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Unable or Unwilling?

If you go to church, you’ve probably heard it: “No one can keep God’s commandments— that’s why Jesus died.” It sounds humble and biblical. It isn’t.

Here are the two problems, up front:

  1. It isn’t true. Scripture contradicts the slogan and never grounds the cross in that premise. We’ll see why.
  2. It soothes, then sears, the conscience. It minimizes responsibility and trivializes God’s commands, keeping us stuck in the same sinful habits.

Sometimes this shows up as denial (“The commands are impossible”); other times as faux-humility (“If we could obey, Christ needn’t have died”). An honest reading finds no support for either—unless we contradict what God says about His commands or quietly revise what Jesus says about His death. Jesus calls that posture self-deception and unrighteousness (Matthew 7:21–27; Luke 6:46).

Do not mishear me:

Hear what I am saying:

These lines don’t deepen godliness; they blunt its sharp edge. They nudge us away from repentance and toward rationalization, away from obedience and toward excuse.

What follows will dismantle the fiction and show—straight from Scripture—that God’s people have kept His commands, and that His grace, by the Holy Spirit, still trains and empowers obedience today (Titus 2:11–12).

This is simple, not easy. Denying the flesh and disciplining heart and mind is real work. If past failure crushes you, remember: His mercy endures for ever and His grace abounds. Also remember: mercy and grace never nullify His call to obey. Grace meets us precisely here—pardoning sin and training us to renounce ungodliness and live faithfully in this present world (not after glorification).

Read with an open heart. Lay every excuse on the altar. Let the Word speak.

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."
— 2 Corinthians 6:1

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.”
— 2 Corinthians 13:5

A) Name the “Impossible” Command

1) Which specific command are you calling impossible?

(Write the exact verse reference.)

Burden of proof:
Identify when/where you faced this command and why obedience was beyond your actual ability in that situation—not beyond your inclination.

2) What concrete behavior does that command require next time it appears?

(Translate it into observable actions you could do in the next 24–48 hours.)

Optional “Collective Impossibility” Challenge

One-liners you can drop in the margin:

B) Identify the Impediment

  1. What exactly prevents you from obeying today?
    • Lack of knowledge? (You now have the verse.)
    • Physical limitation?
    • Fear of loss / ridicule / cost?
    • Desire you refuse to surrender?
Beware the Clever Smoke Screen:

“No single command is impossible, just the whole of them together.”
That isn’t humility—it’s a sanitized way of calling God a liar, because He says that His commands are neither beyond our reach nor burdensome... and then He names a long list of people who did what we claim is impossible.

It protects our pet sins and sedates our conscience while dodging the specific idol we refuse to surrender, trying in vain to hide it behind human frailty. In the end, it excuses nothing—it only exposes our refusal to obey.

  1. Is this impediment stronger than God’s promised help?
    • “My grace is sufficient for thee.” —2 Cor 12:9
    • “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.” —1 Cor 10:13
    • “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” —Acts 1:8
    • “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” —Rom 8:13

C) Consult the Witnesses

  1. Does Scripture record anyone who obeyed this command?
    • If yes, your claim of “impossible” weakens.
    • If no, show the verse that exempts you.
  2. Which promise of the Spirit’s power directly answers your impediment?
    • List at least one (Gal 5:16; Eph 3:16; Phil 4:13).

D) Probe the Heart

  1. If total secrecy were guaranteed, would you still disobey?
    • Anonymity reveals whether “inability” is actually unwillingness.
  2. If Jesus stood physically beside you, would you still say “I can’t”?
    • Why or why not?
  3. What benefit—comfort, image, control—does disobedience protect?
    • Be specific.
  4. Would you give up that benefit if it meant obeying Christ?
    • If no, the issue is preference, not incapacity.

F) Expose the Excuse

“Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” —Luke 6:46

  1. Finish the sentence truthfully:
    • “I choose not to obey because __________________________.”
  2. How does this differ from Adam’s excuse (“The woman…”) or Saul’s (“I feared the people”)?
  3. Does your idea of “grace covering sin” function as a license to keep this excuse alive?
    • If so, you have turned grace into licence (Jude 4).

G) Challenge the “All-Commands-All-the-Time” Rebuttal

Claim: “No single command is impossible, but obeying all of them all the time is.”

  1. Where does Jesus license partial obedience?
    • Supply chapter and verse—or admit if none exists.
  2. Does the Spirit dwell in portions or in fullness? —John 3:34; Eph 5:18
  3. Is the real problem that you attempt obedience in your own strength instead of abiding? —John 15:4-5
  4. What would change if you shifted from self-effort to Spirit-led obedience today?
    • Describe one habit, thought, or relationship.

H) Confess and Repent

  1. Confess the excuse you wrote in step 11.
  2. Claim Titus 2:11-14—grace teaches and empowers holiness.
  3. Commit to one measurable act of obedience within 24 hours, relying on prayer and the Spirit.
  4. Invite a mature believer to ask next week, “Did you obey?”

I) Final Question

“Wilt thou be made whole?” —John 5:6
Your next move reveals whether “impossible” was fact—or convenient fiction.

Did you know?

People Did Keep God's Commandments and it didn't earn them salvation. There's a reason Why Works-Based Salvation Doesn't Work, and that reason might surprise you.