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God's Non-Transmittable Attributes (Part One): Omnipotence

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

God's omnipotence is a non-transmittable attribute, setting Him wholly apart from His creation. He alone possesses this supreme power, reigning as the Sovereign and Supreme Being over the universe and beyond, with all power and authority originating from Him. He has the power to do all His pleasure and ensures the fulfillment of His plans without fail. Jesus confirms that with God all things are possible, and Job declares that no purpose of His can be withheld from Him. God's omnipotence, however, is not the power to do anything and everything without bounds, but the power to carry out the will of His perfect, divine nature without any constraints, though He cannot act contrary to His nature, such as lying or denying Himself. The prophet Jeremiah proclaims that God is the all-powerful Creator, with nothing too hard for Him, as He made the heavens and the earth by His great power. The Almighty Himself questions if anything is too hard for Him, and the prophet Isaiah describes the nations as a drop in a bucket before Him, emphasizing His infinite power to accomplish whatever He pleases, with His only restraints being self-imposed.

The Incomparable Great God!

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God exists in a transcendent category entirely His own, defined by four non-transmittable attributes—omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and immutability—that collectively establish His absolute sovereignty over all creation. As Almighty God, He possesses the unrestricted power to execute His perfect nature; as Omnipresent Spirit, He permeates every corner of the universe while dwelling personally within believers; as Omniscient, He comprehends all actual and possible realities without diminishing human free will; and as Immutable, He remains constant in character and purpose, ensuring that His promises never waver despite shifting relational dynamics with humanity. These divine qualities are intrinsically linked to the Eighth Day festival and the final judgment, demonstrating that only such a God could orchestrate the resurrection of the uncalled and the eventual establishment of a new heaven and earth free from sorrow and death, thereby providing a secure foundation for complete trust in His ultimate redemption.

The Sovereignty of God: Introduction

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God's omnipotence underscores His supreme authority over all creation, demonstrating that He is above all others in power, rank, and authority. He shapes the history of nations, places and displaces rulers of both mighty and not-so-mighty nations, and is deeply involved in the details of life, as perceived by David in Psalm 139. From His sovereign position, He regulates affairs on earth, governing all His creation in righteousness, and His will cannot be thwarted by what He has created. He is the only King of kings with perfect vision, wisdom, and limitless power, ruling as the Almighty without any middle ground—either He is sovereign, or He is not. His omnipotence ensures that no one can resist Him, and because He is omniscient, there is no problem He cannot master. His involvement in the lives of His elect is unwavering; He is too wise to make mistakes and too loving to allow His children to be totally overwhelmed. Even in tumultuous and confusing times, His sovereignty provides assurance that He is on the job, enabling His people to endure disappointments and mysteries with a peace that passes all understanding. His counsel stands firm, and He will do all His pleasure, declaring the end from the beginning and bringing His righteousness and salvation near as He purposes.

Living By Faith and God's Sovereignty

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God is the Supreme Sovereign over His creation, His purpose for creating it, and His plan for fulfilling it. God is sovereign over all. God is supreme in everything, including in qualities like love, power, wisdom, forgiveness, mercy, patience, and kindness. These virtues provide multiple reasons for fearing Him. God reigns supreme in heaven, but that He does so over the world is almost universally denied. Despite this vivid chapter's impressively detailed description of God's personal involvement, it appears that, because the world is so evil, satan has far more to do with affairs on earth than God. God's Word shows satan has a tight-enough leash on him that he can do only what God permits. The reality is that, despite appearances, God is in complete control. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The faith exists when people hear the message, believe it, and then obey it. God is aware of everything regarding our lives. Not even a thought can be hidden from Him regardless of where we are, regardless of what justifications we might give for what we decide to do. When it comes down to the issue of sovereignty, do we allow God to be sovereign in our lives? One of His names, Yahweh Shammah, means The Lord Is There. Since we are His children, wherever we are, He is. If we allow ourselves to entertain ideas that He is unconcerned about us, we are gravely mistaken. God's supremacy is so great that He can keep track of all that is happening across the entire expanse of what He has made. He is allowing what is occurring in the world. He is permitting it to occur and even directly causing some of the calamitous events to happen. He is not detached from what is going on; everything is under control. He who sees every sparrow fall also has His eyes on us for our good. Whatever we do, we must not allow Him to slip from our thoughts. Every thought of those who live by faith should begin with Him and His will.

The Sovereignty of God (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God is the sovereign ruler of His creation and works all things after the counsel of His own will. God is omnipotent so nobody can resist Him. He is the only King of kings who has perfect vision and limitless power. Either God rules or He is swayed and ruled over by satan. Either His will must be done or be thwarted by what He has created. Either He is the only King of kings who has perfect vision and limitless power or He is only God in name. It cannot be any other way. There is no middle ground in this issue. Because God is omnipotent nobody can resist Him. Because God is what He is the prophecies He inspired regarding the end of the age are being fulfilled in the world and in the church. God is indeed sovereign over His creation and as long as there is no rebellion He will bring lives to a successful conclusion in His Kingdom. God declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done saying My counsel shall stand and I will do all My pleasure.

