http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1240
Things God Cannot Do
Both Christians and atheists generally have assumed that if the God depicted in the Bible exists, He can do anything—since
He is represented as being all-powerful. However, this assumption is
incorrect. The Bible does not claim that the omnipotence of God implies
that He can do anything and everything. In reality, “omnipotence” does
not, and cannot, apply to that which does not lend itself to power.
Skeptics and atheists have posed queries that they feel nullify the
notion of omnipotence, thereby demonstrating the nonexistence of God.
For example, “Can God create a boulder so large that He, Himself, cannot
lift it?”
Separate and apart from the fact that God is not, Himself, physical,
and that He created the entire physical Universe, though He is
metaphysical and transcendent of the Universe, the question is a conceptual absurdity.
It’s like asking, “Can God create a round square or a four-sided
triangle?” No, He cannot—but not for the reasons implied by the atheist:
that He does not exist or that He is not omnipotent. Rather, it is
because the question is, itself, self-contradictory and incoherent. It is nonsensical terminology. Rather than saying God cannot do such things, it would be more in harmony with the truth to say simply that such things cannot be done at all! God is infinite in power, but power meaningfully relates only to what can be done, to what is possible of accomplishment—not to what is impossible! It is absurd to speak of any power (even infinite power) being able to do what simply cannot be done. Logical absurdities do not lend themselves to being accomplished, and so, are not subject to power, not even to infinite power (see Warren, 1972, pp. 27ff.).
While God can do whatever is possible to be done, in reality, He will do only what is in harmony with His
nature. Further, to suggest that God is deficient or limited in power
if He cannot create a rock so large that He cannot lift, is to imply
that He could do so if He simply had more power. But this
is false. Creating a rock that He, Himself, cannot lift, or creating a
four-sided triangle, or making a ball that is at the same time both
white all over and black all over, or creating a ninety-year-old
teenager, or making a car that is larger on the inside that it is on the
outside—to propose such things is to affirm logical contradictions and
absurdities. Such propositions do not really say anything at all. Though
one can imagine logical absurdities that cannot be accomplished, they
do not constitute a telling blow against the view that God is infinite
in power.
So, no, the concept of “omnipotence” does not mean that there are no
limits to what an omnipotent being can do. In fact, the Bible pinpoints
specific things that God cannot do. For example, the Bible states
unequivocally that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; 2
Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2). He is a Being whose very essence entails
truthfulness. Falsehood is completely out of harmony with His divine
nature. Further, God cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13).
Another impossibility pertaining to God’s power is the fact that He
shows no partiality or favoritism (Deuteronomy 10:17; Romans 2:11;
Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:17). He is “open and above
board”—evenhanded—with all His creatures. He can be counted on to
interact with human beings as He said He would. His treatment of us
centers on our own self-chosen behavior—not on our ethnicity or skin
color (Acts 10:34-35; 1 Samuel 16:7).
A third instance that qualifies the meaning of “omnipotent” is seen in
God’s inability to forgive the individual who will not repent and
forsake his or her sin (Joshua 24:19; Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 6:15;
18:35; Luke 13:3,5). As great and as magnificent as the mercy and
forgiveness of God are, it is impossible to bestow forgiveness upon the
person who does not seek that forgiveness by meeting the pre-conditions
of remission. God is literally powerless to bestow forgiveness through
any other avenue than the blood of Jesus and obedience to the Gospel of
Christ (Romans 1:16; 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).
The more one studies the Bible, examining the attributes and
characteristics of the God depicted there, the more one is struck with
(1) the inspiration of the Bible—since its skillful handling of such
matters places it beyond the charge of successful contradiction, and (2)
awe at the infinitude of God. Not one of the factors discussed in this
article reflects adversely upon the reality of God’s omnipotence. But it
is abundantly clear that a person may so live as to render the God of
heaven incapable of coming to that person’s aid. It is imperative that
every human being recognizes the need to understand His will and to
conform one’s behavior to that will. It is imperative that every
individual avoid placing self in the precarious position of being in
need of that which God cannot do.
REFERENCES
Warren, Thomas B. (1972), Have Atheists Proved There Is No God (Jonesboro, AR: National Christian Press).
It
is not uncommon to hear people discussing the end of time and
delineating the “signs” that, they say, are proof that Christ’s return
is imminent. These signs include “wars and rumors of wars,”
“earthquakes,” and various political/military events that one observes
on the evening news. These loud proponents of gloom claim to be
representing the Bible in their calculations and forecasts. Of course,
to date, every attempt to pinpoint the date of Christ’s return has
failed.
