Orange Moon Tuesday, June 8, 2021 "Character and Capability Part 3 - Perfection

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"Character and Capability" 

Part 3 - Perfection

   Might not thinking of God in terms of things He cannot do weaken our confidence in Him?  Actually, a Biblical consideration of the matter yields just the opposite result.  Realizing His "cannots" greatly strengthens our faith.

    First, the Bible clearly proclaims God's almighty power and capability.  

    "Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think… unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 3:20-21).  

    "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof" (Psalm 50:1).

   "There is nothing too hard for Thee" declared the prophet (Jeremiah 32:14).  There are things, however, too unholy for the Lord to do.  Scripture teaches God's "way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31).  By definition, perfection does not allow any deviation from its standard.  It cannot act other than it does.  Thus, when we rightly affirm God as almighty, we reference not only His capability, but also His spiritual and moral nature.  He is too mighty of character to perform any even the slightest act of unrighteousness.  We actually weaken our perception of Him if we fail to realize He "cannot" violate His perfection.  "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity" (Habbakuk 1:13).

   The first temptation involved Satan's disparaging of God's character.  He deceived Eve into believing that the Lord's prohibition against the tree of knowledge of good and evil meant that He withheld a good thing from she and Adam (Genesis 3:5).  This God could not have done and remain true to Himself, based on His character and promises.  The devil, however, incessantly works to cast aspersions against the Lord.  We must ever respond by working to cast them down.  We must affirm that because our God is so pristinely good, righteous, holy, and without sin, He cannot do anything that violates the perfection of His glorious heart.  "Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness?" (Exodus 15:11).

    Surely, we praise our Lord for the infinite "Can" of His Almighty power, which graces us with much confidence in His capability.  But just as surely, we praise Him for the immaculate "Cannot" of His sublime nature, which assures us He will never act out of character.  We could not trust Him were this not the case.  We can trust Him completely because it is.

"It was impossible for God to lie."

(Hebrews 6:18)

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

(II Corinthians 10:4-5)  

Weekly Memory Verse

   This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us.

 (I John 5:14)

    

   

  

   

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Weekly Memory Verse

   Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."

(I John 3:2).

   

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