witness AGAINST your neighbor.

Thus lying to hurt someone is a sin, but Rahab lied to save two spies sent by God, not to harm them, therefore she was rewarded for it, not punished for it.

Do you think Germans who sheltered Jews from being killed by the Nazis committed a sin when they lied to protect them from being found in their house?

IMO it’s evident that some lies are good - that’s why the command doesn’t say thou shalt not lie.

Communication is often men's problem, but God has no such problem. For this reason if we are always on His side alone, who can stand against us?

But consider the difference between Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy, when the two of them were hiding Jews from the Nazis! Eventually Corrie started to see where her sister was...

 

[MatthewG]

What are the fruits of the spirit from a born-again believer?

Who is to say that the Lord can not change the heart of man, giving a new heart and placing a spirit with-in them?

Even in the struggles of the flesh warring against us in our members along with warring against the spirit in side of us, who shall save us from this body of death?

 

[amadeus]

What are the fruits of the spirit from a born-again believer?

9 of 12 listed here:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Gal 5:22-23

Others are located in Eph. 4:2, Phil. 1:11, II Cor 6:6, II Peter 1:5. Col 3:23. Rom 5:3... with some repetitions in those verses:

"In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Rev 22:2

Who is to say that the Lord can not change the heart of man, giving a new heart and placing a spirit with-in them?

What do you suppose would move God to do that? Perhaps this...?

"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.: Matt 5:6

Even in the struggles of the flesh warring against us in our members along with warring against the spirit in side of us, who shall save us from this body of death?

If God loses no battles then...

"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom 8:31

Does not Apostle Paul tell us here how to never lose a battle?

"Quench not the Spirit." I Thess 5:19

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

It is impossible for God to lie or commit any other sin.

 

[Curtis]

What are the fruits of the spirit from a born-again believer?

Who is to say that the Lord can not change the heart of man, giving a new heart and placing a spirit with-in them?

Even in the struggles of the flesh warring against us in our members along with warring against the spirit in side of us, who shall save us from this body of death?

Bearing fruit is something believers must choose to do, as shown by Jesus saying He is the vine and we are the branches, and any vine that bears no fruit will be cut off as a dead branch - and Peter writing that we must make our calling and election sure, by adding to our faith the fruit that he lists...

 

[Triumph1300]

It is impossible for God to lie or commit any other sin.

Apparently some on this forum disagree with you.


I believe God cannot sin, not because He lacks the free will to do so,
but because it would be inconsistent with
His character and His nature.
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Somebody posted the following and I quote:

A pastor (I can't remember which) once put it like this:

"If I were to say I can't eat rotten garbage, that doesn't mean that it would be physically impossible for me to do so. I have the physical capability to pick it up, put it in my mouth, chew, and swallow.

However, I say I cannot do it because it is so repulsive to me. In this same way, it is possible for God to be omnipotent, yet be unable to sin."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Curtis]

Apparently some on this forum disagree with you.


I believe God cannot sin, not because He lacks the free will to do so,
but because it would be inconsistent with
His character and His nature.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somebody posted the following and I quote:

A pastor (I can't remember which) once put it like this:

"If I were to say I can't eat rotten garbage, that doesn't mean that it would be physically impossible for me to do so. I have the physical capability to pick it up, put it in my mouth, chew, and swallow.

However, I say I cannot do it because it is so repulsive to me. In this same way, it is possible for God to be omnipotent, yet be unable to sin."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Omnipotence means being all powerful and able to do whatever you want - and not do whatever you don’t want.

I have power to rob a bank, which doesn’t obligate me to do that, just because I could.

God not lying because it’s not in His nature, doesn’t disprove His being all powerful, and able to do or not do, whatever He wishes.

