Today, I'd like to tackle omnipotence. Its really not an attribute of God with which Christians have a problem. I would guess that we would all agree that God is omnipotent, since most of us still hold to the belief that God created the heavens and the earth, right? Some of us (although I'm not one of them) believe that God needed several hundred million years to create it, but He did create it. We might question His ability to be everywhere, all of the time, or His ability to know everything there is to know, but creative power? No, that's not really in question. So why is it that we seem to act like He doesn't have the power to do anything else in the earth today? Its down right schizophrenic! Don't believe me? I'll get to that a little later ...
The Jehovah's Witnesses are really good and making sure that you know the word 'Trinity' isn't in the Bible. Well, I'd would like to remind us all that neither are the words omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, or immutable. But if God does not have any of these traits then what kind of a 'god' is He? And if we can see any of these attributes in Scripture and can accept it as truthful about Him, then why do we have such a problem accepting all of them to be true, because they are EVERYWHERE in Scripture! 'Where?' you ask? I'm so glad you asked ...
So what is omnipotence? Let's start with some Scripture this time and then well define the term.
In the debate between creation and evolution, I think its only appropriate to point out a couple facts about the universe, as mankind currently understands it. The universe bears witness to an intelligent design that appears to have been fashioned to benefit mankind. First, the earth is just the right distance from the sun to sustain life. Any closer or further away, and earth would be either too hot or too cold for life. Second, earth has just the right kind of atmosphere, the right thickness to protect us, and the right composition to support life. Third, plants breath in what we exhale and visa-versa. Everything is composed of collections of atoms, which contain three particles, protons, neutrons and electrons. These particles are perfectly balanced. The slightest change in the mass of a proton would result in the destruction of hydrogen, the most basic element of our universe, and that would in turn destroy our universe. And that’s just touching the surface of the intelligent design argument.
In reality, neither creation nor evolution is provable, so its legitimate to say that creation is not the only possibility. As Carl Sagan used to say, “There are billions and billions of star, with potentially billions and billions of planets” so there is the possibility that we are “just lucky”. Then again, statistical analysis of the possibilities than all of the “right” circumstances lined up to “produce” life here on earth mitigates against that explanation. And since we can't create the spark of life in the laboratory, maybe that's because it can't be done. I mean, do you want the job of throwing all of the right components that make up life against a wall until you finally succeed? OK, so lifetime employment is appealing ...
The absolute, infinite, and unlimited power of God is seen in the Scriptures in many places. We see it in connection with His work of creation {Ge 1:1; Ro 1:20}; His work of upholding the world {Heb 1:3}; the redemption of mankind {Lu 1:35,37; Eph 1:19}; the working of miracles {#Lu 9:43}; the conversion of sinners {1Co 2:5; 2Co 4:7} and the complete accomplishment of the great purposes of His kingdom. {Mt 6:13; 13:31-32; 1Pe 1:5; 1Co 15:1; Re 19:6}. As I said before, its everywhere.
So if God can create, then He has unlimited power over nature, human life, and the course of history. So, if God can create the universe, do you really think that He cannot work in your life or the lives of your friends and family?
To say that God has absolute power, does not mean that God is freed from all the restraints of reason and morality. He is able to do everything that is in harmony with His wise and holy and perfect nature. People love to pose those “impossible” questions, like “Can God make a rock so big He can't lift it?” If you are expecting God to act outside of His nature and attributes, I'm sorry to disappoint you. The truth of the matter is that the question is absurd so it doesn't deserve an answer because no answer was ever expected. To be all powerful means that you lack nothing, and that nothing is too difficult for you to do.
As my friend Bob put it, even though God has no limitations on what He can do, He has chosen to limit Himself as the what He will do. He purposely limits Himself to His own wise, holy and loving will, and will only do what His infinite wisdom, holiness and love dictates.
At the beginning of this blog I said that many Christians live like God has limited power, especially when it concerns us. When we don't get an answer to prayer, we sometimes attribute that to a perceived inability on God's part. But just because He didn't do what you wanted doesn't mean God lacks power to control events in our lives. Maybe its because what we asked for violates His infinite plan for our lives and / or His holy and perfect nature. When we ask for something like that, we can be assured that He will not answer our prayer. That doesn't make us very happy, but that's OK, God's plans are eternal and He always has our best interests in mind. Ours are temporal plans focused on ourselves. So when we don't get our way, its not because God doesn't have the ability to do something. Maybe what we're asking for is the issue. Remember, prayer is about us conforming our will – our wants and desires – to His eternal plan for us and those around us. Its not about twisting God's arm to do what we want, its about us asking according to His will, since we re being transformed into His image. Its not long us that live, but Christ living in us. That is the only way we know what to ask for. So, if you were hoping for me to help you get that new Caddy, sorry.
