The Christian should be
careful when defining God’s omnipotence. While God is powerful enough to do all
things, His omnipotence is constrained by His perfect wisdom. For example, the
Scriptures tell us that He cannot deny
His own will; He cannot lie; He cannot sin; He cannot be deceived; and He cannot
die. In other words, God’s power is channeled by His wisdom.
Some are quick to claim that
such limitations disprove His omnipotence. However, it is important to realize
that the exact opposite is true. If God were to yield to such petty requests,
then He would cease to be omnipotent. If He died, then He would forfeit His
eternal nature. If He lied, then He would no longer remain truthful. If He were
to sin, then He would no longer be holy. If He were to be deceived, then He
would part with His omniscience. Common sense dictates that an omnipotent God
cannot surrender His omnipotence, or He ceases to be omnipotent.
Instead, God’s perfect wisdom
guides Him down the path of ultimate omnipotence. He cannot fall into the
snares that would render Him impotent. These self-imposed limitations do not
nullify His omnipotence; they magnify it. For He always chooses the right path.
In his theological
masterpiece, The City of God, Saint
Augustine wrote, “He is called omnipotent on account of His doing what He wills, not on
account of His suffering what He wills not; for if that should befall Him, He
would by no means be omnipotent. Wherefore, He cannot do some things for the
very reason that He is omnipotent."
Trusting the Omnipotent God
If God created the heavens by
the word of His mouth and maintains a precise order in all of creation — both
great and small — then God was surely capable of performing the great miracles
of Scripture. We can trust in God’s Word, because He is absolutely truthful.
The Scriptures tell us that God “does not lie” (Tit 1:2). In fact, “it is impossible for Him to lie” (Heb 6:18).
We should not balk at
claiming that our Lord was born of a virgin; He healed the blind; He cast out
demons; He turned water into wine; He walked on water; He commanded the storms;
He resurrected the dead; He lived a perfect life; and ultimately He conquered
sin and death!
The omnipotence of God should
be a great comfort to His people. Most Christians will acknowledge that God
created billions of galaxies in an instant. Sadly, many of these same people hesitate
to believe that this omnipotent God is personally invested in their day-to-day
lives. This same God still works miracles. He still hears our prayers, and He
still comforts the afflicted.
The Psalmist declared, “Our
God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases” (Psalm 115:3).
If God does whatever He
pleases, then we should be eager to learn what pleases the Lord. The Scriptures
provides us with the answers. For example, even before the creation of the
world, the Lord “predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and
will” (Eph 1:4-5). In other words,
your redemption brings great pleasure to God.
Consider the weight of this
statement. You were selected by God — for His own pleasure — before the first
atom of creation was spoken into existence. Our Father in Heaven set His desire
to adopt you as His beloved child before He hung the stars into place! By the
Lord’s own admission, your redemption is His pleasure. If we stand with confidence
in God’s amazing power, then we, like the Apostle Paul, can boldly ask, “If God
is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom
8:31). If the omnipotent God of the universe has promised to defend us, then
whom shall we fear?
John Piper, bestselling
author and Baptist minister, once said:
The omnipotence of God means eternal,
unshakable refuge in the everlasting glory of God no matter what happens on
this earth. And that confidence is the power of radical obedience to the call
of God. Is there anything more freeing, more thrilling, or more strengthening
than the truth that God Almighty is your refuge — all day every day in all the
ordinary and extraordinary experiences of life?
We can stand in the same
confidence as Job, who declared, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of
yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).
We need not fear the seemingly hopeless situations, because Jesus has declared
that “with God all things are possible” (Matt
19:26).
The Omnipotent God Is With You
We need not be anxious, for
God declares: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand” (Isa 41:10). In
Scripture, this all-powerful God has repeatedly promised to be with you.
When Moses was commanded to
confront Pharaoh and demand the release of the Israelites, he feared that the
mission was a death sentence. Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to
Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” God did not offer detailed
explanations to calm Moses’ fears. He simply replied, “I will be with you” (Exod 3:11-12), and God was enough.
Like Moses, Christians have
been called to play a role in the liberation of God’s people from a spiritual bondage.
Just as the omnipotent God promised Moses that He would be with him, Jesus
promises us: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me…. Surely
I am with you always, to the very end
of the age” (Matt 28:20). Jesus
Christ will be enough!
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