"With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible — and one of the most misunderstood. It shows up on coffee mugs, motivational posters, and Instagram captions. But the context in which Jesus said it is almost never mentioned. And the context changes everything.
Because Jesus didn't say this to encourage someone chasing a dream. He said it in response to a question about who can possibly be saved. Understanding what He actually meant — and what this verse genuinely promises — will give you something far more solid than a motivational slogan. It will give you a foundation that holds when everything else is shaking.
The Conversation That Led to Matthew 19:26
To understand what Jesus meant, you have to back up to Matthew 19:16. A rich young man came to Jesus and asked: "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The man said he had kept them all. Then Jesus said: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Matthew 19:22 — "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth."
He couldn't do it. His wealth had him. And Jesus turned to His disciples and said: "Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:23–24)
The disciples were stunned. In first-century Jewish thinking, wealth was a sign of God's blessing. If the rich couldn't be saved, who could? They asked exactly that: "Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:25)
And Jesus looked at them and said: "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)
That's the context. Jesus is not talking about getting a promotion or healing a relationship or achieving a goal. He's talking about salvation — the most impossible thing in the universe from a human standpoint. No one can save themselves. No amount of wealth, religion, effort, or moral achievement can get a person into the kingdom of God. It is humanly impossible. And with God, it is possible.
"With Man This Is Impossible" — The Half That Gets Left Out
The full verse is almost never quoted in full. People quote the second half — "with God all things are possible" — and leave out the first: "with man this is impossible." But the first half is what gives the second half its power.
Jesus is not saying that God is a turbo-charged version of human effort. He's saying that there are things that are genuinely, categorically, completely beyond human ability — and that God operates in a different category entirely. The impossible things Jesus is talking about are not just difficult. They are impossible by definition for any human being acting alone.
This is actually more encouraging than the motivational poster version. Because the motivational poster version puts the pressure on you — if you just believe hard enough, if you just try hard enough, God will make it happen. But the biblical version removes the pressure entirely. You can't do it. That's the point. God can. That's also the point. Your job is not to generate enough faith to unlock God's power. Your job is to stop trusting in yourself and start trusting in Him.
What "All Things" Actually Means
Does "all things are possible with God" mean God will do literally anything? Does it mean you can pray for anything and expect it to happen? This is where careful reading matters.
The Greek phrase is panta dynata — "all things possible." In the context of Matthew 19, the "all things" refers specifically to what God can accomplish in the realm of salvation and redemption — things that are impossible for human beings. It's not a blank check for every human desire. It's a declaration about the scope of God's power in the things that matter most.
That said, the broader biblical witness does affirm that God's power is genuinely unlimited. Luke 1:37 — "For no word from God will ever fail." The literal Greek is: "No word from God is impossible." Jeremiah 32:17 — "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Job 42:2 — "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
God's power is not limited by the laws of nature, the circumstances of your life, or the failures of your past. What He purposes, He accomplishes. What He promises, He delivers. The question is never whether God is able. The question is always whether what you're asking aligns with what He has purposed.
The Camel and the Needle — What Jesus Was Really Saying
The camel through the eye of a needle is one of the most vivid images in the Gospels — and it's been debated for centuries. Some have argued that the "eye of a needle" referred to a small gate in Jerusalem that a camel could squeeze through with difficulty. Most scholars reject this — there's no historical evidence for such a gate, and it softens the point Jesus was making.
Jesus was using deliberate hyperbole to make an unmistakable point: it is impossible. Not difficult. Not unlikely. Impossible. A camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. And a person cannot save themselves by their own effort, wealth, or religious achievement. The disciples understood this — which is why they were astonished and asked who then could be saved.
And Jesus's answer is the most liberating thing He could have said: with God, it's possible. The impossibility is not the end of the story. It's the beginning of the Gospel.
