Four Things God Cannot Do

For years on playgrounds everywhere church kids have been stymied by the agitator’s questions, “Can God do anything? And if so, can he make a rock so big he can’t move it?” While children may struggle with the answer, I hope the rest of us do not. Thankfully, we can offer a resounding “No!” and feel good about it – really good! God tells us that he is a God who cannot do several things. And for that we should be eternally grateful!

Consider the amazingly gracious promises he has made and inscribed for us in the pages of the Bible. All of our hope and strength regarding those promises is derived from the fact that God cannot do at least four things as it relates to those commitments. First, God is holy and therefore is incapable of deceiving us (2 Timothy 2:11-13). All of his good promises are true because he could not and would not ever lie to us (Titus 1:2). Second, God is omniscient, always knowing all that can be known (Psalm 139:1-6). And because he is omniscient he cannot possibly forget a promise that he has made (2 Peter 3:8-9). Third, God is immutable and therefore cannot change (Malachi 3:6). A gracious promise he makes in 750 BC will not be rescinded because he has grown, matured, or changed over the centuries (Psalm 102:25-28). Fourth, God is omnipotent, possessing all power (Jeremiah 32:17). Therefore, all of his good promises will succeed because nothing has the power to thwart his purpose – he simply cannot fail (Romans 8:31-39).

Every promise about our future is certain and sure because God cannot be less than he is. He cannot lie, forget, change or fail! And that should provide us with a kind of confidence that engenders “strong encouragement” each and every day (Hebrews 6:17-19).