Omnipotent God
I was once asked if God can do anything, can God create a rock so heavy that God cannot lift it. To me, the very statement was an insult of my intelligence and more importantly, it was an edification of the ignorance of the workings of GOD by the person that asked the question. I had completely dismissed the statement from my mind until a few months ago when I saw this same question on the internet. (Sometimes technology has a real negative effect)
In an effort to explain this phenomenon to an atheist, Rich Deem tried to redefine the meaning of the word Omnipotent then justified his statement with the argument that omnipotent is not used in the Bible. I don’t personally know Rich Deem but I do understand why he would try to explain away the concept of omnipotent. However, there is no reason to explain it away because God is Omnipotent.
God is Omnipotent in Creation
Fist the meaning of the word omnipotent Webster.com and Dictionary.com both incorrectly define the word omnipotent. The first defines it as having “infinite in power or having great or unlimited authority or power.” The second (Dictionary.com) defines omnipotent as “having virtually unlimited authority or influence”, both are horrendously in error.
Now before I show how these two definitions are in error, I must address why the word omnipotent does not exist in the Bible. (unless you use the King James Version Rev 19:6) So just because a word is not used in the bible does not mean the word is not implied in the Bible. Many times, I will write “the Bible teaches” as a point of reference. What this means is when you use a combination of scripture on a given subject in context, what is the intelligent conclusion we can make from that data. For instant, nowhere in the Bible does Jesus say “I am God” but when we read John 8:58, John 14:9 and the Jews response to Jesus in John 10:32-33 it is clear that even though Jesus never said the exact words “I am God” it was clear that he was claiming to be God, and even the Jew dealt with Him as though they thought he was calming to be God.
However, when we use this same formula for the word omnipotent, we reach an implied result that is even more powerful than both dictionary definitions. Not only does omnipotent mean “infinite in power or having great or unlimited authority or power.” but the apostle Paul give us and even higher understanding of the word omnipotent. In Romans 13:1 he writes;
Romans 13:1 (KJV) Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
It is a very simple verse that is completely overlooked by most people in practice but is exceptionally profound in giving us a better understanding of this word. That even those individuals that do evil are permitted to do evil by God.[1] Read the verse again this time draw your attention the part that says “there is no power but God” What Paul is saying if any authority has power that authority got its power from the permissive nature of God, since there can be no power except that power be of God. This is again made clear in John 19:11 where Jesus tells Pontius Pilate that his authority comes not from the Roman government but from above.
We can therefore conclude that the Bible teaches that omnipotent does not mean some power, or more power, but means the source of all power. Now can God create a rock so heavy that God cannot lift it? In order for this to be even a question in the mind of God, He would have to be a god of a short attention span. Remember God’s general purpose for mankind is implied in 2 Peter 3:9 which is that none should perish. That being so, the question is “How could making a rock too heavy to lift work toward the will of God?” Haven’t you read “all things work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” ? Romans 8:28
God has unlimited power (God is Omnipotent) to do what-so-ever He wills, but is limited only by His nature, and therefore does only those things which are in harmony with His perfection.
Because God is good. (Psalm 73:1) He cannot Sin, or stop being God.
Because God is perfect in nature (Psalm 18:30) He cannot do anything that is not logically imperfect
God is Omnipotent Toward Us
“Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all”. Ephesians 1:18-23 (ESV)
The above passage speaks of the measure of God’s Power toward us, we know it as the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead. But it is also the very same power that created all there is “Ex Nihilo” out of nothing. Consider the vastness of this statement, all matter, all energy, all spirit, space and time, every tree, every mountain, every lake, the skies, the moon, sun and stars, everything that has a beginning, owes its existence to God’s omnipotence. But even beyond creation God Omnipotence is seen in other ways;
God is Omnipotent in the Resurrection
· Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life. Romans 6:4 NASB
· “For this reason, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I might take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” John 10:17-18
God is Omnipotent in Salvation
However, of all the ways in which God is omnipotent nothing for me, is as amazing as how God is able to take a stony, unregenerate heart of a sinner which by nature is at enmity with God, crush that heart and replace it with a heart of flesh, then gives that sinner His Holy Spirit and save his soul. All this without ever imposing on the sinner’s right to freely accept Jesus as savior or violating on His judgement of those that deny.
· “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NASB
· “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great Joy, to the only God and Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever, Amen” Jude 24-25 NASB
· “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 NASB
Your Brother In Christ
T. Charves FireSpeaks
[1] Now that does not mean that God is the cause of evil, every man has free will to do what is good and what is evil. but rather when a man does evil God through his providence uses that evil to bring about his purposes and plans