POWER LIMITED BY PURPOSE

JEREMIAH 32:1

A. "AH LORD GOD! BEHOLD, THOU HAST MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH BY THY GREAT POWER AND STRETCHED OUT ARM, AND THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR THEE"
  1. The confidence in God's power is here expressed with frankness and simplicity:
    1. God is spoken of as the Maker of heaven and earth
    2. It is interesting to note that this frank acknowledgment is found over and over in the Bible
  2. This testimony sets the living God apart from all the man-made gods:
    1. Note, prayerfully, Jeremiah's comparison of the man-made gods to the true God - Jeremiah. 10:1-13
    2. "Creator of heaven and earth" is the highest title applied to the true and living God Rev. 10:6; 14:7 B. POWER LIMITED BY PURPOSE
  3. A careful study of the Bible will bring to light that God always used His great power to carry out His divine purpose:
    1. In creation He said, "Let there be, and it was done" - Gen. 1; Ps. 33:6-9
    2. In the flood, He again used His power to fulfill His purpose; the waters that destroyed the sinners carried the ark that saved the lives of Noah and his family - Gen. 6; 7; 8; 9; Heb. 11:7
    3. The plagues that fell upon the Egyptians had for their end a lesson for Pharaoh to know that the God of heaven and earth ruleth among the nations - Ps. 22:28; Dan. 4:25
    4. The final and great end of God's power was to lead His people out of bondage with the outstretched arm - Deut. 26:8
  4. The use of God's great power:
    1. Is motivated by His infinite love; and the history of the human race demonstrates this divine motivation
    2. It is power of divine love that draws men unto God - John 12:32
    3. It is the power of divine love preserving the universe - Heb. 1:1-3 C. IF WE UNDERSTAND HOW GOD USES HIS UNLIMITED POWER FOR THE GOOD OF MEN
  5. That will explain why there are times when He restrains His power:
    1. He did that when wicked hands maligned and murdered His only begotten Son; He could have wiped them from the earth before they could lay sinful hands on His darling Son; but He did the opposite, He restrained His power
    2. He could have prevented the three Hebrews from being cast into the fiery furnace instead, He sued the occasion to show that He had power to make the power of fire inoperative - Dan. 3:23-27
  6. Men fail to understand God and how He always uses His power to carry out His divine purpose:
    1. He allows His saints to be laid into their graves to reveal His great power when He raises them from the dead and gives them eternal life - I Cor. 15:12-55
    2. This was demonstrated in the experience of Lazarus whom the Son of God allowed to die and be buried so that the power of God could be revealed in the resurrection - John 11:11-44
    3. He allowed His own Son to die, b e buried only to reveal His power in raising Him from the dead - Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:19-20
  7. We must remember the unlimited power of God is manifold:
    1. His love is a manifestation of His power
    2. His patience is another revelation of His power
    3. To execute justice is still another revelation of His power
    4. Divine restraint is, too, a manifestation of His power
    5. Keeping His word of promise is still another revelation of His power
  8. The final and, if that is possible, the greatest display of the power of God will be manifested in the consummation of all His counsel:
    1. Sin will be wiped out of the universe
    2. All things will be made new; then the power of God will be seen in the glorious harmony of creation


Design © John Bryant 2011