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God's Omnipotence - Lesson Plan

The state of being all-powerful which theology ascribes to God; God is all powerful. You could think of it like this: when God flexes, whole solar systems pop up in His biceps.

God has various names which go with His various attributes. God’s name Almighty means “the mighty one” and is probably derived from the verb meaning “to be strong”. The word “Almighty” is used only about God in the Bible, and is found fifty-six times. It is the name of God that goes with the attribute of omnipotence. God revealed Himself as the Almighty One to Abraham Gen. 17:1,to Moses, to believers .

Some people devise questions to try to “logically” prove God cannot be all powerful such as, “Can God create a stone so large that He could not lift it?” It is a self defeating question. I tell people that ask me that question, “Yes. God can create a stone so large that He couldn’t move it, but He could also move it.” A self defeating question deserves a self defeating answer. God cannot be put into the limitations of our minds. To apply our puny logic to God, we would first have to have a thorough understanding of God, but we cannot possibly fully understand God because He is so much bigger and so much more powerful than us.

However, it does not mean that because God is all powerful He can and does do anything or everything.

A more thorough definition might be: “God is all-powerful and able to do whatever he wills. Since his will is limited by his nature, God can do everything that is in harmony with his perfections.”

Omnipotence has two kinds of limitations: self-imposed limitations and natural limitations.

Self-imposed limitations include those things He has not chosen to include in His plan which he might have included as long as they were not contrary to His nature. He did not choose to spare His Son; He did not choose to save all people; He did not choose all nations in Old Testament times; He did not choose Esau. Though He could have done any of these things without being inconsistent with omnipotence, He did not choose to do so in His plan. Questions like, Can God make 2 + 2 = 6, do not reduce His power but prove it - He made it 4 and no one can change it. God has chosen for 2+2 to = 4 and it will remain so because He has made it that way in His plan.

The natural limitations include the things God cannot do because they are contrary to His nature. He cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18 it is impossible for God to lie) He cannot be tempted to sin (James 1:13: Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.), He cannot deny Himself (2 Tim. 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself). More importantly, God cannot ever make wrong right, but He did – as part of His plan - make a way of escape from the penalty of doing wrong.

But, these natural limitations do not limit His power. So, how can God be both limited and unlimited? Because God is not like us; the impossible is possible with God including being both limited by His nature and unlimited in power. That is part of His power. The Bible often tells us that all things are possible for God (Luke 1:37 The angel Gabriel said: “For nothing will be impossible with God”; Matthew 19:26 (camel – eye of needle) And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”), and that God’s power exceeds what humans can ask or think (Eph. 3:20 ²⁰Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,).

In the Bible we find God’s omnipotence is not just a subject to learn about — it is a force to be reckoned with. God’s power is revealed in God’s creating the universe and keeping it going (Jer. 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, ; Heb. 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power), in God’s deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh’s forces, (ex 15:2 the children of Israel sang, “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;  this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him”). in the conquest of Canaan (Deut. 3:22 Moses told Joshua, “Do not fear them, for the LORD your God is the one fighting for you.’), in the incarnation (Luke 1:35 ^“The angel (Gabriel) answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;”), in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross (1 Cor. 1:18 “¹⁸For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. “), and in the ongoing ministry of the church (1 Cor. 2:3-5 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, ⁴and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.; ).

Since God is able to do as He pleases, and has the power to fulfill His promises, the doctrine of God’s omnipotence becomes a source of great comfort for the believer (cf. Gen. 18:9 – 15 ⁹Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” ¹⁰He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door, which was behind him. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah was past childbearing. ¹²Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” ¹³And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’ ¹⁴“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” ¹⁵Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.”; 1 Pet. 1:5 ^“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.).

In the past, God’s power was seen in ways like Creation – today He is still keeping everything going. In the past God’s power was seen by His delivering Israel from Egypt – today God is still delivering people from the power of sin.

The greatest display of His power was the resurrection of Christ from the dead (2 Cor. 13:4⁴For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.).

For the believer, God’s power relates to the Gospel (Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.), to his security, to the promise of our future resurrection and to daily living.

Because God is so powerful, as Christians, we have nothing to worry about. That’s why worry is a sin; it’s doubting God’s Omnipotence. But, we can see clearly from scripture that God has a plan, a plan that includes our salvation, our future with Him, and a plan for us, here, now, to grow us in godliness. And, He has the power to execute His plan and make it happen. There is nothing to fear.

Handout Answer Key 

Almighty

Bible 

Logic / Reason

Self Imposed

Natural

Nature 

Lie

Tempted

Deny Himself 

Nature

Power

Possible

The Universe / Everything

Egypt / Bondage / Slavery 

the Incarnation

Salvation

Church

Comfort

The execution of the Plan of Salvation - The Gospel

Fear