Our God is Able!
September 12, 2022 1 CommentAs most of you know by now, I concluded my sermon series on Romans on August 21st. The final three verses of Romans are a glorious summation of the greatness and glory of our God. In this brief article I simply want to highlight what Paul says about the ability or power of God.
I trust you have noticed in Scripture how often the ability or power of God is emphasized and extolled. I often think of the question Jesus asked the two blind men in Matthew 9. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” When they responded in the affirmative, Jesus said, “According to your faith be it done to you” (Matt. 9:29). In other words, because you believe I have the power to heal the blind, I will do precisely that.
When a leper approached Jesus he said, “If you will, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). The leper had no doubts about the ability of Jesus to heal him. He just didn’t know if Jesus wanted to. Jesus proceeded to heal the man. Later, the father of a boy who was demonized and couldn’t speak said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). Jesus responded by saying, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). Believes what? Well, evidently he means if you believe that I can do this, it will be done for you. Once again, we see that Jesus places great emphasis on whether or not a person believes he has the ability and can do what is asked of him.
Earlier in Romans 4 we read about Abraham who, along with his wife, Sarah, was well beyond the age when they could have a child. But Abraham “grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:20-21). In Hebrews 11 we read yet again about Abraham who was willing to offer up Isaac as a sacrifice because “he considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead” (Heb. 11:19). Paul told Timothy, his spiritual son, that his confidence in God had not wavered because he was convinced that he “is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim. 1:12).
We see this emphasis on the power of God to do great things repeated in several doxologies. For example, one that you know well is found in Ephesians 3:20 where Paul declares: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or thing, according to the power at work within us.” Jude closes his short letter by declaring, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy” (Jude24).
And then, of course, we have the doxology before us in Romans 16:25-27, the final paragraph in Paul’s magnificent epistle to the Romans. Once again Paul breaks out in praise of him “who is able to strengthen you according” to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:25). Clearly Paul intends for his concluding words to be a hymn or declaration or song of praise and adoration of the God who is able to do the incredibly glorious and majestic things that have been described in Romans.
Do you believe this? May I suggest that before every prayer you pray you begin by confessing and declaring: “God, I know without any doubt that you can do this for me. I don’t presume to know whether you will, as I submit to your sovereign good pleasure. But I know and am confident that you are able and that no power in heaven or on the earth can thwart your sovereign purpose.”
Praise be to the God who is always able!
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Cassandra Ashley Lacsamana Sep 14, 2022 @ 11:57 am
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