Hoping in the God of Hope (Part 3)
July 26th, 2007
(By Nathan Busenitz)
2. HIS POWER: We can hope in God because He is in control.
A second reason to hope in God, beyond the absolute dependability of His perfect character, is His infinite power. Again, the Bible is very clear — God is in control of everything at every moment of every day. His power is infinite, knowing no viable rivals or exclusions. God alone is King and He is King over all.
Here are some categories over which God wields absolute authority:
God is sovereign over evil, sin, Satan, and demons (Job 1:12, 2:6; Lamentations 3:38; Luke 5:21, 8:31, 22:31; Revelation 20:10–15).
Is there anything in the universe outside of God’s control? No! In fact, every potential danger we might face in life is under the supervision of an all-powerful God. Of course, this does not excuse our own responsibility—such as resisting temptation (James 4:7) or being properly prepared (Nehemiah 4:9). However, it does mean that we can put our hope fully in God and His guarantees. Because He is in control of all things, no circumstance, setting, or individual exists or acts without God’s permission. So, when He promises to save us, we can be confident that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). In the end, then, nothing can thwart God’s promises because, quite simply, His power won’t allow it (see John 10:28–29).
What comfort there is in knowing that nothing in this universe is greater than our God! Even the most powerful natural and manmade forces are subject to His reign. What comes to your mind when you think of great power? Maybe it’s the military might of the nation in which you live. The United States military alone has 1.4 million soldiers in active duty, with personnel in more than 130 countries. Maybe you think of an earthquake or a volcano. Mount St. Helens, for example, was triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, shooting fire and lava 15 miles into the air. Maybe you think of heavy winds or a devastating thunder storm, realizing that while individual lightning bolts average 2 to 3 miles long with a current of 100 million volts, some can stretch up to 75 miles in length.
You might think of the sea and the creatures that live there. After all, the ocean covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface, its deepest point being almost seven miles down. Or maybe your thoughts turn to outer space, where the sun’s volume alone could fit 1.3 million earths—and there are innumerable other stars that are larger than the sun. You may even contemplate spiritual forces, Satan and his minions, and the power they wield. Yet, no matter what you can think of or even imagine, God is more powerful still. He is the One who names and numbers the stars (Psalm 147:4), who regards the nations as a speck of dust (Isaiah 40:15), who quiets the seas with a word (Job 26:12; Matthew 8:26), and who will one day win the final victory (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Clearly, if God is our Refuge and Strength, we have nothing to fear.
Promises to Build Your Life On
Over the last two days, we’ve seen that God’s righteous character and His infinite power are two incredible reasons we can believe the promises He’s given us. He is always just and He is always in control. There is nothing that can happen to us that He does not allow. And there is no one that can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). It is important to understand that our future hope is guaranteed by a trustworthy God. He will do what He says because He can not contradict Himself (Psalm 145:13; Titus 1:2). And He can do what He promises because He has the power to do whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3).
Over the next few days, we will continue to survey God’s trustworthiness. Unless God can be believed, His promises are meaningless; unless He is telling the truth, our hope is groundless. On the flip side, because He can be trusted, we can base our eternities on the truths of His Word.
I have a question about what God “allows” and how people usually phrase things like that. Doesn’t He do more than allow something to happen? Because for some outside agent to come and ask God’s permission to do something, there’d have to be some force other than God who is the wellspring of all things. Do you see what I mean? If nothing ever escapes God’s foreordaining, how can He be approached from some extra-God source of action that asks His permission? Even if that does happen, as with Satan and Job, doesn’t God have to even foreordain that meeting and that request?
MIKE
Hi Nate,
Thanks for your encouraging posts! I’ll be preaching from Lamentations 3:1-24.
Verse 21 tells us “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
In this case I think the “this” in verse 21 is God’s steadfast love, His mercies and we are reminded that His faithfulness in those is great! I thought they went well with your posts! Thanks again!
Ronnie J
@ Mike,
Yea that’s a question that just keeps coming back and bugging me even after I hear a great answer (well its prb cuz i forget…)
Well,
I heard it explained this way. God in essence yes “allows” and foreordains everything, but take heaven/salvation and hell/reprobation for instance.
He allows both, but if we stop using the word “allow” we see that it is by 2 completely different mechanisms.
In salvation, the Father graciously and actively sends His Son for us, who dies on our behalf, and the Spirit regenerates us.
In reprobation, God’s doesn’t give His grace (remember grace is unmerited and by definition no one deserves it) to some and people are judged (fairly and justly might I add) for what they do in this life.
These are 2 completely different ways for the same “allowance” and foreordination of God. (See Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology for a good and quick explanation).
I’m just glad that God can keep evil in check and even use it for His glory.
edit: Not the same “allowance,” rather the same word “allow” is what I meant