Christians understand the Bible to say that God is powerful. However, He’s not just powerful but all-powerful, not just mighty but almighty. Often this idea is expressed in a more formal way by the term “omnipotent.” The patriarchs of the Old Testament knew Him as God Almighty (Ex. 6:3). After the Bible gives us the record of God’s revelation of Himself in the history of Israel and in the coming of Christ, it draws toward its end with a reference to God as almighty. A heavenly multitude is heard to say, “Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns” (Rev. 19:6).
Just as God is revealed in the Bible as eternal and spiritual in His being, He also is revealed as possessing all power. Power is one aspect of God’s essential nature as God. A god of partial power or limited power would hardly qualify to be called “God.” From the Bible’s opening chapters God’s power is displayed. We see it in creation. His creating power resided in His spoken word, which effectively brought into existence the visible universe with all of its life forms. The New Testament with its revelation of the trinity of God’s being identifies His Son as the agent through whom creative power was manifest, saying that God created the world through the Son (Heb. 1:2).
Sustaining power
God’s power through Christ also is sustaining power. He “upholds the universe by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). Again the New Testament with its revelation of God’s Trinity of being identifies His Son as the One in whom all things consist or hold together (Col. 1:17). The Bible records many displays of divine power. God is not only seen as powerful in creating and sustaining, He has shown Himself to possess delivering power, most notably in effecting Israel’s emancipation from Egyptian bondage. God’s power to deliver His people manifested itself in many miraculous acts. Repeated in the centuries to follow, God intervened to deliver Israel from many enemies or to redeem them from captivity. The Bible introduces a God whose omnipotence is able to perform wonders and miracles. Possessing that very power, Christ demonstrated miraculous authority over nature (by quieting the stormy sea), over disease (by numerous healing miracles), over demons (by casting them out) and death (by raising Lazarus).
God not only possesses all power over the earth, He has absolute power over the spiritual realm. The high point is God’s power to deliver in a spiritual sense, which reached its highest point in the sending of His Son, through whom “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13).
Since God Himself is eternal, His power is everlasting. It will never diminish. The prophet Isaiah voiced it like this, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary.” If that were not enough, the prophet added about God, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength” (Isa. 40:28–29). In view of God’s omnipotence we are compelled to agree with the heavenly multitude that voiced the loud confession that “the Lord God Omnipotent reigns,” and then we do well to respond by heeding the invitation that follows, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory” (Rev. 19:7).
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