Living with Tozer's God

Blogpost #27

Chapter 12

 

OMNIPOTENCE–THE DIVINE POWER OF GOD

The jarring headline read, "The Merchant of Death is dead." This was the bold print at the top of the obituary of Alfred Nobel in 1888. The only problem was, he was reading it! He was still very much alive. It was actually his brother who had died.

But what captivated Nobel's attention was the realization of how people perceived him, and ultimately, how they would remember him. He didn't like what he saw. The title, "The Merchant of Death," was unsettling, so he set out to change that perception. How did he do it?

He was an enormously wealthy man, so he created a charitable foundation that would fund the awards we know today as the "Nobel Peace Prizes." Millions of dollars have been awarded in prize money, but what was it that made Nobel so concerned about his legacy. Why was he being labeled the "Merchant of Death"?

Alfred Nobel was a chemist and inventor. In 1867 he filed a patent for the invention of a high explosive called dynamite. While dynamite found its most destructive uses during WWI, it was a major asset during the great infrastructure-building days when the great dams and railroads were built. Its ability to blast away mountains of rock and other obstacles made stunningly quick progress of a Herculean task possible. Nevertheless, what people remember most is the devastation and the death-toll that dynamite caused.

Dynamite is still the great default metaphor to describe power 

that can instantly and permanently change things.

PAUL'S DYNAMITE: THE GOSPEL

Dynamite comes from the Greek word "dunamis" which means power. This is the same word which Paul chose to describe the divine power which is active in the gospel. In Romans 1, Paul said "the gospel is the power (dunamis) of God unto salvation." The picture here is that just as dynamite is able to blast away stubborn mountains of rock blocking the path of progress, the gospel is also able to blast away the seemingly immovable mountains of darkness, the deception and rebellion which blocks the path to the restoration of a rebellious sinner to a right relationship with a holy God. And the effects of this spiritual dynamite are just as obvious and permanent.

OMNIPOTENCE: THE ETERNAL POWER OF GOD

What do we mean when we use the term omnipotence? First, it is a term that can only be used of God. When we think of the divine attribute of omnipotence, we literally mean that God has all-power and that He alone has all power. The Scriptures clearly teach this. David says it in Ps 62:11, "...power belongs to God." He is the source of all power; it's His personal possession.

A common synonym which is often used interchangeably is the word almighty. It's used over 50x in the Bible ...but it is never used of anyone but God. Any power that anyone else may seem to have is strictly on loan from God. He is in control.

It is even more accurate to say that there is no limit to God's dunamis; it is infinite and eternal. Why do we care about this, or at least why should we? Is this more than an academic issue? What's the practical importance to us? Two words. Wisdom and Sovereignty. 

 

DIVINE WISDOM'S VALUE DEPENDS ON DIVINE POWER

We've been looking at God's wisdom, seeing how it is revealed. But there's another reality here that is essential to God being God. Wisdom without power is useless. You may know the right thing to do, but if you do not have the power to effectively apply your wisdom, what good is it? That's impotence; not omnipotence. Only wisdom with dunamis has real practical value.

One fundamental tenet of Christianity is that God rules wisely. But His sovereignty depends on power. There is a business axiom that is often called the Golden Rule. It's a little different from what Christians call the Golden Rule. It goes like this; "He who has the gold, makes the rules." But it must be understood, if you are not strong enough to protect your gold, someone stronger will take it from you. That's just common sense. Your ability to rule is ultimately dependent on your power to control those you rule over. 

 

America is a great example. We enjoy an experience which few people, if any, have ever had: a nation which is ruled by the people and for the people. Two hundred-plus years ago our forefathers were convinced that the dunamis of a nation was in the people who made up the nation. They convinced those early citizens that if they would collectively delegate their power to elected representatives, they could achieve more working together than they could as individuals. Of course, success would ultimately depend on the integrity and wisdom of the elected representatives.

The few times a system of government like this has been tried, it has always unraveled. Sadly, our nation does not appear to be an exception to the rule. Why? The reasons why it unravels are almost always character-related, in other words, these nations almost always self-destruct because the people become corrupt. Usually, it is the leaders of the people who are corrupted first.

England's Lord Acton famously surmised, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men..." In other words, at heart, all men are selfish and greedy. While history tends to confirm Lord Acton's assessment of men's uses and abuses of power, it is not so with God. He does not abuse His power because all His ends are righteous, and unlike men, totally selfless. It is the selfish, sinful nature of man which supplies the contaminating corruption to the power God allows him. There are no such character-deficiencies infecting God's power. It is absolute and always totally consistent with His goodness and righteousness.

GOD'S POWER REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

It is very interesting to note that the most common term used to describe God's omnipotence in the Old Testament, almighty, is never used in the New Testament Gospels or Epistles (NASV). It is used several times in the book of Revelation and in an O.T. quote in 2 Corinthians, but that's it.

The term that is often used in the N.T. is the power of God, but it's used either of God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. God the Father is basically left out. The purpose seems to be to show that whereas in the O.T., God often revealed His divine power directly (i.e. in the Creation or in behalf of Israel in Egypt), His dunamis power during this present age is revealed indirectly thru Christ and by the Holy Spirit. Why is this?

The great example of God's power in the N.T. all revolves around the person and work of the Lord Jesus. Paul speaks about the the gospel...the power of God in salvation. In I Corinthians, as we saw last time, "Christ crucified" became "the power of God" to those who believe. And the great confirmation of the truth of the gospel is the power of God demonstrated in the resurrection of Christ (Romans 1:4). Peter seems to sum up the whole idea in his first epistle when he tells us that God has "caused us to be born again to a living hope thru the resurrection" and that our salvation is "protected by the dunamis of God thru faith." 1 Peter 1:3-6

What can we glean from this? I think the main lesson is that the power of God that is active in the gospel is the same divine power that was revealed in creation. It is easy to see the enormity of that power in creation, but it's not always so obvious in a spiritual work like salvation. But according to the Bible, it's the same unlimited power at work.

What is interesting is that both creation and the Resurrection are clear manifestations of the eternal power of God. And only those who come to God and accept these truths by faith will ever know their reality. It's a simple fact of life: God only reveals Himself to faith. We know this, but tend too often to forget it. But nothing works without it!

The Christian life is a life of faith. Faith is believing what God says is truth and then seeking Him on the basis of that truth. IF you eliminate faith as a path to knowledge, you eliminate the possibility of ever knowing God at all. Today people want reality. They want the experience which God's truth promises. But, only faith leads to that reality. Isn't that what Hebrews 11:6 says?

"...without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God 

must believe that He is 

and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." NASU

As the days grow darker in America spiritually, it will surely require the dunamis, the divine power of God, to break through hardened hearts so that men might see the need to seek Him in faith so that the power of the gospel might do its work.