The Jehovah's Witnesses are really good and making sure that you know the word 'Trinity' isn't in the Bible. Well, I'd would like to remind us all that neither are the words omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, or immutable. But if God does not have any of these traits then what kind of a 'god' is He? And if we can see any of these attributes in Scripture and can accept it as truthful about Him, then why do we have such a problem accepting all of them to be true, because they are EVERYWHERE in Scripture! 'Where?' you ask? I'm so glad you asked ...
So what is omnipotence? Let's start with some Scripture this time and then well define the term.
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases. (Ps 115:3)For God to be omnipotent, He must possess infinite abilities. To be able to create the entire universe, by its very nature means that God has infinite abilities. In other words, God possesses absolute power.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. (Gen 1:1-3)
Who is like You among the gods, O LORD? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, The earth swallowed them. In Your lovingkindness You have led the people whom You have redeemed; In Your strength You have guided them to Your holy habitation. (Ex 15:11-13)
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. (Ps 33:6-11)
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, And the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, And clouds are the dust beneath His feet. He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; The blossoms of Lebanon wither. Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it. (Nah 1:3-5)
In the debate between creation and evolution, I think its only appropriate to point out a couple facts about the universe, as mankind currently understands it. The universe bears witness to an intelligent design that appears to have been fashioned to benefit mankind. First, the earth is just the right distance from the sun to sustain life. Any closer or further away, and earth would be either too hot or too cold for life. Second, earth has just the right kind of atmosphere, the right thickness to protect us, and the right composition to support life. Third, plants breath in what we exhale and visa-versa. Everything is composed of collections of atoms, which contain three particles, protons, neutrons and electrons. These particles are perfectly balanced. The slightest change in the mass of a proton would result in the destruction of hydrogen, the most basic element of our universe, and that would in turn destroy our universe. And that’s just touching the surface of the intelligent design argument.
In reality, neither creation nor evolution is provable, so its legitimate to say that creation is not the only possibility. As Carl Sagan used to say, “There are billions and billions of star, with potentially billions and billions of planets” so there is the possibility that we are “just lucky”. Then again, statistical analysis of the possibilities than all of the “right” circumstances lined up to “produce” life here on earth mitigates against that explanation. And since we can't create the spark of life in the laboratory, maybe that's because it can't be done. I mean, do you want the job of throwing all of the right components that make up life against a wall until you finally succeed? OK, so lifetime employment is appealing ...
The absolute, infinite, and unlimited power of God is seen in the Scriptures in many places. We see it in connection with His work of creation {Ge 1:1; Ro 1:20}; His work of upholding the world {Heb 1:3}; the redemption of mankind {Lu 1:35,37; Eph 1:19}; the working of miracles {#Lu 9:43}; the conversion of sinners {1Co 2:5; 2Co 4:7} and the complete accomplishment of the great purposes of His kingdom. {Mt 6:13; 13:31-32; 1Pe 1:5; 1Co 15:1; Re 19:6}. As I said before, its everywhere.
So if God can create, then He has unlimited power over nature, human life, and the course of history. So, if God can create the universe, do you really think that He cannot work in your life or the lives of your friends and family?
To say that God has absolute power, does not mean that God is freed from all the restraints of reason and morality. He is able to do everything that is in harmony with His wise and holy and perfect nature. People love to pose those “impossible” questions, like “Can God make a rock so big He can't lift it?” If you are expecting God to act outside of His nature and attributes, I'm sorry to disappoint you. The truth of the matter is that the question is absurd so it doesn't deserve an answer because no answer was ever expected. To be all powerful means that you lack nothing, and that nothing is too difficult for you to do.
As my friend Bob put it, even though God has no limitations on what He can do, He has chosen to limit Himself as the what He will do. He purposely limits Himself to His own wise, holy and loving will, and will only do what His infinite wisdom, holiness and love dictates.
At the beginning of this blog I said that many Christians live like God has limited power, especially when it concerns us. When we don't get an answer to prayer, we sometimes attribute that to a perceived inability on God's part. But just because He didn't do what you wanted doesn't mean God lacks power to control events in our lives. Maybe its because what we asked for violates His infinite plan for our lives and / or His holy and perfect nature. When we ask for something like that, we can be assured that He will not answer our prayer. That doesn't make us very happy, but that's OK, God's plans are eternal and He always has our best interests in mind. Ours are temporal plans focused on ourselves. So when we don't get our way, its not because God doesn't have the ability to do something. Maybe what we're asking for is the issue. Remember, prayer is about us conforming our will – our wants and desires – to His eternal plan for us and those around us. Its not about twisting God's arm to do what we want, its about us asking according to His will, since we re being transformed into His image. Its not long us that live, but Christ living in us. That is the only way we know what to ask for. So, if you were hoping for me to help you get that new Caddy, sorry.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Col 1:16-17)
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