With God All Things Are Possible…Right? (Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27)

Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 loosely state that, "With God all things are possible." This verse and some others (such as Isaiah 54:17 and Philippians 4:13) sound wonderful, but are they true the way people quote them? Table of contents“You Keep Using That Verse. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.”Does Isaiah 54:17 Teach That No Weapon Formed against You Shall Prosper?Does Philippians 4:13 Teach That You Can Do Anything?What's Wrong with Misinterpreting Scripture?Do Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 Teach that With God All Things Are Possible?Two Applications from Jesus's Statement about Rich People Entering the Kingdom of GodWith God It Is Possible for Man to Be Saved by Divine Grace"But What about All We Have Sacrificed?"Jesus Wants Us Looking Forward to RewardsJesus Didn't Rebuke Peter for Wanting RewardsWhat Rewards Do We Receive in This Life?Jesus’s Sacrifice Puts Our Sacrifices in PerspectiveThe Incredible Victory...the Disciples Didn't UnderstandTwo Possible Reasons Jesus's Death Was Hidden from the DisciplesThe Main Things Are the Plain ThingsFootnotes https://youtu.be/hu-SVNg_vUQ Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 loosely state that, "With God all things are possible." This verse sounds wonderful, but is this what they mean? Throughout The Princess Bride, Sicilian boss Vizzini repeatedly describes events as “inconceivable.” When Westley, also known as The Man in Black, also known as The Dread Pirate Roberts is climbing a rope, Vizzini cuts the rope to kill Westley. But of course, because Westley is the hero of the movie, he clings to the cliff. Vizzini says, “Inconceivable!” The honorable swordsman, Inigo Montoya, says, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” This statement comes to mind when I hear people take verses out of context. “You Keep Using That Verse. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.” Let me give you a few examples with some of the most misquoted verses… Does Isaiah 54:17 Teach That No Weapon Formed against You Shall Prosper? On January 12, 2013, during the NFL divisional playoffs, the number 4 ranked Baltimore Ravens, who were 10-6, played on the road against the number 1 ranked Denver Broncos, who were 13-3. The Broncos defeated the Ravens earlier in the season and they were heavily favored to win this game too. The game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens Hall-of-Fame linebacker, was interviewed. He said, "No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible but God believes in the impossible." Here’s what Ray Lewis was trying to quote… Isaiah 54:17 No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord. This is one of the best sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail? But the context is God destroying Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis made his team, the Baltimore Ravens, into the nation of Israel, and the team they were playing, the Denver Broncos, into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps every weapon fashioned against the Baltimore Ravens referred to the Broncos’ Pro Bowlers: quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. And maybe every tongue that rose against the Baltimore Ravens referred to the Denver Broncos’ coaching staff? Although Ray meant well, when he quoted this verse, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that his promises to his covenant people were maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos. Does Philippians 4:13 Teach That You Can Do Anything? I don’t think Isaiah 54:17 is the most popular verse among athletes. That honor goes to: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Well-meaning athletes have been interviewed throughout the centuries after winning a big game and, like Ray Lewis, they are excited, they want to give God credit, and so they love to quote this verse. When all star running back, Adrian Peterson, tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I'll come back stronger and better than I was before…[say it with me!] I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 is incredibly popular. You can find it on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Philippians 4:13 is so popular, because, like Isaiah 54:17, it sounds wonderful. You will be able to do anything you’ve ever wanted to do. To many this verse is a blank check for whatever you want in life. It is a slogan of personal empowerment, a declaration of self-achievement, ambition, and accomplishment. It is a motivating motto for prosperity, advancement, and success. Was Paul Winning or Losing When He Wrote Philippians 4:13? If Paul meant Philippians 4:13 the way it is commonly quoted – that God helps you win at everything – how would you picture Paul when he wrote it? He was victorious, conquering the world, and his life could not be better. Many people would probably be surprised to know he was a prisoner. From an earthly perspective it didn’t look like he was winning. It looked like he was losing. The verse is about contentment. Paul meant that Christ would strengthen him to be able to handle any trial or situation he experienced. Tim Tebow's Interpretation of Philippians 4:13 I will use another athlete who explained the verse well. During an interview, Kurt Warner asked Tim Tebow for his favorite Bible verse. Tim replied that it was Philippians 4:13 and then he defined it this way, “I’d say the biggest thing with Philippians 4:13 is so many people, pastors included, believe the verse means, ‘I can do a lot of things.’ What I believe it really means, in context, is I can do all things, meaning I can handle all things. Whatever position God’s put me in. Maybe it’s poverty, maybe it’s a sickness, my kid’s sick, God’s going to give me the strength to handle that. So, I think it’s more talking about handling adversity than handling praise or accomplishing much. It’s talking about, ‘I can do all things,’ meaning all negative things: I can handle them all because of Christ.” Tim had a tremendous college career. He was the first sophomore to win the most prestigious college award, the Heisman Trophy, and he was an important part of two national championship teams. If anyone could have misinterpreted Philippians 4:13 it was Tim, but he provided a good explanation of the verse. What's Wrong with Misinterpreting Scripture? I know I sound critical of people misusing verses. You might be saying, “These athletes, such as Ray Lewis and Adrian Peterson, are simply trying to glorify God. How can you give them a hard time?” I get it, but whenever people misinterpret Scripture, even if they do so well-meaningly, it is problematic. People listening are left with nagging questions, such as: "Was God really that concerned with who won that game?" "Did the winning team pray more than the losing team?" "Did the losing team have less faith, or have more heathens or atheists than the winning team, so God didn’t favor them?" Picture a young man watching his favorite athlete on television, and he thinks, “This is wonderful. I can also do all things through Christ who strengthens me! If I have enough faith, I will win at everything in life!” Then he loses and wonders: "Did I not have as much faith as that athlete on television?" "Was God pleased with him, but he is displeased with me?" "Was God unable to give me the strength I needed?" Imagine something considerably more serious than a football game is at stake, such as a young man lying in a hospital bed dying of a disease. He asks to have Philippians 4:13 put on the wall over his bed. Someone walks in the room, sees it, misunderstands it, and says, “Wow, you have a lot of faith. That’s great. You know Christ is going to heal you." The young man understands the verse, so he replies, “I don’t know. What I do know is Christ will give me the strength I need for any outcome.” Like Daniel’s friends when they were threatened with the fiery furnace: Daniel 3:17 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace…18 But if [he does] not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Do Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 Teach that With God All Things Are Possible? People love to loosely quote Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 and say, “With God all things are possible.” I get why people say this. Not only does it sound really good, this verse makes God himself sound good. The other two misquoted versus, Isaiah 54:17 and Philippians 4:13, are about us, but this verse is about God. It exalts him. Who wouldn’t want to say this? But are the verses really saying, "With God all things are possible"? No, they are not. The verses sound like they are saying God helps people do anything, but: It is impossible for God to help people sin. It is impossible for God to help people do anything against his will. So, what are Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 saying? To correctly understand the verses, like we must do with every verse, we must look at the context. The verses flow from Jesus speaking to the rich young ruler who wanted to go to heaven. He was convinced he was righteous, so Jesus tried to help him see his sinfulness by exposing his covetousness: