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September 9th, 2002 |
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Three Things God Can' Do
I am a mechanical nimnal. When I take something apart, I need to lay out every piece in a line and label it. And I still have trouble putting it back together or having parts left over. Others, however, have the gift.
Once, many years ago, I had six weeks between races to get an engine rebuilt. I had little money, but persuaded a talented friend to do the work. He took everything apart…putting pieces in boxes and 3-pound coffee cans. Within a week I had all the machine work done, the new parts needed, but my friend procrastinated. Despite repeated pleas, I found myself sitting in the garage in the wee hours on the final night before the race watching my buddy put the engine back together.
It seemed to me that he could just reach over, pick up a coffee can, shake it once or twice, then reach in a pick up the correct bolt, pushrod, whatever. I was blown away, and I remember thinking to myself, “Bobby can do anything!”
Well, obviously, no mortal man can do everything. That’s left up to God. He is the one who is omnipotent, all-powerful, right? But I learned recently that there are three things God cannot do…
First, God cannot lie. It is contrary to His nature. His truth endures forever and is revealed to us in His Word and His Son.
Next, God cannot learn. There is nothing that He doesn’t know, and hasn’t known since before time. He knows everything we’ve done and will do. The Bible says that God chose us before the foundations of the world. Even knowing all about us, He chose us.
And finally, God cannot make us love Him. He created the perfect plan to bridge the gap between His holy nature and our fallen one: He sent His son, Jesus, as the redeeming sacrifice for each one of us. But He created us with the free will to choose or reject this gift of Jesus, a gift offered not on the basis of our merit or efforts, but based on His grace and favor towards us.
If you have already accepted that gift, then we rejoice with you. If not, you can do so right now by acknowledging that you are separated from God by your sins and that you accept what Jesus Christ did by freely dieing on the cross to pay the penalty for you. Or, if you would like to talk to someone about this decision, maybe to understand things a little better, there is someone available 24/7 at 1-888-NEEDHIM.
Paul Neighbors
(DRAWN FROM
THE TEACHINGS OF
CHUCK MISSLER,
KOINONIA HOUSE)
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