Nothing is impossible with God”. This is something I’ve said and heard more times than I can count. I’ll bet anything that you’ve heard it too. The scriptures that we use for saying this are:
Matthew 19:26 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Mark 10:27 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
Luke 1:37 (NKJV) For with God nothing will be impossible."
Luke 18:27 (NKJV) But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
While it is true that absolutely nothing is impossible for or with God, the Creator of everything, with exception of the Luke 1:37 scripture which is what the angel told Mary about the Holy Spirit’s ability to impregnate a virgin, the other statements, all of which were made by Jesus refer to God’s ability to save mankind and provide a way for them to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Let’s look at the statement in the context in which Jesus made it.
Matthew 19:16-26 (NLT)16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Bold mine)
Mark 10:17-27 (NLT)17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Bold mine)
Luke 18:18-27 (NLT)18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”21 The man replied, “I’ve carefully obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”23 But when the man heard this he became sad, for he was very rich.24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Bold mine)
It’s obvious in each instance that Jesus was attempting to change the perspective that what man considers valuable has no value when it comes to salvation. Salvation is determined by God and Him alone and only under the circumstances that He dictates. Throughout His time on earth Jesus announced God’s terms.
John 14:6 (NLT) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
He also said that there were no other prerequisites.
Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
John 3:14-17 (NLT)14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Matthew 19:26 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Mark 10:27 (NKJV) But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
Luke 1:37 (NKJV) For with God nothing will be impossible."
Luke 18:27 (NKJV) But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
While it is true that absolutely nothing is impossible for or with God, the Creator of everything, with exception of the Luke 1:37 scripture which is what the angel told Mary about the Holy Spirit’s ability to impregnate a virgin, the other statements, all of which were made by Jesus refer to God’s ability to save mankind and provide a way for them to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Let’s look at the statement in the context in which Jesus made it.
Matthew 19:16-26 (NLT)16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.”18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely.19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.’”20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 But when the young man heard this, he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.24 I’ll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”25 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” (Bold mine)
Mark 10:17-27 (NLT)17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away very sad, for he had many possessions.23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God.25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” (Bold mine)
Luke 18:18-27 (NLT)18 Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good.20 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’”21 The man replied, “I’ve carefully obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”23 But when the man heard this he became sad, for he was very rich.24 When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”26 Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?”27 He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Bold mine)
It’s obvious in each instance that Jesus was attempting to change the perspective that what man considers valuable has no value when it comes to salvation. Salvation is determined by God and Him alone and only under the circumstances that He dictates. Throughout His time on earth Jesus announced God’s terms.
John 14:6 (NLT) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
He also said that there were no other prerequisites.
Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
John 3:14-17 (NLT)14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
Healing For The Deepest Wounds
Scripture is full of stories of broken people made whole by God because nobody is so messed up that they cannot be saved. Truly nothing is impossible for God who is able to save to the utmost those that mankind considers unsavable because of what they’ve done or who they are.
Sheila Walsh in her book 5 Minutes with Jesus: Quiet Time for Your Soul recounts the story of one person who thought that she was so unworthy that not even God wanted her. That story is in the section Healing for the Deepest Wounds. .
She just needed a little money to finish college. The price was steep, but she reasoned to herself that she wouldn’t pay it for long. She was only ten units away from earning her degree.
But the price is always steeper than expected when the Enemy is offering the solution to our problems. Before she knew it, she was the one wearing a price tag.
When she finally escaped the man who had trafficked her, she still didn’t have the money for college. Instead, she was completely broken and had a baby on the way. It was difficult to believe that anyone or anything had the power to heal her heart’s deepest wounds.
Then Jesus stepped in.
“He helped me to see that I could never be too far gone and that He came to die for people just like me,” she said.
“When I thought He had given up on me, I look back now and realize that in my darkest moments, He was right there next to me.”1
I don’t know what wounds you carry, but maybe you have doubts about whether they can be healed, like this young woman did. Am I too far gone? Has God given up on me?
Maybe your heartbreak is so overwhelming that you can’t imagine healing and relief. I understand. I’ve been there.
But this truth is eternal: nothing is too hard for God.
God wanted to be sure you knew this was true, so He included in Scripture countless stories of shattered lives that He made whole.
David had a child through adultery and had his lover’s husband murdered, yet he went on to become known as a man after God’s own heart. Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons, yet she was delivered from them and, later, was the first to see the risen Christ! The Samaritan woman had a long line of broken relationships, and her bad reputation made her a social outcast. But after she met Christ, she became the first missionary to her village.
We could go on and on to make this point: God restores people.
What about you? Do you want to know that God’s healing power is enough for you too? Come into His presence and risk asking this question: “My God, can You heal the deepest wounds of my heart?”
Then open your heart to hear His sweet response:
All things are possible with [Me]. — Mark 10:27
There is no place so dark that the love of Christ can’t find you and heal you.