The Fear of God (Part One)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's power, displayed in what He has made, is the starting point for learning to fear Him. Because people respect power, creation is meant to build reverence for the One who made it. Romans 1:20 says His invisible attributes, "His eternal power and Godhead," are clearly seen in creation, so that men are without excuse. The immensity of the universe, with stars at distances that dwarf any human scale, shows how big God thinks and how great His might and understanding are. Yet this God, who calls every star by name, focuses His attention on individuals. Psalm 147:4-5 says He counts the stars and is "mighty in power; His understanding is infinite." Isaiah 40 portrays the nations as a drop in a bucket and asks, "To whom then will you liken God?" Jeremiah 10 contrasts Him with idols, noting that He made the earth by His power and wisdom, stretched out the heavens, and commands rain, lightning, and wind. Solomon confessed that even the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him. No human concept of God can approach what He is, so any view not drawn from real contact with Him becomes an idol. Meditating on and speaking of His mighty works builds the respect and obedience that unlock His treasuries. His power is joined with infinite tenderness, since He also carries His lambs in His bosom like a shepherd.

The Sovereignty of God: Part Five

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

God is actively and constantly sovereign over all creation, not merely a distant author of natural laws. Deuteronomy 28 shows Him personally causing, commanding, establishing, and opening blessings in response to obedience. He commands even mighty angels, as when He restrains the destroying angel in I Chronicles 21, and He uses evil spirits, such as the lying spirit sent to persuade Ahab, to accomplish His purposes. Satan himself acts only within the limits God permits, as Job shows, and he departs when Christ commands him. God also rules mankind. He overrules man at the Flood and Babel, works through people like Pharaoh and Judas without their knowledge, and according to Acts 17:26-28 determines the appointed times and boundaries of every nation, Gentiles included. Fulfilled prophecy proves this control, notably Isaiah's naming of Cyrus well over a century before he freed the Jews, with God stirring Cyrus's spirit to do it. Daniel 5:23 and Proverbs 16:9 and 21:1 show that God holds each person's breath and directs steps, and that He turns even kings' hearts like water. Rulers therefore hold authority only by His permission, so resisting them is resisting God. No wisdom, plan, or power can stand against Him, and His purpose cannot be annulled (Isaiah 14:27; 55:11; Proverbs 21:30-31). Believers should therefore trust Him and acknowledge Him in all their ways.

Spiritual Strongholds (Part Three): God's Intervention

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God's omnipotence stands as the foundation beneath every event recorded in Joshua 10. When the five Amorite kings besieged Gibeon, Joshua honored his treaty obligation rather than seeking an easy escape, marching his army through the night to defend the city he had sworn to protect. What followed demonstrated that victory belonged to God, not merely to military skill: the Lord routed the enemy and sent an extraordinary hailstorm that killed more Canaanites than Israelite swords did. This hailstorm fits a broader pattern throughout Scripture where hail functions as divine weaponry, appearing in the Exodus plagues, in prophetic warnings through Isaiah, in Ezekiel's descriptions of judgment, and ultimately in Revelation's apocalyptic visions, including hailstones weighing as much as a talent during the seventh bowl judgment. This recurring symbol testifies that God controls nature itself as an instrument of judgment and deliverance. The account's most staggering demonstration of omnipotence comes when Joshua, recognizing that daylight would end before total victory could be achieved, asked God to halt the sun and moon. This miracle—unprecedented and unrepeated—should not be dismissed as mere poetic language simply because it appears in the Book of Jasher. An omnipotent God who can stop the sun can suspend any natural law He created, regardless of the physical complications modern science might raise about planetary rotation, inertia, or atmospheric catastrophe. The reasonable response to such an account is not skepticism but recognition that nothing is too great for the true God, in contrast to the diminished conception many hold of a "little god" incapable of real miracles. This omnipotence connects directly to God's eternal nature. Job 38 reveals a God who has orchestrated the movements of constellations like the Pleiades and Orion's belt across spans of time utterly beyond human comprehension, exposing the smallness of human experience by comparison. Light from distant stars reaching Earth after millions of years illustrates how human beings exist within strict temporal and spatial limits, while God inhabits eternity itself, untouched by the passage of time. Time exists as God's creation, serving His purposes, but it holds no power over Him, nor does it possess any redemptive power over sin, aging, or moral truth for humanity. This explains why Christ, typified by Melchizedek, is described as without beginning or end. The practical message drawn from God's omnipotence is twofold: believers should never underestimate what God can accomplish, and they should expect genuine divine intervention when fighting battles aligned with His glory rather than personal ambition. Joshua modeled this by praying openly before all Israel, fully expecting God to honor His word, while simultaneously remaining diligent, courageous, and thorough in fulfilling his own responsibilities. This balance—trusting God's unlimited power while acting faithfully—illustrates how omnipotence and human obedience work together in spiritual warfare, both in Joshua's day and in the ongoing struggle against sin and complacency.

