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What does it mean for God to be omnipotent?

by | Apr 13, 2021 | God, Questions

What it means for God to be omnipotent is that he can do whatever he desires to do. God has all power, but this power is consistent with his nature. He cannot do the logically impossible (which would conflict with his nature). God cannot make a round square. He cannot stop being God (Mal. 3:6). He cannot lie (Titus 1:2).  So God’s omnipotence means he can do whatever he desires to do because he has that power to create an entire universe and hold all the atoms together by the exertion of his will (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).God is omnipotent

Omnipotence  “God’s ability to do all things that do not conflict with the divine will or knowledge. God’s power is limited only by God’s own nature and not by any external force (Job 42:2; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37).”
McKim, Donald K.. The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition: Revised and Expanded . Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

Omnipotence  “having unlimited power and able to do anything”
  https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/omnipotent

The word “omnipotent” comes from two Latin words, “omnis,” meaning “all,” and “potens,” meaning “powerful.”

Does God possess infinite power?

In one sense, God does possess infinite power, and in another sense, he does not. He possesses infinite power because it is consistent with his nature. He can do whatever he desires to do. But in another sense, his power is not infinite because he cannot do things like stop being God. What we have to understand, as stated above, is that God’s omnipotence can only be understood as that power that God can use to accomplish anything he desires. So, when we say that God is omnipotent, it means that he can do whatever he desires to do. He has all the power he needs and wants. Of course, he will only desire that which is consistent with his nature and that which is logically possible.

But, this is not to say that God is bound by the laws of logic 1) the law of identity, 2) the law of non-contradiction, and 3) the law of excluded middle. Rather, these laws exist because they reflect his mind. Because God is omnipresent  (everywhere), that means his mind is also everywhere, and since we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28), we can obtain those universal laws of logic. Now, this concept is beyond the scope of this article. Please refer to the article The transcendental argument for God’s existence if you want more information on this.

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