How to Tap In to God’s Power
Human beings are frail and weak. We are creatures marked by limitations that often frustrate us. Our ability to grow and do things eventually hits a cap where we can go no further, and we are painfully aware of this reality when the circumstances and troubles of life overwhelm us. Yet many of us yearn for more. We want to a make a difference in the world—and not just any old difference, but an eternal difference—that will out-pace our abilities and out-live our lifetime. We know that in our own strength this is impossible, and so we must find a way to tap in to power that surpasses our own. Said simply, we need God’s power at work in our lives.
Every Christian knows to varying degrees what it is like to experience God’s power. After all, even the act of becoming a Christian is a supernatural event where a person is spiritually born again by God. From that point on, the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of the believer, convicting and growing and shaping and changing him or her into the person God created them to be. This is the power we need to tap in to if we are to be people who live beyond our physical abilities.
Jesus himself said, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The war that rages inside a believer is between their sinful flesh and the Spirit of God. The flesh wants to rebel against God and carry out its sinful desires. But the Spirit leads us into truth and holiness. These two natures are at war with one another, and the flesh will inevitably keep us from living out our full potential as children of God.
Where can we find the power to overcome this struggle? If we are creatures of limitation but God is a Creator of infinite power, how can we get more of Him in our lives and less of ourselves?
As pastor Jeff Wiesner has pointed out, the Bible uses the phrase “the power of God” on only three occasions.
- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
- “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
- “…but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24)
So according to the Bible, the power of God is “the gospel”, “the cross”, and “Christ crucified”. These three, which really are one reality, is where the supernatural power of God lies.
What then does this mean? It means that to tap in to the power of God, one must build their life on the cross of Christ. The death of Christ on behalf of sinners is where God has placed supernatural power. The good news of this event is the most powerful force on earth, stronger than any man-made invention or clever idea any person has ever come up with.
The gospel is what transforms sinners into saints. It is what causes the lost to be found, the estranged to be adopted, and the wicked to be washed clean. The cross of Christ is where God’s transforming love is most powerfully displayed, and it is THE thing that has power beyond human limitation.
If you want to live a life of eternal significance, you must first embrace the gospel—the good news that Christ died for sinners like you. This reality will bring new life and a hope that can never be taken away. Then, in turn, you can share the gospel with others and set God’s power free upon the world. Telling others the good news about Christ’s cross is like letting a lion out of it’s cage. Power! Yet this lion is not there to feed on people but on death, fear, lies, and hopelessness. God is seeking to bring his kingdom to earth, and we can be a part of that process. But we can only do so on God’s terms. We may think that the world needs something else, be it positive thinking or education or freedom of the heart. But to invest in these things is to invest where there is no real power.
If you want to make a difference, then join God in what he is doing and what he has promised to bless. His power is active in the world through the sharing of the gospel of Christ. This is why nothing will ever replace the Christian Church as the most unstoppable force in the world. If the Church is preaching Christ crucified, and if its saints are hoping in the cross, there is supernatural power in motion that cannot be derailed. God himself is at work with divine power!
So the exhortation is twofold. First, the believer must make Christ and his cross central to their own lives. Therein lies the power to crush fear, resist sin, renew hope, and transform into the likeness of Jesus. Secondly, the believer must share Christ and his cross with the world, both in word and deed. When the love of God as demonstrated in the cross is on display, God’s light begins to penetrate the darkness. No other thing can compare to what God can do in a person’s life through an encounter with Jesus. The gospel is our only hope; on it we must stand firm. All other ground is shifting sand.
Canadian Bible Guy 