E4
Omnipotence
F1
This unlimited power relates to what God’s character is. Since He
is a God who tells the truth, He cannot do illogical things as make a
rock so huge that He cannot lift it, a square circle, 2+2=5, or make
Himself not exist.
F2
Isaiah 43:12-13 NLT First
I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the
world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am
the only God," says the LORD. "From eternity to eternity I
am God. No one can snatch anyone out of my hand. No one can undo what
I have done.
F3
Matthew 19:26 NLT Jesus
looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is
impossible. But with God everything is possible.
(Vincent’s Word Studies notes: Not
the salvation of rich men, but salvation in general. It is in answer
to the question, who can be saved? Man cannot save himself nor his
fellow. God only can save him).
F4
Some comments from other writers
G1
Adam Clarke on Exodus 4:21 regarding the revealing of God’s
omnipotence:
Pharaoh
made his own heart stubborn against God, Exo 9:34; and God gave him
up to judicial blindness, so that he rushed on stubbornly to his own
destruction. From the whole of Pharaoh’s conduct we learn that he
was bold, haughty, and cruel; and God chose to permit these
dispositions to have their full sway in his heart without check or
restraint from Divine influence: the consequence was what God
intended, he did not immediately comply with the requisition to let
the people go; and this was done that God might have the fuller
opportunity of manifesting his power by multiplying signs and
miracles, and thus impress the hearts both of the Egyptians and
Israelites with a due sense of his omnipotence and justice. The whole
procedure was graciously calculated to do endless good to both
nations. The Israelites must be satisfied that they had the true God
for their protector; and thus their faith was strengthened. The
Egyptians must see that their gods could do nothing against the God
of Israel; and thus their dependence on them was necessarily shaken.
These great ends could not have been answered had Pharaoh at once
consented to let the people go.
H1
In his commentary on
Ephesians (God's New Society, pp. 139-140), John Stott shares a
delightful analysis of Paul's famous benediction at the end of
Ephesians 3:
H2
Now to him who is
able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to
his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!
Amen. (Ephesians 3:20, 21)
H3
I am going to
retrace his comments, with one or two slight changes. Let's call this
the Seven Stages of God's Power.
1.
He is able, for he is the true and living God.
2.
He is able to do, for he is neither inactive, idle, nor dead.
3.
He is able to do what we ask, for he hears and answers prayer.
4.
He is able to do what we ask or imagine, for he reads our thoughts,
and sometimes we imagine things for which we do not dare to ask. But
he can do those things anyway.
5.
He is able to do all that we ask or imagine, for he knows it all and
can perform it all.
6.
He is able to do more than all we ask or imagine, because his
expectations are higher than ours.
7.
He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, because
his power is unlimited.
H4
As a simple summary
statement we may say that there are no limits to what God can do
because there are no limits to GOD.
E5
Omnipresence
F1
This is somewhat related to His trait of infinite. There is no place
in the universe or outside it that He is not there. He knows our
hearts and minds perfectly; we cannot hide. He knows every situation.
He always knows where we are. Truly, He is the perfect leader,
savior, comforter, source of all wisdom, knowledge, love, and
assurance.
F2
Psalms 139:7-13 GW Where
can I go to get away from your Spirit? Where can I run to get away
from you? 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I make my
bed in hell, you are there. 9 If I climb upward on the rays of the
morning sun or land on the most distant shore of the sea where the
sun sets, 10 even there your hand would guide me and your right hand
would hold on to me. 11 If I say, "Let the darkness hide me and
let the light around me turn into night," 12 even the darkness
is not too dark for you. Night is as bright as day. Darkness and
light are the same to you. 13 You alone created my inner being. You
knitted me together inside my mother.
F3
God lives in the most inner place of the believer’s being: 1
Corinthians 3:16 NRSV Do
you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells
in you?
F4
A question arises, then, is God’s presence in hell?
G1
I believe hell, the place of eternal torment is a literal place.
H1
I read and interpret the Bible in its plain, normal sense.
I1
Matthew 5:29 NRSV If
your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it
is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole
body to be thrown into hell.
J1
The body of unbelievers will be thrown into hell.
K1
What body is this?
K2
It is a resurrected body. It is resurrected, in this case, for
punishment.
K3
Daniel 12:2 NLT Many
of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to
everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
K4
Revelation 20:12 NLT I
saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And
the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were
judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
K5
John 5:28-29 NLT Don't
be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in
their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, and they will rise
again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life,
and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience
judgment.
J2
We have a choice according to God’s decree. If we obey the Gospel,
we go to heaven. If we disobey the Gospel, we go to hell.
I2
Matthew 10:28 NET Do
not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.
Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.
J1
Body and soul are distinct from one another.
J2
Destroy does not mean annihilation. The
Greek word
is ἀπόλλυμι
apóllymi. It means
lose, kill, mar,
ruin, and even misery.
Some interpret this
word as destroy to mean annihilation, but what it really means is to
render useless, and by
application to kill, lose, mar, ruin, etc.
I3
Where God is there is light, love, warmth, etc. In hell, there is no
light, love, comfort,
etc.
J1
Light or darkness
K1
1 John 1:5 NET Now
this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to
you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
K2
2 Peter 2:17 NET These
men are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the
utter depths of darkness have been reserved.
J2
Love, comfort,
etc. versus no love, discomfort,
etc.
K1
2 Thessalonians 2:16
NLT Now may our Lord
Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his
grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,
K2
Revelation 14:11 NIV
And the smoke of
their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day
or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone
who receives the mark of its name."
I4
There are Greek different words for presence.
J1
Revelation 14:10 CSB he
will also drink the wine of God's wrath, which is poured full
strength into the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire
and sulfur in
the sight of
the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb,
[Emphasis is mine. It
is the Greek word ἐνώπιον]
K1
The Greek word
for presence is ἐνώπιον enṓpion. It means is
sight of.
K2
Thus, God can
see all, know all, etc.
J2
Revelation 22:4 NLT And
they will see
his face,
and his name will be written on their foreheads.
[Emphasis is mine. It
is the Greek word ]
K1
The
Greek word
for presence (see His face) is πρόσωπον prósōpon. It
means the face.
K2
Thus, God’s face is
there.
H2
So, there is a
difference with God’s presence seeing and God’s presence being
there. He is seeing hell and its inhabitants, but not physically
present.
G2
God is in hell, in the sense of knowing, seeing, etc. but not in
hell.
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