Is God constrained?

[Hammster]

Seeing as God is sovereign, any constraints would be self-imposed, which aren't really constraints at all. At least, that's my understanding.

I agree. Even the thought of God creating a constraint on Himself seems odd.

 

[dqhall]

Who is man to say God is constrained? It is man who lacks ability.

 

[Devin P]

Is there anything that prevents God from doing some things? What things? Justify your answer.

Yes. Us. He desires to bless us, and we can either accept those blessings, or reject them. If you look at Judah, or the "jews" they are historically, only making up like a 1/4 of a 1% of the worlds population, yet they are the most successful people group in history. All throughout history.

See, they don't believe in Jesus the way they should, but they have kept the Torah, as prophesied by Israel, or Jacob. Those who keep the Torah, God HAS to bless. It's His word, and those that disobey it, He HAS to curse. Their societies will be rampant with paganism, atheism, aka "strong delusions", women dressing as men, men as women, disobedient children, diseases out the wazoo, financial struggles, homosexuality, etc. God desires to bless us, but if we reject His instructions, He HAS to curse us, even though He wishes and wills to bless us. So no, He can't do all things, because those things that aren't congruent with His word, He cannot do.

This is why Jesus said some of us will do greater things than He. His power wasn't just that He was Jesus, or God. His power, came from God, but because not only did He have faith, but He kept Torah, thereby causing Him to have the power of God, because God promises to bless those that keep it. All throughout the bible, we see great men of Faith and Torah that did incredible things. No one was quite as amazing or even close to Jesus, but they didn't know the things Jesus taught. Jesus taught us exactly how to mix Faith and Torah, giving us exactly what we need to bring about the fulness of the gentiles.

 

[1stcenturylady]

That's not goading. It's just a disagreement.

Of course it was, and unwaranted.

 

[Hammster]

Of course it was, and unwaranted.

Okay.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Yes. Us. He desires to bless us, and we can either accept those blessings, or reject them. If you look at Judah, or the "jews" they are historically, only making up like a 1/4 of a 1% of the worlds population, yet they are the most successful people group in history. All throughout history.

See, they don't believe in Jesus the way they should, but they have kept the Torah, as prophesied by Israel, or Jacob. Those who keep the Torah, God HAS to bless. It's His word, and those that disobey it, He HAS to curse. Their societies will be rampant with paganism, atheism, aka "strong delusions", women dressing as men, men as women, disobedient children, diseases out the wazoo, financial struggles, homosexuality, etc. God desires to bless us, but if we reject His instructions, He HAS to curse us, even though He wishes and wills to bless us. So no, He can't do all things, because those things that aren't congruent with His word, He cannot do.

This is why Jesus said some of us will do greater things than He. His power wasn't just that He was Jesus, or God. His power, came from God, but because not only did He have faith, but He kept Torah, thereby causing Him to have the power of God, because God promises to bless those that keep it. All throughout the bible, we see great men of Faith and Torah that did incredible things. No one was quite as amazing or even close to Jesus, but they didn't know the things Jesus taught. Jesus taught us exactly how to mix Faith and Torah, giving us exactly what we need to bring about the fulness of the gentiles.

What does this have to do with the simple question I asked?

 

[TaylorSexton]

Even the thought of God creating a constraint on Himself seems odd.

Charles Hodge, that towering figure of American Reformed orthodoxy, says something that is, in my judgment, compelling, and is directly relevant to your statement:

"A still weaker evasion is that proposed by some Arminian writers, who admit that God’s knowledge is not limited by anything out of Himself, but hold that it may be limited by his own will. In creating free agents, He willed not to foreknow how they would act, in order to leave their freedom unimpaired. But this is to suppose that God wills not to be God; that the Infinite wills to be finite. Knowledge with God is not founded on his will, except so far as the knowledge of vision is concerned, i.e., his knowledge of his own purposes, or of what He has decreed shall come to pass. If not founded on his will, it cannot be limited by it."[1]


[1] Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1981), 1:545-46.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The only constraints on God are God Himself; God cannot not be God. God will be Himself. There is no external force or factor which presses upon God, there is only God Himself being Himself. Divine Omnipotence is to speak of God as maximally great, maximally powerful (etc); not that God can do anything whatsoever--even if such a thing is utter nonsense or the cessation of God being God (which would be another form of utter nonsense). We call Him Almighty, not because He can make square circles, but because He is that than which nothing greater can exist.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Steve Petersen]

If God cannot act outside of His character, then he is constrained by His character, nu?

 

[ViaCrucis]

If God cannot act outside of His character, then he is constrained by His character, nu?

Right, that's more-or-less what I said. Though I would phrase it that God cannot act contrary to His Being.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Dkh587]

His covenants/oaths

For example, God made a covenant with Noah to never flood the earth again.

Could he do it?

Yes.

Will he? No. He promised not to. Therefore removing the possibility of God flooding the earth again

God sticks to his word...

 

[Blade]

Is there anything that prevents God from doing some things? What things? Justify your answer.

I'm 56 and a simple man. .not putting myself down. When it come to God I can see and understand by the Holy Spirit but.. lack the words. Not sure if its in the same ball park you are asking about. Would not Paul fall in this? Well the holy Spirit constrained him at times. I dont think chains were put on him but.. lol.

I am sure some can just DIVE off and take this deeper.. and I LOVE reading that stuff.

 

[Newlyrestoredgospel777]

Truth is truth.

tell me, if belief in your opinion imposes constraint, then what did Isaiah mean by:

By HIS stripes you are healed. Yet the church thinks it is because of your faith.

Secondly, Why can the devil, satan attack you and possess you without you having to believe in him, or have faith in him? Yet you think the GOD needs you to believe in HIM in order to act? Was it the belief in GOD which moved GOD to save HIS children in Egypt and deliver them? Did Moses first believe before he saw the burning bush? did Lazarus believe to be resurrected?

There is nothing that constrains the GOD of Creation. HE does not require your faith or belief to save. HE is GOD.

 

[Steve Petersen]

tell me, if belief in your opinion imposes constraint, then what did Isaiah mean by:

By HIS stripes you are healed. Yet the church thinks it is because of your faith.

Secondly, Why can the devil, satan attack you and possess you without you having to believe in him, or have faith in him? Yet you think the GOD needs you to believe in HIM in order to act? Was it the belief in GOD which moved GOD to save HIS children in Egypt and deliver them? Did Moses first believe before he saw the burning bush? did Lazarus believe to be resurrected?

There is nothing that constrains the GOD of Creation. HE does not require your faith or belief to save. HE is GOD.

Address the OP please, not an off-topic rabbit trail.

 

[Adstar]

Is there anything that prevents God from doing some things? What things? Justify your answer.

Yes if the something is logically impossible..

But anything that can be done, can be done by God..

 

[Steve Petersen]

Yes if the something is logically impossible..

But anything that can be done, can be done by God..

Can God sin?

 

[Adstar]

Can God sin?

No..

 

[Steve Petersen]

No..

So He can't do everything.

What is sin then?

 

[Phantasman]

God cannot do that which cannot be done as an example:
God cannot create another Jesus since Jesus is not a created being, but always existed.

There are lots of things be definition cannot happen and keep the definition.

Just the word "begotton" refutes that idea.

 

[Newlyrestoredgospel777]

Address the OP please, not an off-topic rabbit trail.

I did.

*There is nothing that constrains the GOD of Creation. HE does not require your faith or belief to save. HE is GOD.*