Words have meaning. Impossible means impossible. Therefore God can’t do the impossible.

Now, when I say that, I know this bit of scripture will come to mind from Luke 1: 37. It says, “Nothing is impossible with God.” So am I contradicting this statement from an angel? No! The angel is right and I am right.

Here’s why I am right. The Bible teaches us that God is a holy God, and that His character and will are immutable. In other words, He cannot change. It is impossible for Him to contradict Himself. For example, He cannot tell a lie (Hebrews 6: 18; Titus 1: 2); He cannot deny His nature and character (2 Timothy 2: 13). Therefore, it’s an impossibility for Him to sin.

Nonetheless, it’s easy to think that because God has unlimited power, He can do anything. He can, and with that ability, it appears that He used that power to logically create iron-clad impossibilities that are final in their nature.

For instance, in reality, desks don’t have babies. There is no such thing as a two-sided triangle. And to answer that age-old question – can God create a rock so heavy that He can’t lift it? – the rock would have to be infinitely larger and heavier than God’s infinite power.

As with the desk and triangle, such an infinite rock is a contradiction in finality. Only God is infinite. Material things such as a rock are not, and can’t be.

God’s unlimited power simply refers to how much, or the amount of power He has to effect change within the scope of non-contradiction. Something that is truly impossible in nature, as in the above examples, remains impossible; having been ordained as such by God’s own power. Consequently, God doesn’t even consider the nonsensical notion of making His own truly impossible possible.

Now here’s why the angel was right to say “Nothing is impossible with God.” As a matter of fact, it’s a statement that’s also in accordance with other like-minded verses. For instance, there’s the assertion that “nothing is too hard for the Lord” (Genesis 18: 14) and the implication that the Lord’s arm isn’t too short to do anything (Numbers 11: 23).

Most likely, the angel knew that God, through miracles and providence, can only make the seemingly impossible possible when it is in line with His holy will and purpose.

That’s why a mother, barren, and in her old age, was able to give birth to John the Baptist. That’s why the red sea was parted. That’s why a virgin woman was able to conceive.

Indeed all things can be made possible by God, but only if it’s in conformity with His nature, His promises, His will. Outside of that, all else is impossible for Him to do.