Would God Command of us Something that is Beyond Our Capability to do?

9-16-06
I've heard it said (far too often) by many influential and non-influential people alike that "God would not command of us something that we cannot do". This phrase is usually employed by the speaker in order to assure that we are capable of doing something that is commanded of us in scripture. A good example would be the following;
Love is commanded. God would not command of us something that we cannot do. Therefore, we must be able to obediently love.
(You could substitute the command for love with any other command from God.)

This sounds very profound at first hearing, but is it true? Would God command of us something that we cannot (in & of ourselves) do? Let us assume that God wouldn't command something beyond our capabilities. This means that God consulted and took into account our capabilities before He devised His commandments and holy standards. (Now you may start to see the slippery slope we are sliding down). This means that our capability-not His holy character- is the basis/ standard for God's holy Law. However, don't Christians everywhere believe and say that God's law is based on who He is and it is therefore unchanging and necessary and not whimsical. But if God consults our capabilities before drafting His Law, then it is no longer based on His Holy unchanging character. Therefore, it is not necessarily unchanging or un-whimsical. If God's Law is not based on His Holy character, but rather our capabilities, then why is it what it is? If God's Law is not based on His Holiness, than He is really free to draft it in any way. He doesn't have to uphold any standards. You see, this notion that God doesn't command something that is beyond our capability implies that God thought to Himself "well, it can't be beyond their capability, so I'll make it do-able. But I'll make it so that it's really really hard"? Why did He make it so hard? If He desires all to be saved, why not devise the Law in such a way so that we would be more capable to obey? In fact, why have a Law at all!?
I hope-after thinking about it- you see how foolish this notion is. I am not necessarily trying to prove that we can't obey God's Law (that is a completely separate issue). I am simply getting rid of the above notion that God's Law cannot be beyond our ability to obey it. So I'm NOT saying "we can't obey God's Law". I AM saying "it is possible (logically & theologically) for us to be incapable of obeying God's Law".
God's Law must be based in who He is. It must be modeled after His Holy Character. God's standards are what they are because God is who He is. This is true REGARDLESS of human capability. It must be true. Our inability to obey does not change God's holy standards! "But" you will likely object "how can He declare us guilty for not being able to obey?" Well, the problem with that question is the false American assumptions about the relationship between capability & responsibility. But instead of getting into all the philosophy, it's much quicker to simply answer with Scripture. You know, somebody in Scripture asked a very similar question. It was Paul's imaginary objector.
"You will say to me then 'Why does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?'" (Rm. 9:19).
Let me rephrase that a little to match our current discussion:
You will say to me then "Why does He still find fault? For who can keep His commandments?"
What was Paul's answer?
"On the contrary, who are you O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder 'Why did you make me like this?'" (Rm. 9:20).