What This Verse Means for the Impossible Things in Your Life
While the primary context of Matthew 19:26 is salvation, the principle extends to every area of life where you are facing something that is genuinely beyond your ability to fix, change, or accomplish. Here's what it means in practice:
The Relationship That Looks Irreparable
The marriage that has been broken for years. The estrangement from a child or a parent. The friendship that ended badly. With man, reconciliation can feel impossible. With God, it is possible. He specializes in restoring what has been broken. He is the God of the prodigal son's father — who ran toward his returning child before the apology was even finished.
The Habit or Addiction That Has You Trapped
The thing you've tried to stop a hundred times and couldn't. The pattern that has defined you for so long you can't imagine being free of it. With man, this is impossible. With God, it is possible. Romans 6:14 — "For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you. Read more about what the resurrection means for your life today.
The Prodigal Who Hasn't Come Home
The child, the sibling, the friend who has walked away from faith and shows no sign of returning. With man, you cannot change another person's heart. With God, it is possible. Ezekiel 36:26 — "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you." God changes hearts. That's His specialty. Keep praying. Keep the light on. The Pray Without Ceasing Candle is a daily reminder to keep bringing the impossible to the God who makes things possible. Read more about what pray without ceasing really means.
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The Fear That Has Defined You
The anxiety that has been your constant companion. The fear that has kept you small, kept you silent, kept you from the life God has for you. With man, fear is incredibly hard to overcome. With God, it is possible. Isaiah 41:10 — "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you." The Isaiah 41:10 Candle is a daily declaration that the God of the impossible is also the God who upholds you. Read more about what fear not means in the Bible.
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The God Who Does the Impossible — A Biblical Track Record
Matthew 19:26 is not a new idea. It's the summary of everything God had been demonstrating for thousands of years before Jesus said it:
- He opened a barren womb and gave Abraham and Sarah a son at 90 and 100 years old (Genesis 21:1–2)
- He parted the Red Sea and walked His people through on dry ground (Exodus 14:21–22)
- He brought down the walls of Jericho with a march and a shout (Joshua 6:20)
- He fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:19–21)
- He raised Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb (John 11:43–44). Read more about what I am the resurrection and the life means.
- He raised Jesus Himself from the dead — the most impossible thing in history, and the guarantee of everything else
The God who did all of that is the same God who is with you right now. His track record is not ancient history. It's the foundation of your present hope.
"With God" — The Two Words That Change Everything
The most important words in Matthew 19:26 are not "all things are possible." They are "with God." The promise is not that all things are possible in general. It's that all things are possible with God — in relationship with Him, in alignment with His purposes, in dependence on His power rather than your own.
This is why Philippians 4:13 — "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" — is so often misquoted. Paul didn't write it as a sports slogan. He wrote it from prison, in the context of learning contentment in every circumstance. The "all things" he could do through Christ included suffering, loss, and hardship — not just victory. The power of Christ makes you able to face everything — not just the things that feel like winning. Read more about the true meaning of Philippians 4:13.
"With God" means staying connected to the vine. It means abiding, trusting, praying, and walking in dependence on Him rather than in confidence in yourself. Read more about what I am the vine means — because apart from Him, you can do nothing. But with Him, all things are possible.
Verses That Deepen the Meaning of Matthew 19:26
- Luke 1:37 — "For no word from God will ever fail."
- Jeremiah 32:17 — "Nothing is too hard for you."
- Job 42:2 — "I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
- Ephesians 3:20 — "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."
- Romans 8:31 — "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
- Mark 9:23 — "Everything is possible for one who believes."
- 1 John 4:4 — "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." Read more about what God is greater really means.
A Daily Declaration of the Possible
The All Things Are Possible Candle is a daily declaration of Matthew 19:26 — a physical reminder in your home that the God you serve is the God of the impossible. Light it when the situation looks hopeless. Light it when you've run out of your own solutions. Let it be the declaration that resets your perspective: with man this is impossible. With God, all things are possible.
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Browse the full collection of faith-based apparel and Bible verse candles at Christian Clothing Co — designed for people who are trusting the God of the impossible with the things they can't fix themselves.
And if you want to go deeper on what it looks like to trust God with the impossible, check out our articles on what God is greater really means, what fear not means in the Bible, and what the Lord will fight for you means.