As the dominant and most intelligent species that the Creator set upon the earth, humans have conquered and trained perhaps all other forms of both plant and animal life. Due to the fact that God gave us the unique ability to imagine and create, humanity has been able to explore the deep regions of the sea, the galaxy, and all the environments of the earth. There seems to be few things that we can not accomplish or create if we set our corporate mind to it and work in unity. The recent invention of the vaccines by the various pharmaceutical companies at warp speed to help combat COVID-19 is proof to what we as human beings can achieve when we really set our minds to it. However, in light of all of our God-given ability to create, dominate, and explore unlike any other species upon the earth, there are still things that are absolutely impossible for us to do, regardless of how hard we might try. I thought it would make interesting reading to present and briefly consider a few of these impossibilities in my column today.

Surviving Without
the Essentials
Certainly, one of the things that is absolutely impossible for any of us (living creatures) who belong to the human family, to do is to survive for any substantial period of time without the essentials. The essentials are things that are necessary for the sustaining of life. Some people list six things that are necessary for people to survive on earth without either immediately dying or certainly passing away within a short span of time. However, when I gave much thought to the matter, I could only come up with four. First, the most essential element to sustaining human life on earth or any life is air. Without oxygen, all life on earth would immediately perish. Then, there is the second essential that is necessary to life, that we often take for granted, called water. Thirdly, the next essential is food. Though many can train their bodies to go without food for quite a few days, ultimately, if there is no consumption of food to sustain the body, people will assuredly starve to death. The final thing that it is impossible to live without is not shelter, as many homeless people are doing every night. It is not even clothing, as a naked man that I saw a few years ago while visiting Nigeria proved to be true. When I made some inquiries about why he was allowed to walk and wander through the streets of Lagos stark naked, I was told that he belonged to a sect of weirdos who embraced public nudity as their right and everyone had strangely grown accustomed to it. The final essential that is vital to our survival on earth is sleep. Though many can postpone or put it off for a few days, ultimately, it will overtake anyone and send them to the “land of nod”.

Hide from Oneself
One of the things that is impossible for any of us to do (though many have attempted it in vain), is to hide from ourselves. It is highly likely and probable to hide and conceal yourself (the real you) from other people, regardless of how closely related to you they might be. Many have managed to elude the law for crimes they have committed for years. Some have died without ever being apprehended and ultimately had to stand before God, the Judge of the whole earth. The white woman who was coerced to lie and bear false witness against fourteen-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955; and thus, caused him to be brutally lynched and mutilated, had a reckoning with her conscience and exonerated him years later before she died. She could not hide from herself and the terrible thing she had done. Like her, none of us can flee from our deeds and who we really are. It is absolutely impossible for any of us to hide from ourselves.

Change Our DNA
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?” – Jeremiah 13:23
The previous clause from the Bible is a saying set forth by our Creator that not only asks a question, but also confirms unequivocally that no creature or human being can change their DNA. Though there have been many attempts by people to alter the unique way that God made them through their DNA, by so-called sex changes and mental and behavioral gender alterations. At the end of the day, everyone will give an account to God for tampering with and attempting to alter who He created us to be though our DNA and chromosomes.

Succeed in Life Without Planning and Sacrifice
In studying the life of many people who succeeded in life, I discovered a common denominator that all of them had in common. None of them succeeded by chance or haphazardly. Each of them, regardless of their profession or pursuit, experienced success through much planning and sacrificing. From the sports world to the entertainment world, from the political arena to the market place, and the military to academia, everyone that I know or have heard of who achieved any degree of success in any area did not do it by random chance, but by planning and sacrificing. The adage that says, “he who fails to plan, plans to fail” captures the essence of what we are saying here. It is truly, absolutely impossible to succeed without planning and sacrificing.

Avoid Paying Taxes
Tax paying season is upon us. It is virtually impossible to avoid paying some type of taxes in our nation, since our economy is built upon the principle of buying and selling. Some perhaps may be able to avoid income, property, and other forms of taxes, but it is impossible to avoid sales taxes.

Save Yourself from Sin and Eternal Damnation
From my conviction as a follower of Jesus Christ, I truly believe that it is impossible for one to be saved and spared eternal damnation without believing on the name of Jesus Christ (John 3:16 and Acts 4:12). This is not an indictment or judgmental stone that I am casting at any one because their theology may be different from mine. It is, however, that I believe and interpret what the Word of God plainly and verbatimly declares. Since I believe the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, and inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), I am fully convinced that it is only through Jesus Christ and believing in Him that one can be saved.