Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we gather here to contemplate and celebrate the greatness of our God. We are here to delve into two of his most significant attributes: his omniscience and omnipotence, as revealed to us in Psalm 147:5 and Jeremiah 32:17.
Let us first read Psalm 147:5 from an old King James Bible that predates 1964, "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." This verse speaks of God's infinite understanding or knowledge, which is the hallmark of his omniscience. In other words, God knows everything - past, present, and future.
Jeremiah 32:17, from the same old King James Bible, says, "Ah Lord God! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee." This verse tells us about God's great power and strength, which are the hallmarks of his omnipotence. In other words, there is nothing that God cannot do.
As we contemplate these two attributes of God, we can't help but be in awe of his greatness. How amazing it is to know that we serve a God who knows everything and can do anything!
But what does this mean for us as Christians? How do these attributes of God tie in with the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?
1. Let us start by examining the omniscience of God. As we said earlier, God knows everything, including our past, present, and future. This means that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, our joys and sorrows, our fears and doubts and let’s not forget, our sins.
When we come to him in prayer, we don't have to explain everything to him. He already knows what we need and what we are going through. This is why Jesus told us in Matthew 6:8, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
Furthermore, God's omniscience gives us comfort and assurance. We can trust that he knows what is best for us, even when we don't. We can trust that he has a plan for our lives, even when we can't see it. We can trust that he will never leave us or forsake us, even when we feel alone.
Job asked God a total of 48 questions throughout the book of Job. These questions were primarily expressions of his confusion, frustration, and pain in the face of his suffering and the apparent silence of God.
On the other hand, God asked Job a total of 84 questions in response to Job's questioning. These questions were intended to reveal to Job his limited knowledge and understanding, and to point him to the fact that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator and Sustainer of the universe. God's questions to Job challenged him to trust in God's wisdom and sovereignty, even in the midst of his suffering and confusion.
2. Now let us turn our attention to the omnipotence of God. As we said earlier, there is nothing that God cannot do. This means that he has the power to save us from our sins and to give us eternal life.
The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). This means that we are all in need of a savior. But thanks be to God, he has provided one for us in Jesus Christ.
God's omnipotence is evident in the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. As it says in Colossians 1:20, "and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."
Furthermore, God's omnipotence is evident in the fact that he can transform our lives and more importantly our hearts. When we surrender our lives to him, he can change us from the inside out. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
In conclusion, we have seen how the attributes of God's omniscience and omnipotence tie in with the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fact that God knows everything gives us comfort and assurance that he has a plan for our lives, and we can trust him with our present and future. And the fact that God can do anything gives us hope that he can save us from our sins and transform our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But we must also remember that God's attributes of omniscience and omnipotence require our response as believers. We must trust in God's wisdom and follow his plan for our lives, even in the midst of suffering. We must believe in the power of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our salvation. And we must submit to the Holy Spirit's transforming power in our lives, so that we can become more like Christ and bring glory to God.
Let us close with a prayer, thanking God for his omniscience and omnipotence, and asking him to help us trust him more and follow his plan for our lives.