1.“Her Story,” Trafficking Hope Louisiana, updated January 26, 2016, http://www.traffickinghopela.org/hope-updates/.
Excerpted with permission from 5 Minutes with Jesus: Quiet Time for Your Soul by Sheila Walsh, copyright Sheila Walsh.
Scripture is full of stories of broken people made whole by God because nobody is so messed up that they cannot be saved. Truly nothing is impossible for God who is able to save to the utmost those that mankind considers unsavable because of what they’ve done or who they are.
Sheila Walsh in her book 5 Minutes with Jesus: Quiet Time for Your Soul recounts the story of one person who thought that she was so unworthy that not even God wanted her. That story is in the section Healing for the Deepest Wounds. .
She just needed a little money to finish college. The price was steep, but she reasoned to herself that she wouldn’t pay it for long. She was only ten units away from earning her degree.
But the price is always steeper than expected when the Enemy is offering the solution to our problems. Before she knew it, she was the one wearing a price tag.
When she finally escaped the man who had trafficked her, she still didn’t have the money for college. Instead, she was completely broken and had a baby on the way. It was difficult to believe that anyone or anything had the power to heal her heart’s deepest wounds.
Then Jesus stepped in.
“He helped me to see that I could never be too far gone and that He came to die for people just like me,” she said.
“When I thought He had given up on me, I look back now and realize that in my darkest moments, He was right there next to me.”1
I don’t know what wounds you carry, but maybe you have doubts about whether they can be healed, like this young woman did. Am I too far gone? Has God given up on me?
Maybe your heartbreak is so overwhelming that you can’t imagine healing and relief. I understand. I’ve been there.
But this truth is eternal: nothing is too hard for God.
God wanted to be sure you knew this was true, so He included in Scripture countless stories of shattered lives that He made whole.
David had a child through adultery and had his lover’s husband murdered, yet he went on to become known as a man after God’s own heart. Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons, yet she was delivered from them and, later, was the first to see the risen Christ! The Samaritan woman had a long line of broken relationships, and her bad reputation made her a social outcast. But after she met Christ, she became the first missionary to her village.
We could go on and on to make this point: God restores people.
What about you? Do you want to know that God’s healing power is enough for you too? Come into His presence and risk asking this question: “My God, can You heal the deepest wounds of my heart?”
Then open your heart to hear His sweet response:
All things are possible with [Me]. — Mark 10:27
There is no place so dark that the love of Christ can’t find you and heal you.
1.“Her Story,” Trafficking Hope Louisiana, updated January 26, 2016, http://www.traffickinghopela.org/hope-updates/.
Excerpted with permission from 5 Minutes with Jesus: Quiet Time for Your Soul by Sheila Walsh, copyright Sheila Walsh.
The Example Jesus Gave With Zacchaeus
Although Zacchaeus was a notorious sinner, Jesus didn't say, "Clean up your act, and then I'll come to your house." We're called, not to fix people but to share the transforming gospel of Christ.
Luke 19:1-10 (NLT) 1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Although surrounded by a crowd, Jesus stopped and took notice of one particular man perched in a tree. Zacchaeus was hated and rejected because he was a tax collector. Although he was rich, there was something missing in his life, and Christ recognized his need. There are people all around us "hanging in trees"--needy, empty, and searching for hope. But too often, we're preoccupied with our activities and don't even notice them.
How are you doing at serving those around you? Maybe it's time to slow down and open your spiritual eyes to see all the needy people. God places opportunities all around us, but if we're not attentive, we'll miss them. Sometimes you just have to look up to see who’s in the tree.
Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to carry out the most important act in human history: our redemption. Yet He stopped to have a meal with a spiritually needy man. What could be so important that it keeps you too busy to give others what they need most--your time? - Dr. Charles Stanley The Requirements of Servanthood
Although Zacchaeus was a notorious sinner, Jesus didn't say, "Clean up your act, and then I'll come to your house." We're called, not to fix people but to share the transforming gospel of Christ.
Luke 19:1-10 (NLT) 1 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town.2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
Although surrounded by a crowd, Jesus stopped and took notice of one particular man perched in a tree. Zacchaeus was hated and rejected because he was a tax collector. Although he was rich, there was something missing in his life, and Christ recognized his need. There are people all around us "hanging in trees"--needy, empty, and searching for hope. But too often, we're preoccupied with our activities and don't even notice them.
How are you doing at serving those around you? Maybe it's time to slow down and open your spiritual eyes to see all the needy people. God places opportunities all around us, but if we're not attentive, we'll miss them. Sometimes you just have to look up to see who’s in the tree.
Jesus was heading to Jerusalem to carry out the most important act in human history: our redemption. Yet He stopped to have a meal with a spiritually needy man. What could be so important that it keeps you too busy to give others what they need most--your time? - Dr. Charles Stanley The Requirements of Servanthood
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