God Is Omnipotent Part 1 Series

Alfred North Whitehead, one of the philosophical giants of

the 20th century, said, "The glorification of power has broken

more hearts than it has healed." He warns against the glorifying

of even God's power. For the abuse of power all through history

makes this attribute produce fear rather than faith.

If the authority figures in one's life have been people who

abused power, than power will be seen as negative. For people

who have lived with a tyrant father, or under a political tyrant,

the concept of an all-powerful God is frightening. Whitehead

points out that power is not good or evil in itself. It can be used

for both, and so it is not worthy of worship in itself. Satan too has

great power, but he is not worthy of worship because of that

power, for his power is devoted to evil, and the destruction of all

that is good.

Back in ancient Greek history men knew that power was

dangerous, and that it was not a good thing even in the hands of

the gods. Aesclyus wrote Prometheus Bound, and in it he tells of

how Prometheus helped Zeus dethrone the Titans, and become

the supreme God. But soon Prometheus was disillusioned, for Zeus

used his power to rule lawlessly. He cared not for what was

good for man, but only about sheer power. He was nothing but a

big bully abusing his power. Prometheus loved man, and he saw

sought to help men by giving him fire and general help in the use

of his gifts and reason.

Zeus despised him for his love of man, and he chained him and

tortured him. Prometheus would not bow to the power of Zeus.

He became the hero of all who fight and resist tyranny. He said,

"Worship, adore, court him who is now in power, But I, for Zeus

less than naught do I care." He predicted that the chief God was

doomed to fall in spite of his power, for power corrupts and leads

to weakness. He said again,

"Then bravely there

Let him sit trusting in his heavenly thunders,

With hands that brandish his fire-breathing blot.

Naught shall avail these to prevent his falling

Ignoble with a fall intolerable."

Here is a pagan poet teaching us that power is not worthy of

worship. If the pagan mind can come to this conclusion, then we

need to be extremely careful in how we promote the omnipotence

of God. It has often been so portrayed that it stimulates rebellion

toward God rather than attraction. That which makes God

attractive and worthy of worship is not His power, but His

goodness. The Bible does not exalt power for power's sake, but,

rather, exalts the moral qualities of God. It is the goodness,

holiness, righteousness, and love that control the power of God.

His power is always devoted to overcoming evil with good.

He has the power to judge and condemn, but that is always the

last choice after He has exhausted every avenue to prevent it by

His grace and mercy. He is not willing that any should perish, but that

all should come to repentance. In His grace He has made

it possible for all to repent and be forgiven. His first use of power

is always positive. It is used to prevent the negative use of power.

The primary task of the prophets was to warn Israel and the

other nations round about, so they could respond in repentance

and obedience and not have to endure the power of God's

judgment.

The whole Gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It is the

story of God's power in providing a Savior, and God's power in

overcoming Satan and death that there might be adequate

provision for every sinner to become a child of God, and escape

the judgment of God. God's power is directed toward a positive

purpose, and it is limited by love. In other words, although God

is all powerful, He cannot use that power for that which is

inconsistent with His moral attributes. He cannot be unloving

and unholy, and in any way be inconsistent with those attributes

that make Him honorable, admirable, and worthy of our worship.

The God of the Bible cannot be a Zeus, who arbitrarily uses

power to achieve selfish ends regardless of who gets hurt, and

how unjust and immoral it might be. God cannot be a tyrant. All

of His power must enhance the goals of love, and this is what

makes the God of the Bible the God who alone is worthy of our

love and worship. We only love God because He first loved us. If

we do not present to men a God whom they can love, they will not

love Him. That is why it is so important for us to understand the