Theology is the study of God, His being and nature. Thus far, we have only considered something that Christ said about God. He related in John 4 that God is Spirit. Among other things, this means God is not physical. It also means the nonphysical God created all that is physical in accord with Genesis 1:1. It is the spiritual, the nonmaterial, that gave existence to matter, time and space. It’s all really stunning when you consider it. Our being the material and physical entities we are, we are fully familiar with the physical doing things; in fact, everything. We are, in our very being, so physical we can’t contemplate getting anything done without utilizing our physical self. From physically fixing and physically eating our breakfast to going to our physical place of employment or physically caring for our physical children, no doubt about it, we can’t get anything done without the employ of the physical. And while we, too, have a spiritual component to our being, as well as our physical, we cannot use the spiritual to do our bidding without engaging the physical. Just try using your spiritual component to prepare dinner tonight for your hungry family. Wouldn’t that be nice? Voila, there is a scrumptious, well-laden table there before you. We know our family would starve if we had to create a dinner via the use of our spirit. So, we vigorously engage the dependable but laborious use of the physical.
But, just imagine, if it were possible to create a table laden with delicacies using only your spirit, how would you possibly go about it? You would do it the very way that God does it with His spirit. He wills it to be, and it is. Physical effort is not utilized and not needed. God merely wills a thing to be, and it is. But, when we will a thing to be, nothing happens. The table is bare, and the family remains hungry. That is, of course, one of but many ways that God differs from us. His nonphysical spirit is able to exercise authority and dominance over the physical, which is wholly subservient to Him.
At least, in part, this explains God’s power. At least in theology, this is called “omni-potence” or “omnipotence”. When God is said to be omnipotent, it means “all-power, all potency, resides in His very being”. It’s an utterly overwhelming concept to consider… all power residing in this Being called “God”. It means any and all who have the ability to do anything derives that power and ability from the One who possesses it all, and He dispenses it at His pleasure. There is no power, no strength, no resources in anyone, anywhere, at any time that has not or does not derive its ability from this one Source, this omnipotent Being. This is the same Being whom Jesus described as Spirit in John 4.
CC-05-04
Published by