GOD IS ABLE
Study Text: Ephesians 3: 14 - 21
Introduction:
- The word “Able” refers to the power one has by virtue of inherent ability and resources.
- “Able” describes that which has sufficient or necessary power, means, skill, or resources to accomplish an objective.
- God is able to exceed your expectation, He is able to do exceedingly above all you can ask or imagine. God is able to do the humanly impossible in our lives.
- It's good to be reminded of God's ability to answer and to do all that we ask and request. He has the power and the ability to do all that we ask of him or even imagine him doing.
- Therefore let's be bold and courageous in our praying. Let us bring what we consider to be our most impossible requests to God; let us be bold to bring all our wildest dreams to God for there is no danger of exhausting God's ability or power to answer.
- His power and grace is beyond all that we can ever ask. He is able to do what is beyond the bounds of possibility; he is able to do what seems to be unattainable
- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:
1. The Description of His Ability
2. The Dimension of His Ability
3. The Demonstration of His Ability
1. The Description of His Ability
- God is all-powerful, and God’s power is infinite and unlimited. He can do with power anything that power can do.
- God has the power to do all he wills to do. He has both the resources and the ability to work his will in every circumstance in the universe. He is able to do everything he needs to do or wants to do.
- There are four categories of scripture that properly described the ability of God:
i. Nothing is too hard for God.
- “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17
- “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
ii. No one can stop God’s plans.
- “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2
iii. He made all things and all things serve him.
- “Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.” Psalm 119:91
iv. He does whatever he pleases.
- “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Psalm 115:3
- We naturally try to limit the eternal and absolute power of God to our own understanding or to our own concepts or to our own imagination but God's power is beyond that.
- That ought to first of all encourage us to pray and it ought to encourage us to believe when we pray.
- But based on His holy and unchanging character, there are at least four things the Bible says that God cannot do.
i. He cannot deny himself (2 Timothy 2:13);
ii. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2);
iii. He cannot be tempted to evil (James 1:13); and
iv. He cannot change his basic nature (Numbers 23:19).
- In short, God will never act contrary to his own righteous, holy and unchanging character.
2. The Dimension of His Ability
i. He is ABLE to save to the uttermost.
- Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
- Jesus took our place that we might have his peace; he took our sin that we might have his salvation.
- When God saves us, our sins are forgiven and forgotten forever.
ii. He is ABLE to help them that are tempted.
- Hebrews 2:18 says: Since He himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.
- The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
iii. He is ABLE to subdue all things unto Himself.
- Phil 3:21 says: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
- God can take that which is even of no use and make it wonderful.
iv. He is ABLE to deliver from the fires of life.
- Daniel 3:17 says: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
- The Devil will always scare us with the fiery furnace, threatening us that unless we bow, we will burn.
- In whatsoever fire of affliction we may be passing through, we need to remain steadfast in our trust in God for deliverance.
v. He is ABLE to build us up.
- Acts 20:32 says: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
- Living and praying in the Spirit will cause us to be built up in Christ, in Faith and in His Word. - Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
vi. He is ABLE to do above our expectations or imaginations.
- Ephesians 3:20 says: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.
- He cannot be predicted or limited. He is able to do what man cannot conceive or imagined.
- For instance, when the Israelites got to the Red Sea, they could not imagine that God will make a way in the Sea.
vi. He is ABLE to Heal and Deliver.
- Matt. 9:28 says: And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
- Whatever we can believe Him for is what He can do for us. No sickness is too great for Him to heal and no oppression or affliction is too great for Him to remove.
vii. He is ABLE to keep us from falling.
- Jude 24 says: Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.
- Acts 20:32 says: And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
- We don’t have to fall. His eye is on the smallest bird, he knows the amount of hairs on our head. What we need to do is open our hearts and make Him Lord of our spirits, Lord of our minds and Lord of our bodies.
- Let the Unlimited God be the God who is able to do all things needed in your life and family, and trust in His grace to be establish in His will.
3. The Demonstration of His Ability
- The ability of God has been demonstrated in seven different areas
i. Demonstrated in Creation
- He created the world by the power of His word. Whatsoever is needed that is not in place, God is able to speak it into being.
- He said He can make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43: 18 -19.
ii. Demonstrated in Perfection
- He is a God of perfection. Whatsoever He started to do, He can bring it to perfection.
- He is able to bring His word and promises to fulfilment. In Genesis 17:1 God speaks to 99 year old Abraham who has been promised a child by God. By this time his body is “as good as dead” (Romans 4:19-22).
- In the face of all his very understandable doubts God reassures him by calling himself El Shaddai, which means Almighty God. It was God’s way of saying, “Don’t look in the mirror, Abraham. Look at me. If I say you’re going to have a son, it’s going to happen. Age means nothing to me. I am Almighty God.”
iii. Demonstrated in Restoration
- God has power to restore what the enemy has killed, stolen or destroyed. He can restore our lost health, our lost wealth and our lost hope.
- He even promised to restore our wasted years. This He achieves by giving divine speed to achieve exploits of many years in few months.
iv. Demonstrated in Protection
- He protected Daniel in the lion's den. Darius spends the night wondering if God is able to do it, Daniel enjoys the Lord's peace and rests well knowing that God is able.
- Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown in the furnace of fire. Nebuchadnezzar stood with an anger on his face as he sentenced the 3 Hebrews boys and asked, who can deliver them. Those boys came out of the furnace shouting loudly, "God is able!"
v. Demonstrated in Provision
- The Widow of Zarephath stood watching as the prophet ate the last of the meal and wondered, if God is able to sustain her.
- Three years later she was still eating while all around her starved, and when she finished her meal, she could whisper, with all the assurance of her soul, that God is able.
vi. Demonstrated in Destruction
- God is able to destroy all the works of the enemy. The Bile says that He came for the purpose of destroying all the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8.
- We can believe Him for the destruction of evil works, plans and imaginations against us in every area of our lives.
vii. Demonstrated in Salvation
- If anyone had any doubt about God's power to save, look at the Apostle Paul. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor of the church, he hated Christ and he showed it by seeking to destroy all who followed him.
- He hated Christianity he loved Judaism, yet God in his power came and saved and transformed such a man. The God who is so powerful that he can do the impossible did the impossible in Paul
Conclusion:
- Think of the times He has delivered you, when He saved you and the times He moved mountains in your life. Remember His power and all that He has done.
- Let His past works remind you that He is able, no matter what you face in life. God is able and He will come through for you, every time. Let the past be your reminder and learn to trust Him no matter what!
