"IM"
"'If you can?' said Jesus. ''Everything is possible for him who believes'" —Mark 9:23.
What a difference an "im" makes.
The writer to the Hebrews said: "…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6) With absolute certainty, pleasing God won't happen without faith.
So, if "impossible" is the absolute certainty of something, then it is logical to assume that "possible" should be the absolute certainly of something as well, right?
Nope.
A terrified, worried, father comes to the Lord with his demon-possessed son. Could this teacher and healer help him? He's not sure and will settle for anything at all. And at the point of the father's doubt, Jesus challenges the man.
At first glance we might think that Jesus is saying that more faith and less doubt will guarantee the absolute certainty of healing. But that's not the message. "Possible" is the recognition that something is within the power or capacity of someone or something; it is able to happen, but is not certain to happen. The classic comparison of these words is seen in Matthew 19:26 when Jesus says, speaking of salvation: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
That's where the faith comes in. We believe that God is powerful and able to do anything. We believe that He will never deceive us, abandon us, or disappoint us. We believe He will do what He says. We have faith that His choices for our lives will be the correct ones, even when what He chooses might not be what we asked for.
It was possible for this father to find freedom from fear and anxiety. It was possible for Jesus to heal his son. Neither action was guaranteed. What was impossible was for God not to reward the exercise of faith, no matter how small and weak that faith might be.
What a difference an "im" makes.
The writer to the Hebrews said: "…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him" (Hebrews 11:6) With absolute certainty, pleasing God won't happen without faith.
So, if "impossible" is the absolute certainty of something, then it is logical to assume that "possible" should be the absolute certainly of something as well, right?
Nope.
A terrified, worried, father comes to the Lord with his demon-possessed son. Could this teacher and healer help him? He's not sure and will settle for anything at all. And at the point of the father's doubt, Jesus challenges the man.
At first glance we might think that Jesus is saying that more faith and less doubt will guarantee the absolute certainty of healing. But that's not the message. "Possible" is the recognition that something is within the power or capacity of someone or something; it is able to happen, but is not certain to happen. The classic comparison of these words is seen in Matthew 19:26 when Jesus says, speaking of salvation: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
That's where the faith comes in. We believe that God is powerful and able to do anything. We believe that He will never deceive us, abandon us, or disappoint us. We believe He will do what He says. We have faith that His choices for our lives will be the correct ones, even when what He chooses might not be what we asked for.
It was possible for this father to find freedom from fear and anxiety. It was possible for Jesus to heal his son. Neither action was guaranteed. What was impossible was for God not to reward the exercise of faith, no matter how small and weak that faith might be.
Ohhh - new revelation to me! Never thought of it this way.
ReplyDeleteWe just studied Matthew 19:26 in our ladies' Bible study today! We decided that God loves our impossible situations so that He can show His power in our lives.
ReplyDelete