Truth or Lie #12: God Will Enable Me to Do Anything He Commands

Truth:  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will enable me to do anything He commands me to do.

Lie:         There is no way I can obey the commands of God.

Think of the most impossible thing there is to do.

Fly around the room.

Long jump across the Grand Canyon.

This is how impossible it is to live the Christian life . . . in our own strength.

We often rate the commands of Scripture.

Easy:  Do not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

Medium:  Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:1)

Hard:  Love one another as I have loved you. (John 13:34)

The truth is . . . Every command of Scripture should be ranked: IMPOSSIBLE.

“The seed of every sin is in our heart,” one Pastor reminds us.

When we fully realize the sinful capabilities of our own hearts and the utter impossible nature of the commands of Scripture, it’s easy to fall into the “I can’t” mentality.

We believe the lie that “there is no way I can obey the commands of God.”

We put them in their easy-medium-hard categories, and fall into the comfortable spot of picking and choosing which commands we will obey.

The truth is . . . Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will enable us to do anything He commands us to do.

Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Apart from Christ, what God desires of us is as impossible as flying around the room or jumping across the Grand Canyon.

But through the power of Christ—the resurrection power of Christ—He enables us to obey.

“It is God who worketh in you both to will and to do

 of his good pleasure.” (Phil. 2:13)

“Faithful is he who calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24)

The truth is . . . We can’t obey, when we try to live the Christian life in our own strength.

The truth is . . . We can obey, when we rely on His enabling power.

What command of Scripture is in that ignored “hard category” in your life?

Lean on the enabling power of Christ to work in you what is pleasing in His sight.

It will always be impossible . . . apart from Him.

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This is Part 12 in a series, called “Truth or Lie,” based on the book, Lies Women Believe: and the Truth that Sets Them Freeby Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

In the final chapter, Nancy highlights 22 freeing truths that are essential to our Christian lives.

Come back each Monday (or subscribe to Capacity Corner) as we look together at these 22 truths one-by-one.