What is God like? Omnipotent!

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10)

Last week we thought about how God is omniscient – He has infinite and perfect knowledge of everything in creation. That in itself is pretty marvellous, as we discovered last time. But when added to the fact that God has infinite and perfect power over everything in His creation, it becomes all the more glorious! God is not just omniscient, but He is also omnipotent.
A classic line you might hear from an adversarial atheist goes something like this: If God is all-powerful, could He create a rock that is too heavy for Him to lift?  Fortunately challenges like this need not worry us, because it is perfectly legitimate to argue that God doesn’t need to be able to do logically inconsistent things in order to be considered properly omnipotent. 
 

Where do we see the truth of God's omnipotence in the Bible?

What does God say about Himself in the Bible? In Isaiah 46:10 He says, “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10). In other words, God’s omnipotence simply means that He is able to do all that He pleases, and all that He purposes. There is nothing that He tries and fails to do; no plan of His can be thwarted. For example, Jesus says in John 10:27-29 that God’s plan to save cannot be stopped. If God purposes to save a person, no-one can snatch that person out of His hand.
What about God’s enemies? The cross is a prime example of God’s enemies thinking they got the upper hand, but actually they were playing into His hands all along. See how the early church applies the truths of Psalm 2 to Jesus’ death on the cross in their prayer in Acts 4:25-31. God cannot be stopped, even by His strongest enemies – what a wonderful truth!

Why does this matter?

The implication for us is that this is a God we can trust: One who is infinitely and perfectly wise, able to decide what’s best, and who is infinitely and perfectly powerful, able to do what is best. What’s more, God even tells us in Scripture that He is actively working for our best outcome. Remember those wonderful verses in Romans 8:28-39? In all things God works for the good of those who love Him – the good that they become closer in relationship and in character to God Himself (see v28-30). At first glance Paul writes these verses in a weird way: as if future things (like our glorification) have already happened. This is called the “prophetic perfect” tense: using the past tense for things in the future that are so 100% certain that they may as well have already happened. All because God is omnipotent – His purposes will stand and cannot be stopped!

That’s why no-one can bring a charge against us; no-one can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus (see v31-39). In other words, the doctrine of God’s omnipotence is immensely practical in that it is why we can feel safe in His care. If we’re His, then we are on the winning team: no-one can stop Him, and no-one can snatch us away. Praise God for His omnipotence!