How God’s Omnipotence Is Shown in Creation

The omnipotence of God—the truth that He can do anything that accords with His character and will. The Bible teaches us again and again that God is all-powerful, reigning as sovereign over the universe. As Job rightly said to God, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2), or as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). God’s power is made manifest in the universe in many ways, but let’s consider how it is shown in creation.

He Is the Creator

Consider the power of God made manifest in creation: the great mountains, the oceans, the islands, the continents, the soaring sky, the beautiful and diverse creatures, and humanity itself. And that is just planet Earth. Consider the universe: the stars, the planets, and countless galaxies. I understand that the visible universe is about ninety-three billion light-years in diameter at the present time. That is far bigger than any of us can begin to contemplate. Then consider the fact that God made the universe by the power of His word. He spoke, and it came into being. One moment there was nothing; the next moment worlds were born. No laborers, no machines, no fundraising, no logistical analyses. Just a word and worlds were born. Can we even fathom that kind of power?

He Upholds the Universe

In the first chapter of Hebrews we are told that Jesus the Son of God “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). Paul expressed the same thought in Colossians when he wrote, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). The point is that not only has God made the universe, but He upholds it moment by moment. Were God to cease upholding us by the word of His power, the universe itself would tear apart at the seams. It would disintegrate and we would cease to be.

Our Response

God is the Almighty, the King of creation. How should we respond to Him? At the most fundamental level, God’s power in creating and sustaining us and our world means that we owe Him our obedience and our worship. That may appear to be an obvious point, but it takes us to the fundamental question at the heart of the gospel, a question that all unbelievers ask on some level: Why should anyone submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ? After all, when we declare the gospel message, that is precisely what we are calling people to do. The offer of salvation is wonderful, but why is it that we owe God allegiance and worship?

To refuse to thank and worship God for His power and kindness in creation is a serious thing.

Simply put, we are His creatures, and our very existence depends upon Him. Each breath is a gift and each moment of existence is a sign of His kindness. To refuse to honor Him, thank Him, and worship Him is therefore not simply discourteous, but wicked. This is a point that Paul develops in a very important passage at the beginning of the book of Romans:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Rom. 1:18–21)

To refuse to thank and worship God for His power and kindness in creation is a serious thing. That is why sin is a problem. That is why we need saving from His judgment. God’s power is expressed in the creation.