God's Power - Why?

As I perused the local church advertisements, I came across one that announced a new sermon series entitled, “Release the Power in You”. Now this church has a bone fide statement of faith, and its pastor would be considered orthodox and sincere. They have a vibrant worship service which is fine with me. I am demonstrative in my worship. But it has been my sad experience that when the worship service is somewhat loud and demonstrative, the preaching and teaching many times seems to be somewhat shallow and lacking.

But there is a vast misconception of what it means when we say “power” and how God’s power works in believers. Our charismatic friends would claim that God gives you power to get wealth and healing, and the political wing of evangelicalism would claim God’s power should be used to gain political leverage. And of course there is a divine power to help believers stand against the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

But throughout the New Testament there is a distinct and even dramatic unfolding of God’s power that does not lead to the normal definition of power. In fact, Jesus had all the power but no one can claim that He used His power in ways that can be described as manipulative and dominating. The power that was exhibited by the God-man seemed to be at odds with what man identifies as power, and surely at odds with Who He claimed to be. It is exactly that kind of carnal assessment which led most people to conclude that Jesus was not the Christ.

The power that God desires to leverage in the lives of His followers has a much different purpose and a much different result.

Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We are to be witnesses of Jesus, both in word and in deed. The life that reminds people of Jesus is far from being self serving and bellicose, or even judgmental and legalistic. The life of Jesus was in the most profound sense a life of selfless sacrifice and a brand of redemptive love that looked at people’s sin as more of a need than a reason to castigate. Jesus was the epitome of humility. And we are called to take His message and His life to the four corners of the world.

Acts 8:18 - And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

So often the church has searched for the power of God to use to their own benefit. The average western church believes that God exists for the benefit of man and that given the right teaching, the right incantation, and the right understanding of Scripture every believer will prosper materially and be a bold witness, even though today’s boldness is often nothing more than a caustic avatar that embodies Adam more than Jesus. Simon was willing to purchase such a power, which was the forerunner of today’s “seed gift” falsehood.

I Cor.1:18 - For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

You desire real and genuine power? Look at the cross. That is the power of God although in today’s fast paced Christian culture the cross is considered the foundation of redemption on some level, but not deemed relevant in the life of the average western believer. Can the cross pay the electric bill? Can it give me favor with my boss and allow me to receive a promotion? Can it achieve for me the success I believe God desires for me as it pertains to my career? In fact, many times the cross can be a detriment to getting all those things.

Gal.2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

And now we come to the place where theology must break through the fallow ground of systematic doctrine and bloom into living fruit that reveals the life of Christ that flows invisibly from the Vine to the branches. The cross must be taken down from the trophy case, dusted off from the statement of faith museum, and allowed to both uncover the glory of its redemption as well as crucify those who by faith have embraced it.

We have entered the authentic source of all power given unto believing sinners. There can be no resurrection without the cross, and all attempts to bypass the cross and paint the resurrection as a fresh start are demonic lies. To walk in resurrection power is to live a crucified life. If you live a convenient life with very little self wrestling, then you are living for yourself. If you do not struggle and grapple with your own flesh, and if you can go days without combat in the prayer closet over your own motives and failures, then you are walking along side the fallen dictates of this present world.

II Cor.4:5-12 - For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Does that seem like the victorious life as it is defined in today’s faith community? Where is the prosperity? Where are the political victories? Where are the wonderful conferences designed to make us feel better? Where are the testimonies of how God orchestrated a loan for our new and bigger home? This power, God’s power, is not for us. It is so that His excellency may be manifested and that He may receive all the glory.

And does it take more power to indulge our own desires than it does to deny our fleshly desires? One of the greatest and most alluring facets of the cross is that the Creator of the universe denied Himself a rescue and died for those who where committing His very murder. He could have incinerated the entire creation, and yet He laid down His life to save it. Which power would have benefited Him, and which power benefited us? The revelation of God’s love was most clearly manifested through the prism of His own self denying power. Oh my.

II Cor.12:10 - Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

II Cor.13:4 - For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

Weakness? Infirmities? Reproaches? Distresses? What kind of words are these when associated with power? Aren’t these the things God’s power is supposed to deliver us from? We have turned the truth of God upside down and we now see and teach it through the fallen refraction of our own lusts. Any Scriptural truth that is culturally imprisoned is not God’s truth. If it can be preached to American believers, but cannot be preached to believers in Darfur, than it is false.

Col.1:10-11 - That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

The power is directly associated with and tethered to the knowledge of God. You want God’s power. Learn of Him and take upon you His yoke. And what does he Himself say about His own Person? “For I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls“. Meek and lowly of heart? That, my friends, is the embodiment of God’s power when done in Jesus’ name. Preachers have attempted to change the meaning of Christlikeness and have represented it as being loud and belligerent and by their behavior they suggest that God is on their side.

Josh.5:13-14 - And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?

Joshua inquires as to which loyalties this armed Person had. Neither! This was the Captain of the Lord of Hosts, and perhaps a vision of Christ Himself. We are not to be so concerned with God being on our side, but we must strive to always be on His side! True boldness is being crucified to our own life and alive unto His. And most times godly strength appears as earthly weakness.

II Tim.1:7-8 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Again, the word power is connected with the word afflictions. How incongruous with the way we are taught to think and believe. And verse 8 connects it to the testimony of Jesus. Do you see a pattern here? It seems as if we have had it upside down for some time. A true believing follower of the Lord Jesus is not brash and opinionated, even if his convictions are and should be strong. Why is it so often we are strong in our convictions about certain issues but very weak about our convictions about love and humility?

II Pet.1:2-4 - Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And finally, again, we see how God’s power is unalterably connected to the “knowledge of Him”. And by that knowledge we are given promises, exceeding great and precious, and by these promises we can escape the “corruption that is in the world”. Corruption? So drugs and drunkenness, cursing and adultery, stealing and lying, immorality and murder, all are part of the corruption of this world. But never forget, so are self righteousness, self promotion, condemnation, striving for financial gain, unspiritual alliances, unholy entertainment, spiritual hubris, and many other more subtle forms of humanism.

We are inhabited by God’s power, not so that we can exhibit such power in ways that are nothing more than being religious bullies. But we are given this power in order to deny self and allow Christ to live in and through us. And we are to be living sacrifices that offer our earthly lives in order to lead many to Christ Jesus. Do not concern yourself with the climate of the age or the moral slide of the culture in which you live. Be concerned, be consumed, with being a crucified epistle whose life draws people to the Fountain of Life by a manifested desire to extend Christ’s redemption at the observable expense of your own desires and lusts.

All of this is by His power, for without Him we can do nothing.

Release the power in you? There is only one way.

Die.