TEN THINGS GOD CANNOT DO

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

JULY 13, 2023

TOPIC: TEN THINGS GOD CANNOT DO

BY T. O. BANSO

“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed”(Hebrews 6:18 Contemporary English Version).

For the sake of those who only read the title of a message or an article and jump to conclusions, this message is not to diminish the power of God. The focus is not that God is not almighty or all-powerful. The Bible says nothing is too hard for God to do and with God, all things are possible (Jeremiah 32:17b, Matthew 19:26b; Mark 10:27b; 14:36). Luke 1:37 says, “For there is nothing that God cannot do” (Good News Translation).

Nevertheless, God cannot do anything contrary to His character. Because God is God, there are some things that He cannot do. These are written in the Bible and I want to talk about ten of them.

1. God cannot change or cease to be God. This is what God says about Himself: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6 New King James Version). The phrase “do not change” is rendered “never change” in the  GOD’S WORD Translation. God will cease being God if He changes. But God cannot change. James 1:17b says, “He never changes or casts a shifting shadow” (New Living Translation). God never changes.

God cannot change or cease being God. “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2 New King James Version). God remains God forever. He has no beginning and end. He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13).

2. God cannot lie or break His covenant or promises. God will cease to be God if He lies, and He cannot. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (New International Version). Lying is not consistent with the character of God so He cannot lie. Titus 1:2b describes God as God who cannot lie. Also, Hebrews 6:18 says, “God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed”(Contemporary English Version). God’s word is truth (John 17:17b). “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalm 119:160 New King James Version). Because God cannot lie, His word shall be fulfilled.

God is a covenant-keeping God. He keeps His promises. He says in Psalm 89:34, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips” (New King James Version). In other words, we can trust God or count on Him to do what He says He will do.

God told Abraham, “And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you” (Genesis 17:7 New King James Version). Note the phrase everlasting covenant. The same phrase is used in verses 13 and 19. God cannot violate His covenant; He will keep His covenant or promises.

In Judges 2:1b, God recalls His promises never to break His covenant with the Israelites. Deuteronomy 7:9 refers to God thus: “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (New King James Version). God cannot lie or break His covenant or promises.

3. God cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (New International Version). The phrase “He cannot disown himself” is rendered “He cannot deny Himself” in the New King James Version. Christ cannot deny who He is. That’s why He said He and His Father are one (John 10:30; 17:11, 22). Jesus couldn’t deny that He was the Son of God and, indeed, God. God cannot say that He is not God. God is faithful; He cannot deny who He is even if we are faithless. God will remain God.

4. God cannot be tempted by evil and tempts no one. The Apostle James says in James 1:13, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (New King James Version). Note the phrase “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” God cannot be tempted to do evil or wrong and He doesn’t tempt anyone to do the same. God cannot sin and cannot tempt anyone to sin. God is good always.

5. God cannot faint or be weary. Whereas human beings can faint and be weary, God cannot. Isaiah 40:28 says, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (New King James Version). God never grows tired or weary. His strength or power never reduces. God cannot faint or be weary.

6. God cannot be mocked or fooled. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (New International Version). The phrase “God cannot be mocked” is rendered in other translations as “You cannot fool God” (Contemporary English Version), “You can never make a fool out of God (GOD’S WORD Translation), and “You cannot mock the justice of God” (New Living Translation). Everybody will reap whatever he sows. This is the justice of God. God cannot be mocked.

7. God cannot hear the prayer of the sinner. The sinner must first acknowledge his sin before God and ask for His mercy. Luke 18:13 says, “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’” (New King James Version). This tax collector went down to his house justified, unlike the self-righteous Pharisee.

The prayer of a sinner is an abomination to God. Proverbs 28:9 says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (New King James Version). Note the phrase “even his prayer is an abomination.” The Contemporary English Version renders Proverbs 28:9 thus: “God cannot stand the prayers of anyone who disobeys his Law.” God cannot stand the prayer of those who disobey His Word. The first prayer God expects from a sinner is that of repentance. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight” (Proverbs 15:8 New King James Version). Also, Proverbs 21:17a says the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination.

David said if he regarded iniquity in his heart, the Lord would not hear (Psalm 66:18). “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7 New King James Version).

8. God cannot remember the sins He has forgiven. It is inconsistent with the character of God to remember the sins He has forgiven. Human beings may remember but God cannot. He says in Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins” (New King James Version).

In Jeremiah 31:34b, God says, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (New King James Version). Once the sinner repents, God forgives and forgets. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19 New King James Version).

9. God cannot stop loving you or forsake you. God’s love for you is eternal. He has loved you with everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He loved you before you ever got born again (if you are) and sent His Son Jesus to die for you and the whole world (John 3:16). He cannot stop loving you because of anything you have done or will do. God is also asking you to love Him in return with your whole being (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30). The proof of love for God is obedience (John 14:15). God has promised not to leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6b; Hebrews 13:5b). However, it is possible to forsake Him, which you must not do.

10. God cannot allow anyone who rejects Jesus to enter the Kingdom of God. God cannot violate His Word. He has said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:14-17 New King James Version).

God cannot allow anyone who doesn’t believe in His Son and, thus, is not born again into the kingdom of God. Jesus says unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). God cannot save anyone who rejects Jesus. Are you born again?

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Father, do in my life what only You can do. Let all Your good promises come to pass in my life. Holy Spirit, help me to love God with my entire being. I pray that sinners will respond to the love of God and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Those who have been rejecting Jesus will receive Him into their hearts today.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org