What God Cannot Do Does Not Exist". Is It Scriptural?

"What God Cannot Do Does Not Exist".

Is It Scriptural?

Frankly speaking, the theme 'What God Cannot Do Does Not Exist' is absolutely vague & unscriptural.

The two scriptures which some quote in trying to explain the import of the theme are actually saying a different thing both textually & contextually.

One is premised on the will of God as the jurisdiction in which nothing is impossible, the other explains the character of the word/declaration from God's mouth as that which is not void of power to come to pass/bring to pass what it says.

1.)  The first scripture is Matthew 19:26 and it reads: "But Jesus, looking on them , said to them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."

• The preposition "with" used in the text is "para" in the greek & can be translated as: from, of, at, by, besides or near.

"Para" denotes nearness; in the vicinity of.

So we can say in the vicinity of God all things are possible; however, Ephesians 1:11 reveals God as a God "who works all things according to the counsel of his own will". 

In other words there is nothing that God does outside his will; so "with God", "in the vicinity of God", "in the jurisdiction of his will" all things are possible.

2.)  The second scripture text is Luke 1:37 which reads "for nothing shall be impossible with God."

Now the preceding verses show what led to this declaration in verse 37.

The angel Gabriel had delivered the message concerning the conception & birth of Jesus to Mary and she wondered at the message and asked the angel thus: How shall this be, since I know not a man?

And the angel answering said to her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and power of the Highest overshadow thee, wherefore the holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her that was called barren: for nothing shall be impossible with God - vs 34-37.

The transliteration from the original greek lexicon is: "hoti ou adunateō para ho hē to theos pas rhēma"

In English it should read: "Because no one/individual declaration or word uttered in the vicinity of God, is without/void of strength, power or ability".

The common english translations/versions didn't capture the word "rhema" in the original greek rendering of the text. They just translated it as nothing shall be impossible, which is vague yet what the angel Gabriel was referring to is specifically the rhema/word uttered by God as captured in the message which God sent him to deliver to Mary, and how no one/individual word spoken by God, of God, in the vicinity of God, is void of power to be fulfilled.

What God Cannot Do Does Exist: Things Inconsistent With His Will & Nature.

Now there are things that God cannot do; things inconsistent with his will & nature. 

Here's a brief list of some things God cannot do

a.) He cannot do anything outside the counsel of his own will, so what God cannot do does exist.

Yes he is Almighty, omnipotent, infinite in power yet his power cannot be expressed or found in expression outside his will/contrary to his will.

In Matthew 26:39 we see Jesus so burdened and sorrowful unto death, praying to the Father in Gethsemane, saying: "My Father, it it be possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will but as thou will". 

In the will of the Father it was not possible to let the cup pass from him for in the predeterminate counsel & will of God, the lamb was foreordained before the foundation of the world to be slain so it was impossible for Jesus to come as that lamb of God and not be slain to take away the sins of the world. 1st Peter 1:19-20.

b.) God cannot lie - Numbers 23:19.

Hebrews 6:18 speaking of the immutability of God's counsel, says it's impossible for God to lie.

With God all things are possible yet it's impossible for God to lie for with him there is no variation, no alteration of his will/counsel nor shadow of turning(James 1:17). 

Lies have no place in his will, he cannot will to lie thus it is impossible for him to lie.

c.) God cannot deny or contradict himself - 2nd Timothy 2:13.

d.) God cannot hear or answer prayers that are not according to/in line with his will.

1st John 5:14 says "And this is the boldness which we have towards him, that if we ask him anything according to his will he hears us."

James 4:3 also shows that when we ask amiss in line with our own will, lusts or pleasures, God will not answer.

e.) God cannot force all men to be saved. 

In this case it's even his will that all should be saved(1st Timothy 2:3-4), and he has expressed/worked out that will in sending his Son to die for the sins of all men, yet he cannot force all men to be saved for here the heart of man is to co-operate with God to receive the provision God has made for his salvation; for scripture says it is with the heart that man believes(Romans 10:10).

The heart that refuses to believe even when the gospel is preached to it shuts out God and his benevolent provision of salvation for all mankind.

Now some seek to defend the theme 'What God cannot do does not exist" by asserting that it's only used in the context of the miraculous power of God in addressing all manner of situations and circumstances, yet in scripture we see that the flow of God's healing power could even be restricted where unbelief abounds on the part of men. Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5-6.

f.) Lastly Jesus himself as the Son of God said he can do nothing of his own self, so what Jesus cannot do does exist, he can do nothing of his own self, nothing that is not of/originating from the Father & the Father's will - John 5:19.