WHO ARE GOD’S PEOPLE

Rev. James Gafford, PhD.

Because that which may be known is manifested in them; for God has shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made, even the eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

Do you know the power of God? Do you know His strength, energy, and authority? I have been watching “Turning Point” by Dr. David Jeremiah, a TV evangelist, who influenced my thoughts about knowing the power of God.

Knowing the power of God is more than knowing that He exists. Knowing Him is more than just calling on Him when we need Him. Knowing His power is having a daily relationship with Him in every walk of our lives.

Do you know that God is in every breath of air that you take? Do you know that He is the reason you can walk, or wake up in the morning, or go to bed at night, or have food on your table? He is the rea-son you can speak, open your eyes, and move your hands. He is the very reason we are alive. God is the reason you have a brain.

Somehow, it seems as if the more we are taught about God, the less we know about Him. The truth is that the more we learn about how the world was made and our place in it, the more there is to learn. Learning about God’s power is how we develop our relationship with Him.

There are four things we should remember about the power of God: (1) All things were created by Him (John 1:3). He created the world and everything in it. None of the studies of creation can prove that God did not create day and night, the sun, the moon, and stars. The creation story in the Book of Genesis makes more sense than the creation theories of man. God’s creation has been so consistent and visible that man has been able to discover and create things that man did not know, such as the clock, radio, television, cell phone, and Internet.

(2) He helps us as we grow older (Isaiah 41:4). As we age, God does not forget us. He knows the path we have chosen and where it will lead. He teaches us to count our days and to apply them to wisdom (Psalm 90:12). We are never too old to learn and teach ourselves and others how to live from our experiences through Jesus Christ. It makes no sense to keep repeating the same mistakes. The Bible is full of stories that teach us the results of doing right verses doing wrong.

(3) He resurrected Jesus from the dead. God is the maker and giver of life. No man has the right to take another man’s life, if God has not granted it. “Thou shall not kill” remains even though men do it everyday. According to Gene-sis 4:8-10, we should be our brother’s keeper. We are commanded to love one another.

(4) He made it possible for us to be saved (I Corinthians 15:3-4) and to inherit eternal life. How God raised Jesus from the dead is a miracle that is not easy for man to understand. We may never know how He actually did it. What we do know is that God has power over both life and death (Jeremiah 28:8). No man has such power. Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, but he had to die again. In contrast, when God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus is alive forever. In the Bible, Jesus was seen fifteen times after His resurrection and before being taken up into heaven. It is by the grace of God that we are saved, and eternal life is sure. However, grace is undeserving favor that is not a li-cense for us to keep on intentionally sinning.

Like the Scripture says, we have no excuse for not knowing the power of God for it is being revealed to us everyday.