4. How is God Almighty?
God is infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love.
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In the language of the Nicene Creed, we confess God not merely to be “almighty” (taking the word as a description), but “the Almighty” (understanding the word as a title). This has its roots in one of the names of God in the Hebrew Bible; namely, “the Lord of Hosts” (Yhwh Sabaoth), thinking about God as the commander of innumerable heavenly forces. When Greek-speaking Jews translated their scriptures from Hebrew into Greek in the centuries before Christ, they often rendered Sabaoth as Pantokrator, meaning “the one who has power over everything,” the “Ruler of all.” Jewish writings from around the time of Jesus frequently use this title in connection with God; it is one of John’s favorite ways to refer to God in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22). Its importance is that it affirms that there is ultimately only one power in and over the cosmos, and that it is God. God and Satan, for example, are not two opposite and equal forces; the contest is not even close. And no matter how disordered and out of control situations appear to be, there is still only one ultimate mind and power guiding all things toward a good and just end when all things are made new.
We very naturally move from this to think about the many perfections of God, whom we praise as “perfect in power, in love, and purity”—whom we describe as all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving. Scripture bears witness to each of these attributes. Jeremiah reflects on God’s creation of all that is as evidence for the claim of God’s omni-competence. If God made all things, then indeed “nothing is too hard” for God (Jer. 32:17). The angel Gabriel will affirm as much when assuring Mary that she can indeed bear a son without a human male’s participation, for “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Isaiah bears witness that God’s knowledge and perception are far beyond our knowing: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9). And God’s love shows itself to be perfect insofar as it is always able to take the initiative, even toward those who have proven themselves hostile, those who are themselves unloving and, thus, have no claim on God’s love. It is out of such initiating love and generosity that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45)—and that, ultimately, results in the Son’s mission to restore unloving, hostile humanity (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10).
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I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2 NIV)
Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. (Jer. 32:17 NIV)
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8 ESV)
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33–36)
See also Job 12:13; Ps. 89:14; 107:1; Isa. 55:9; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37; 18:7; Rom. 16:27; 1 John 4:7–16; CoF I
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This is an excerpt from Christian Faith and Doctrine: An Annotated Catechism for the Global Methodist Church. Seedbed is pleased to partner with The Global Methodist Church to offer this companion resource to A Catechism of Christian Faith and Doctrine for the Global Methodist Church.
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