Our God of Power and Strength posted by jwatson on Dec 14, 2011

The simplicity and sufficiency of the EE gospel presentation:

God who is powerful beyond anything we could imagine:

In presenting the gospel, we tell people of our God who will let nothing stand in the way of His plan to rescue us from the fatal consequences of our sin.

This says it all: “The death of death. . . ” a work by John Owen (1647) – that you can download here.

Why is it important to tell people that He is the God of power and strength?

Too many people feel utterly powerless. We feel that we are at the mercy of unfeeling employers, abusive relatives, corporate greed, corrupt government, an overtaxed healthcare system, a tottering economy … What wonderful news it is, to learn of our God who rescued His people from Egypt,“… say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” Exodus 6:6

God showed His overwhelming power when He brought judgment on the gods of Egypt, when He parted the sea, when He brought water from the rock.

In Jesus Christ, He showed His power over nature when He calmed the storm and when He walked on the water. He showed His power over disease when He healed all who were sick. He showed His power over demons when He drove them from the possessed with a word. He showed His power over death when He raised the dead to life. And supremely, He showed His power to lay down His life at His crucifixion, and to take it up again when He rose from the dead in an imperishable body, never to die again, and ascended to Heaven to take His place at the right hand of God the Father. Now that’s power!

In this world we will be oppressed, abused, tempted, taken advantage of and hurt, but none of this is outside of God’s ability to give us – a way of escape, the grace to bear it, the comfort with which we can comfort others, the security of knowing that, “…I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 NIV.

When people are hurting really badly, surely it’s better to have the God of all power carrying them through it, coming alongside them, than it is to go it alone?

Many who have received Christ as Lord and Savior can give testimony of how their circumstances were unbearably difficult, and how, having received Christ,  the Lord miraculously demonstrated His power in setting them free from addictions, illness, the attacks of Satan, from poverty, from oppression and abuse. Others have not escaped the consequences of living in a fallen, broken world. But all have experienced the powerful comfort, love, grace, patience and glory of our God, who knows our every weakness and feels our every pain.

God is mighty to save.

That is why –

When sharing your faith, tell people that Jesus Christ died, AND that He rose again from the dead to show with power that He is the Son of God, powerful to save, powerful to rescue, powerful to raise us up with Him at the last day.

“God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.” 1 Corinthians 6:14 NLT