Image and Likeness of God (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's omnipotence, His limitless power to accomplish whatever He wills, stands in careful balance with His purpose of developing genuine character in free moral agents. Although God is Almighty and possesses the inherent power to know all things and control all outcomes, He has deliberately chosen to limit the exercise of that power when dealing with human beings, precisely because He respects the reality of free will. If God had foreordained every act from eternity, choice would be an illusion and moral agency a mere pretense. The abundance of scriptural evidence—6,468 commands, 1,260 promises of blessing or cursing, hundreds of warnings, and 1,522 conditional "if" statements—demonstrates that God structures His dealings with mankind around real choices with real consequences, which would be meaningless if He already knew and had decreed every outcome in advance. This is why God tests, inspects, and searches out the hearts of men: not because He lacks power to know instantly, but because He has chosen to withhold that foreknowledge until it is demonstrated through actual conduct. Genesis 22:12, where God declares to Abraham, "now I know," exemplifies this self-imposed limitation—omnipotence restrained for the sake of authentic relationship and genuine testing. This same self-limitation extends to God's own character and word. Hebrews 6:17-19 states directly that God has set Himself not to lie, a declaration made explicit for the sake of human faith, since an unchanging, truthful God is the very foundation on which confidence in Him can rest. Likewise, God will not budge on His law, for the law is the expression of His own character; to compromise it would be to deny Himself. This is why there is no respect of persons in judgment—even personal affection cannot override the truth His tests reveal, for God's power to save or bless never overrides His faithfulness to what He is. God's omnipotence is also seen in how He restrains it regarding salvation itself. Passages such as Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 2:7-10, Hebrews 11:6, and James 1:5-7 reveal that although God possesses the power to prosper anyone unconditionally, heal instantly, or grant every request without merit, He has bound Himself to work only through grace received by faith. He could indulgently override every circumstance to our advantage, yet He does not, because His purpose requires that spiritual growth come through the exercise of faith rather than through effortless divine intervention. This explains the seeming anomaly of the wicked prospering while the faithful struggle: God's omnipotent power is present, but it operates within the boundaries He has chosen, boundaries designed for long-term benefit rather than immediate ease. Ultimately, God's omnipotence is not diminished but purposefully directed. His limitless power remains fully His own, yet He restrains its unconditional exercise so that free moral agents might genuinely choose obedience, faith, and consecration. This self-limitation, far from weakness, reflects the depth of His wisdom and love, ensuring that the character He desires to reproduce in His people is authentically formed through tested, willing submission rather than imposed control.

Passover of the Most High God

'Ready Answer' by David C. Grabbe

Among God's many titles is one that proclaims His supremacy over all others: 'God Most High.' It provides confidence in God's governance of our lives.

Power Belongs to God (Part Two)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Human beings, even those who have been called, have an innate fear that God will not always provide. This fear originates in doubt about God's power.

Micah (Part Three): Who Is a God Like You?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Micah 5 describes legal proceedings against the people who have rejected God, promising a harsh retribution but future restoration for a physical remnant.

The Greatness of God's Power

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Paul emphasized the power of God living in us through the Holy Spirit to enable us to develop into His family. Through God's power, we will triumph over death.

The Model Prayer (Part Nine): Kingdom, Power, Glory

Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The final, glorifying clause of the Model Prayer returns the focus to God and leaves the petitioner confident in God's ability to fulfill his requests.

Psalm Genres (Part Five): Psalms of Praise

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The psalms of praise celebrate God's worthiness through what He has revealed of Himself in creation and throughout the Bible. His omnipotence is evident in His full control over creation, as He is ultimately responsible for all its functionality and the upholding of the laws that govern it. Everything seen in nature, apart from the effects of sin, underlies His creation, demonstrating His power and authority. As Psalm 135:6-7 declares, whatever the Lord pleases, He does in heaven and earth, in the seas and in all deep places; He causes the vapors to ascend, makes lightning for the rain, and brings the wind out of His treasuries. This boundless power over all aspects of the world, from the water cycles to the forces of nature, is a testament to His supreme might, making Him worthy of endless praise and worship.

Psalms: Book One (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Because Jesus is God's Son, we can avoid the rod of His anger by paying respect with worshipful awe. We must know both His instruction and Him personally.

Forgiving, Giving, and Living

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God possesses attributes that are His alone, like omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But there are other attributes that become part of our new nature.

Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Even though we have the free moral agency to run counter to God's purposes, we court disaster if we presumptuously plan against these purposes.

New Covenant Priesthood (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Sacrifices of thanksgiving, praise, and gratitude are required of God's called out priests. By meditating on the right things, we prepare ourselves for prayer.

Psalms: Book Two (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The second set of documents and events consists of Book Two of Psalms, Exodus, Ruth, Psalm 147, and the Pentecost season, relating to faith within trials.

Leadership and the Covenants (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

We are being trained to become leaders, but before we can lead, we must be able to carry out responsibilities, conforming to God's leadership and covenants.

The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Great Catch of Fish

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

In performing the miracle of the great catch of fish, Jesus manifests His divine power over creation, forcing Peter to realize just who his Master was.