Impossible?

 

This morning’s newspaper has an article on virtual monitors that will replace the screen sitting on a desk with a pair of glasses. The last section of the articles was titled, “Where will we go next?” I thought of my mother. She made fun of any idea that humanity has ‘arrived’ by her tongue-in-cheek reaction to new inventions. She laughed and said, “We’ve gone about as far as we can go.”

In her day, much of what is commonplace now would seem impossible. We can talk face to face on a phone without wires, print on a 3-D printer ‘human’ hearts that work, buy a ticket to ride into outer space, and own an airplane with wings that fold up so it can be parked in our garage. What next indeed!

The Bible talks of God being able to do the IMPOSSIBLE. It also says there are some things impossible for Him. Jesus also says if we have faith like a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for us, yet He also said that salvation for a rich person (or for any person) is impossible for us, but possible for God.

This can be confusing without knowing the Greek word translated impossible has a variety of nuances. In Acts 14:8 it means one who is crippled and physically unable to walk. In Romans 15:1, it describes those who are spiritually weak compared to those who are spiritually strong. Other NT occurrences of this word ‘adynatos’ mean impossible — as in no-can-do.

These descriptions of those for whom something is impossible are followed by the action that is impossible. That is, Jesus makes clear that a sinful human being cannot save himself or herself, but it is possible for God by his grace to save sinners who respond to His merciful offer in faith.

Another example is Romans 8:3: “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh . . . .” and Hebrews 10:4 adds, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” These passages point out that it is “impossible” for the law or religious rites to make anyone spiritually righteous yet God can do it through Christ.

None of these “impossible for me” verses leave out faith. It is a gift from God and vital because, as Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

God can do anything, but Is anything impossible for God? Despite the many OT and NT verses that say not, the entire Bible reveals a holy, righteous God who is without sin. That is, for God, sin is impossible. Hebrews 6:17–18 gives one example:

“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

God does not lie. When He says something, it is true. When He promises something, He will do it. For that reason, I GAZE INTO HIS GLORY knowing that as I do, He is transforming me in increasing likeness to Jesus Christ. This is impossible for me to do, and so often seems impossible for God, yet His promise is to do that and when I see Him face to face, that will be a completed task. His Word in 1 John 3:2 says: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” In my imperfections and efforts to obey Him, I am sometimes echoing my mother with, “I’ve gone about as far as I can go” but God replies that nothing is too hard for Him, not even my pride, selfishness and stubborn resistance to change. He will do the impossible for me and for all who put their faith in Him.

 

Defeating all threats . . .

 

When the psalmist wrote that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” he may not have known much about our immune system but it certainly fits that description. When attacked by an outside health threat, it identifies the culprit, then calls in bodily warriors to fight and overcome it. This system is not perfect; it sometimes misidentifies the enemy, sometimes fails to put the right resources to work, and sometimes even attacks itself, but it is nevertheless amazing.

God created for us a more perfect way to OVERCOME another enemy called sin. He, in the person of the Holy Spirit, identifies the threat with a resource called ‘conviction’ and then calls in ‘faith in Jesus Christ’ to overcome that threat and keep us free from the disastrous results of letting sin defeat us.

Because Christ lives in me, I can defeat the temptations that come my way. 1 John 5:4–5 says that faith is my weapon and Jesus is its power:

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

We also have victory over Satan in this life, conquering him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. The battles are not over because a lifetime is involved learning that we cannot do this by ourselves, nor by laws and rules which depend on the cooperation of the flesh — because the flesh is weak and unable. Romans 8:3 says it this way: “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.”

Once a person becomes an overcomer of sin through faith in Christ, there is fuller and related realm where Jesus give His disciples an overcoming victory. In John 16:33, He cries out:

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

What kind of tribulation is Jesus talking about? The word He uses appears in many places in the NT. It means “feeling distress or oppression because of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity.” Outside pressures produce anguish and burdens. These pressures can be persecution, tribulation or troubles of various kinds but He is not referring to whatever causes the stress, but the stress itself.

In other words, Jesus never promised us a rose garden — He will not take away the causes of stress but says He will give us peace during it. How is that possible? The answer is about His unique kind of peace — it outshines whatever the world might throw at us! Philippians 4:4–7 describe it:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus’ promise then, overcoming is about “being victorious in a struggle” by not letting it throw us off course, or send us into a tizzy, or oppress us. When troubles come, we often pray for their removal, yet God can give us a peace that defies understanding, a peace that is not troubled by storms because it says, “Jesus is in charge.”

As for our battle against sin, Romans 12:21 tells me not to be “overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” for that is exactly how the Lord defeats evil. He overwhelms it with good and doing His kind of good does it for us. His goodness cannot be defeated by evil, just as the light He shines in darkness cannot be overcome by that darkness (see John 1:5).

This is more reason to GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. My victory is assured through faith in what Jesus says. His promises include the marvel that believers who overcome can do so because Jesus lives in us. Because He has overcome the world, we are also able to overcome evil with good, defeat our fear of death, and experience the rewards for overcomers listed in the first few chapters of Revelation. I can do it by relying totally on the Spirit of God to fill me with the power of Jesus Christ in this ongoing battle of life.

On that final day, all enemies will be put under His feet and all resistance will cease. No more darkness, sin, tribulation, death, or struggles with temptation. His overcoming power means He will reign over all forever and ever and all His children will gladly shout, “Jesus wins!”