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

God is the Light.
It is impossible for him to be darkness.
He is the Truth, which is why He cannot lie. If He did _ just once, He could not require laws for us to keep, righteousness for us to abide in. He would not be perfect. Faith in Him would be marginal, we could not count in it.
But let's consider this ... if it was only just one lie to each us and we forgave Him and maybe it would be for our own good, then I wouldn't have a problem with that.
What if he allowed us to believe something in order that we would persevere, to remain happy, continue to be joyful for the rest of our lives and then when we died, we would find out the Truth, be devastated for a moment and then He would wipe away the tears?
Maybe that would fall into God causing all things to work together for good for those who love the Lord, for those who are called to His purpose?
Example: My father was an atheist all his life and a year before he died, his wife caught him praying to God. This message to me gave me hope that He made his peace with God. It made me happy. What if His prayer was empty, did't get through? What if he wasn't saved but God let me believe that He was to spare my grief?
My mom was a liberal, rebellious woman who glorified herself and never believed that Jesus rose from the dead. She believed He was a good oerson but thought He was just murdered. She thought it was a just a story and would argue about her beliefs instead: reincarnation, the Universal Energy Force, aliens, etc. Just weeks before she died, she told me I had been brain washed by the Bible, by Chrisitianity.
Three days before she died, I called her and she started singing about Jesus, saying that Jesus loved her and had His hand in her back, that she always believed! What? For thirty years I 've been chipping away at her false beliefs and philosophies to no avail. I was shocked. I believe something happened ... but what if God wanted to spare me?

 

[Brakelite]

God is the Light.
It is impossible for him to be darkness.
He is the Truth, which is why He cannot lie. If He did _ just once, He could not require laws for us to keep, righteousness for us to abide in. He would not be perfect. Faith in Him would be marginal, we could not count in it.
But let's consider this ... if it was only just one lie to each us and we forgave Him and maybe it would be for our own good, then I wouldn't have a problem with that.
What if he allowed us to believe something in order that we would persevere, to remain happy, continue to be joyful for the rest of our lives and then when we died, we would find out the Truth, be devastated for a moment and then He would wipe away the tears?
Maybe that would fall into God causing all things to work together for good for those who love the Lord, for those who are called to His purpose?
Example: My father was an atheist all his life and a year before he died, his wife caught him praying to God. This message to me gave me hope that He made his peace with God. It made me happy. What if His prayer was empty, did't get through? What if he wasn't saved but God let me believe that He was to spare my grief?
My mom was a liberal, rebellious woman who glorified herself and never believed that Jesus rose from the dead. She believed He was a good oerson but thought He was just murdered. She thought it was a just a story and would argue about her beliefs instead: reincarnation, the Universal Energy Force, aliens, etc. Just weeks before she died, she told me I had been brain washed by the Bible, by Chrisitianity.
Three days before she died, I called her and she started singing about Jesus, saying that Jesus loved her and had His hand in her back, that she always believed! What? For thirty years I 've been chipping away at her false beliefs and philosophies to no avail. I was shocked. I believe something happened ... but what if God wanted to spare me?

God is looking for the most faintest reason... The merest excuse... The most infinitesimal hint from any individual that He may come and receive him or her to Himself. A prayer, even the ever most humble and least theologically sound prayer is heard and answered in the most favorable manner. Jesus died for your mum and dad. He not only heard your prayers for them, but heard theirs also. Shall He turn away, even though He bled and died for them?

 

[Ronald David Bruno]

God is looking for the most faintest reason... The merest excuse... The most infinitesimal hint from any individual that He may come and receive him or her to Himself. A prayer, even the ever most humble and least theologically sound prayer is heard and answered in the most favorable manner. Jesus died for your mum and dad. He not only heard your prayers for them, but heard theirs also. Shall He turn away, even though He bled and died for them?

I believe that if you just call out the name of the Lord, that is at least a hint of belief/Faith. I believe they both are saved, it's just shocking that someone could take a firm rebellious position all their lives and then just one day change their minds. God lifts the veil of blindness and I guess It's a process of events and people that God uses for some, but for others, it could happen close to death. It's an example that no good thing is impossible for God.