God’s Power – Essential for Spiritual Renewal
No spiritual renewal can happen without God’s power! His power brings redemption and transformation. We must experience the power of God in all we do.
God’s power
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (ESV)
These few words set the tone for all of God’s Word. God is omnipotent. His power is unbounded – infinite. As creator of physical laws, he operates outside physical laws.
His power is limited only by his character – in other words, he does not use his power to be cruel or vindictive. He is known in the Old Testament as El Shaddai – God Almighty or The Almighty and Jehovah Sabbaoth – the Lord Almighty.
He demonstrated his power repeatedly throughout the Old Testament in his dealing with his chosen people.
The gospel and power
Power is a key part of the gospel that Jesus brought with him. The word power is mentioned 121 times in the New Testament; the more specific Greek word “dunamis” occurs 73 times. This power is supernatural in nature – that is, it is from God. It is not political, financial, military, or cultural. The church has repeatedly fallen into the trap of relying on these with dire results
Here is what God’s power looks like – the Biblical basis for power in the church.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. Luke 4:1–2, 14 (ESV)
A great progression and teaching about how God’s Spirit worked in Jesus and can work in us as well. Jesus was first filled with the Spirit then led by the Spirit to a place where he would fast and pray and triumphantly face temptation. Finally, he returned to minister in the power of the Spirit. This is the Spirit of God. It is power that is unbounded and infinite.
We are filled with the same Spirit, led by the same spirit, operate in the power of the same Spirit! When we realize the magnitude of this reality, we reframe everything we do in our lives of following Jesus and serving the kingdom in his church.
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. Luke 5:17 (ESV)
This is the oft repeated situation and circumstance of Jesus’ ministry. He lived and ministered in the power of the Spirit. His teaching was with authority – power. He demonstrated that power and authority in healing, controlling nature, casting out demons and raising the dead.
The promise of power
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8 (ESV)
The promise of power accompanies the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples that the Spirit of God is with us and in us! Again, this is the power of God – limitless, infinite. This power is applied at God’s discretion, for his purposes and glory.
And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:4–5 (ESV)
The gospel is the word of power. It is a transformational message that is accompanied by miracles and signs. It results in an inside-out change for all who believe. This is the normal gospel presentation – for all time and for all who participate in that gospel.
For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 1 Corinthians 4:20 (ESV)
Here is the definition of the problem in today’s church. We have a church of talk not power. We try to persuade with words and attempt to change with policy and stands on social issues. The church has tried corporate and sociological methodologies and has given in to ‘plausible arguments,’ which Paul warned us about in Colossians 2:4.
The true gospel is about the power of God. The simple gospel message is a transformational message that radically changes all who believe. It is the power of God consistently demonstrated in his church.
The power of God is the normal gospel message, the normal gospel church and the normal gospel Christian! We must abandon excuses for our ‘inevitable bad behavior’ and embrace the power of God.
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 1 Thessalonians 1:4–5 (ESV)
Again, we see, repeated, the character of the gospel. It is a gospel of power. We experience that power when we believe and every time we are exposed to the true gospel
The presentation of the gospel is always with and about the power of God. It is about the life and teaching of Jesus; it is about crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And it promises resurrection life for all who believe. There is nothing here except the supernatural!!
Power and the life of the believer
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)
Behind the definite truth of this statement is the promise: we have a Spirit of power in us. It is already there! Additionally, the Spirit empowers love and self-discipline. We live and move and serve in the power of the Spirit.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Ephesians 3:16–17 (NIV)
We are filled with power so we can be filled with Jesus; We are becoming one with the Son through the power of the Spirit.
To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (ESV)
The power of God makes it possible to attain the character of God. Jesus said only God is good! The power of the Spirit brings to us the goodness of God. It empowers our service – a response of faith, as he leads us – to make a gospel impact.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3–5 (ESV)
God’s power in us protects us, is activated by faith and effective until the end of time. This is an incredible reality.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
God’s power is not about us but about him. His power is all-surpassing – too big for us to produce. We are a jar of clay – fragile, breakable. This sets a clear contrast between who we are and who God is!
For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God. 2 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV)
This speaks to a specific situation that Paul is dealing with in Corinth but it provides a general principle. We take up our cross daily and die daily to self. We do this so we can live in the power of the Spirit – the power that made possible the resurrection. To experience his power we must embrace the weakness of death to self!
Live in power – minister in power
As followers of Jesus, we must realize that God’s power is available and present and learn to rely on that power. There is frequently a paradox in our lives as we live for the kingdom of God. We decide in weakness and then act in power. It is how God works in our lives.
We must fuel our faith in prayer, live in Holy Spirit power, look up more and look around less.