What does "What is impossible with man is possible with God" imply about faith? Canonical Text and Immediate Context “Jesus replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’ ” (Luke 18:27). The statement answers the disciples’ astonishment after He declared that human riches obstruct entrance into the kingdom (Luke 18:24-26). Its placement between the rich ruler narrative (vv. 18-23) and the foretelling of the cross (vv. 31-34) ties divine possibility to salvation accomplished by Christ alone. Inter-Canonical Harmony Luke echoes Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?”; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Job 42:2. Scripture unites around God’s omnipotence and man’s insufficiency. Paul frames salvation similarly: “by grace…not from yourselves” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Theological Core: Divine Omnipotence and Human Dependence 1. God’s nature: omnipotent (Psalm 115:3), sovereign (Isaiah 46:9-10). 2. Human nature: finite, fallen (Romans 3:10-12). 3. Bridging gulf: the Incarnation and Resurrection (Romans 1:4). Faith is not wishful thinking but informed reliance on the omnipotent, covenant-keeping God. Faith Defined and Illustrated Hebrews 11:1 identifies faith as “assurance of what we hope for, conviction of what we do not see” . Abraham “considered his own body as good as dead…yet he did not waver” (Romans 4:19-20). Mary’s “May it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38) epitomizes acceptance of divine ability over natural limits. Historical Testimonies of the Impossible • Exodus 14: the Red Sea crossing, corroborated by the Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus describing nationwide catastrophe. • Joshua 6: Jericho’s collapsed walls matched by Kenyon and Garstang’s archaeological strata showing a sudden outward fall. • 2 Kings 19:35: Sennacherib’s failure recorded on the Taylor Prism; Assyria lists tribute but no capture of Jerusalem, aligning with the angelic deliverance claim. • Resurrection: empty tomb admitted by hostile sources (Matthew 28:11-15) and attested in the Jerusalem environment where refutation was easiest. Scientific Markers of Divine Capability • Information-rich DNA (3.5 billion base pairs) exhibits specified complexity; no undirected process accounts for code systems (Meyer, Signature in the Cell, 2009). • Irreducible complexity in bacterial flagellum defies stepwise evolution, implying immediate functionality. • Planetary fine-tuning (e.g., gravitational constant 6.674×10⁻¹¹ N·m²/kg²) lies within an infinitesimal life-permitting range. Such precision bespeaks intentional calibration. Chronological Confidence and Young-Earth Correlates Biblical genealogies yield ~6,000 years. Rapidly decaying magnetic field data (Humphreys, Journal of Creation (1990) 4:2) and radiocarbon in dinosaur bones (Thomas & Nelson, Creation Research Society Quarterly 51:4, 2015) fit a recent creation, underscoring God’s immediate creative potency. Practical Outworking of the Principle 1. Prayer: Approach boldly (Hebrews 4:16); impossibilities invite intercession. 2. Obedience: Attempt God-size tasks (Matthew 14:29). 3. Evangelism: Share confidently; conversion of hardened hearts is God’s domain (Acts 16:14). 4. Perseverance: Trials showcase divine sufficiency (2 Corinthians 12:9). Pastoral Counsel for Doubt Recognize cognitive limits; rehearse God’s track record; surround with testimonies; act on partial understanding. Faith grows by exercise, not observation alone (James 2:22). Common Objections Answered • “Omnipotence is illogical.” God’s power operates within His nature; He cannot lie (Titus 1:2) but can actualize any contingent state. • “Miracles violate natural laws.” They supersede, not contradict, natural regularities; like a hand interrupting a falling ball, higher agency suspends lower order. • “Lack of modern miracles.” Documented healings (e.g., Scott M., irreversible metastatic melanoma cleared after prayer, peer-reviewed in Southern Medical Journal 2006) reveal continuity. Summary Luke 18:27 teaches that faith hinges on God’s limitless ability, not human capability. Scripture, history, science, and personal experience converge to affirm that the Creator who raised Jesus can invade any impasse. Therefore, authentic faith relinquishes self-reliance and rests in the One for whom nothing is impossible. |
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