Things God Cannot Do

When I attended my first theology class at Baptist Bible College, our professor, Dr. Gillming, asked the following question, “What are some things that God cannot do?”

All of us students looked at each other and wondered why Dr. Gillming would ask such a question.  Was this a trick question?  I’m sure all of us fully believed that God could do anything.  So, none of us could think of a single thing that God cannot do. 

Then, Dr. Gillming gave us a couple examples.  First, he told us that God cannot make a rock that is so heavy that He cannot lift it.  Dr. Gillming explained that no matter how heavy the rock was that God created, our all-powerful God would still be able to lift it. And, even if He were to make such a heavy rock, then He would have created something that He could not do.

Now some may think this is a ludicrous example, but Dr. Gillming then gave a related example.  God is omnipotent, that is: all-powerful.  So, God cannot limit His power.  Since God is all-powerful, therefore God cannot make a rock that is so heavy that it would exceed His limitless power.

Now we students understood the principle, and we understood that there are many things that God cannot do. We recognized that God is omniscient, that is: all-knowing. So, God cannot fail to know all knowledge. No matter what new technology man develops, it is not new knowledge for God.  God is omnipresent, that is: He is present everywhere.  So, God cannot fail to see everything that happens.

Once we understood these things that God cannot do, we looked at other things that we know about God.  God is just. So, God cannot be unjust. God is Gracious. So, God cannot be ungracious. God is merciful. So, God cannot be unmerciful. God is compassionate. So, God cannot be uncompassionate.

Then we recognized that only God is capable of perfection. So, God cannot create any being that is perfect. Likewise, God cannot create a being that is all-powerful, all-knowing, or present everywhere at the same time. To do so would require God to create another god, which is impossible, since there can only be one God.

This line of reasoning led us to understand the following truths: Man is incapable of obeying God completely due to our imperfections. Man is incapable of producing anything that is perfect for the same reasons. We can produce a very straight line, but if we examine the line under a microscope, we immediately see how crooked it is. Man can produce beautiful poetry and music, but there will always be imperfections in what we produce. No matter what man attempts, perfection is not within his grasp. Man can approach perfection, but we will never achieve it.

Our efforts are like an asymptote. The definition of an asymptote is a line on a graph that gets closer and closer to zero on the graph, but it never arrives at zero.  If you take number and begin dividing that number by two, it will illustrate the idea of an asymptote.  You can divide that number by two forever, and the result will get closer and closer to zero. But you will never get zero for an answer. So, like an asymptote that never gets to zero, we humans will never arrive at perfection either.

What is the practical application of these truths?

• Since we can never achieve moral perfection, we must count on God’s grace, mercy, and compassion to forgive this human limitation.
• Since we, as imperfect beings, cannot comprehend all Divine knowledge and understanding, we must, therefore, recognize that we will inevitably disagree amongst ourselves about many things that God reveals to us.
• Despite our limitations, there are essential truths that are adequately understood and in which it is possible for us to agree.
• It is surely God’s will that god-fearing people get along peacefully amongst ourselves.
• The sorry history of religious violence shows that we have failed miserably in our efforts to measure up to God’s will in this area.
• Our quest, therefore, must be to find the common ground that allows us to unify, while we overlook the differences in our understanding that generally have no influence on how we live our daily lives in submission to our great, almighty God.
• The essential truth that binds us together is our common belief that there is only one God, and that we realize our greatest joy when we submit ourselves to Him.

I leave you with the ancient 19th Psalm, which extols the wonders of our greath, almighty God.

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth God’s truth;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
    making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
    giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
    than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
    may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
    innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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