The Power of God
This article was guest authored by: 
Cornelius Stam, Pastor

The Power of God

By Cornelius Stam

In 1867 Alfred Nobel invented an explosive made of nitroglycerin absorbed in a porous material, such as clay, to create dynamite. It was by far the most powerful explosive that had so far been invented. When Nobel and his friends saw what his invention could do, and had to decide on a name, they sought for the strongest possible word for power in any language. The word they finally chose was the Greek word “dunamis,” from which our word dynamite is derived.

This word is used again and again in the New Testament and is generally translated simply “power” to describe the working of “The Power of God.”

When our Lord Jesus did miracles, for example, Luke testifies that “the POWER [dunamis] of the Lord was present to heal” (Luke 5:17). In promising His early 12 apostles that they too would work miracles, He said: “Ye [shall] be endued with POWER [dunamis] from on high” (Luke 24:49).

When the Sadducees questioned the resurrection, Jesus answered:

“Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the POWER [dunamis] of God” (Matt.22:29)

The Apostle Paul declares that Christ was;

“declared to be the Son of God with POWER [dunamis]…by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom.1:4).

Using this same word, Paul, by inspiration, declares that “the gospel of Christ…is THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, to every one that believeth…” (Rom. 1:16).

This is because, according to Paul’s “my gospel,” or good news,

“CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS”, and “THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS,” he says, is to believers “THE POWER OF GOD” (1Cor.1:18).

But not only are believers saved by “the power of God”; they are “KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD” (1Pet. 1:5).

Undeniably, the adjective of this same word “dunamis” is used in Hebrews 7:25, where we read that the Lord Jesus Christ is “ABLE…TO SAVE…TO THE UTTERMOST [THOSE] THAT COME UNTO GOD BY HIM.”

Thus the Bible uses the very strongest word for power to show how secure is the salvation of any of us, no matter how monstrous our sins… if we will humbly and simply trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Then, after Salvation, we have the Power and Wisdom of His Spirit working in us all the time.

“23 But we preach Christ… 24 unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ The Power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23a, 24)

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, (so) that ye may abound in hope, Through The Power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13)