Letters to the Family of God
by Joe Franzone | April 27, 2023 | Pastor's Blog
April 27, 2023
Jesus' entire mission assumed that human beings are not capable of restoring their broken relationship with God.
Mark Jones in his book, Knowing Christ
Human wisdom causes us to run away from the cross.
James Denney in his book, The Death of Christ
Dear Friends.
Self-reliant human performance has no spiritual significance and does not please God. This is a hard lesson to learn. Only the power of the Gospel confronts our proud reliance on human accomplishments and teaches us to rely on the accomplishments of Jesus in our place.
When we depend on the merits of Christ alone, at that moment, we will not feel the need to brag, boast, or strengthen ourselves for purely selfish motives to prove ourselves to others. There is no true power in self-praise. In a phrase, we do not need to be almighty in anything. Our Father God is.
How Almighty is Almighty God?
God’s all mightiness is His might over all the mightiness of everyone. Omnipresent and Omnipotence of God are two helpful ways to describe His almightiness.
Omnipresent
God is Omnipresent. Omni means all. Our always-present God is fully present in every place. All of God is everywhere at every moment. The Psalmist describes God's omnipresence in chapter 139:7-12.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
Yet God is not simply filling up space; it’s much more than that. He is everywhere with His Almightiness (all power, all wisdom, etc., in all his characteristics). No part of God is ever portioned out in Him being in all places at all times. He is literally all there everywhere. Therefore, we have His undivided attention. Think of it, billions, and billions of people, eight billion as of November 2022, who can meet with God one-on-one, having all of Him to their aid.
Omnipotent
God is Omnipotent. All potent or all strength or all-powerful. In Daniel 4:35, Nebuchadnezzar had a meet and greet with God’s omnipotence. No one can hold back His hand or say to him: What have you done? Job spoke of God’s omnipotence. I know that You can do all things. No plans of Yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)
Omnipotence means God, in his wisdom, perfection, and goodness, can do all things. Yet, there is to be a sense that God cannot do literally everything. For example, He cannot sin, He cannot lie. God cannot change who God is. He cannot deny His promises or the demands of His holy character. He can do nothing that is self-contradicting of who He is. But God can do as the children's catechism says all His holy will. Which means the promises that God makes He has the power to keep and to perform.
Understanding
Finally, God's almightiness means that even the difficult-to-understand parts of His sovereignty and providence over our lives that would make God appear weak, inactive, or against us are untrue. God has a good plan. He works all things for our good. The delay and the difficulties are not because God is being held back by some perceived weakness of His, or the dark forces of evil are too strong for Him, or even held powerless because of our disobedience. No, and here is one example. Peter, in his sermon at Pentecost.
This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. Acts 2:23-24
What a glorious truth. How almighty is God? His plans work in tandem with the disobedience of sinful people, which would send Jesus to the cross to save people from their sins.
Wherever you are, in the unfolding story of your life, the arch of it is bending towards the good. The Almightiness of God, His omniscience, and omnipotence guarantee it.
J.I. Packer once asked.
“Was it excessive for David to say, I love you, O Lord my strength the Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation that is the strength of my salvation and my stronghold Psalm 18:1-2. Was it excessive for another psalmist to declare, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble Psalm 46:1. Not when they knew God to be omnipresent and omnipotent though otherwise, it might have been if God were not this way. Knowledge of God's greatness and His almightiness, that is, His omnipresence and omnipotence, are aspects of His greatness and naturally produce great faith and praise. (I would add great requests to God from His people.)”
The Almightiness of God is shocking. Enjoy this truth. Plan for it as we tie our lives to its implications.
May God bless you and keep you in His love.
Pastor Joe