Spiritual Power – Church of God

(Copyright 2022) by Zac Poonen (Bangalore, India)
One great danger of the last days is that of having “a form of godliness without the power” (2 Tim.3:5). It is very easy to be satisfied with the power that we have because of our gifts and talents. Soul power is manifested in intellectual power, emotional power and will power. But none of these is the Divine power that Christ and the Holy Spirit have come to give us. “If your goal and ambition in life is only to please and glorify God, He will give you His power readily.” Intellectual power is seen in great scientists, scholars, and clever preachers. Emotional power is seen in rock musicians – and in many preachers too. Will-power is seen among yoga experts and other ascetics – and also among preachers who seek to dominate others through their personality. We must not mistake any of these three for spiritual power. Spiritual power primarily makes us obey God in everything. Consider the power of God displayed in the planets and stars that have moved within their orbits in perfect timing, for millenniums. The reason for that perfection is that they have obeyed God’s laws implicitly. These heavenly bodies are a mute testimony to the fact that the best thing to do is to obey God totally. Jesus did not overcome Satan with brute physical power, but with spiritual power. When tempted by Satan, Jesus refused to turn stones into bread, even though He could have done that; and this, in spite of the fact that His body longed for food, after 40 days of fasting. What a contrast that was to what Eve did, who satisfied her bodily longing immediately in the paradise of Eden, even though she was not hungry. The desire for sex is another desire that resides within our bodies, like the desire for food. That also craves for gratification constantly. When we have spiritual power, we will be like Jesus Who said He would live by “every Word of God” rather than satisfy the cravings of His body. Samson had great physical power to tear physical lions apart. But the lion of sexual lust within him tore him apart repeatedly. This proves that sexual lust is far stronger than any lion. Joseph however was a stronger man than Samson, for he could tear the lion of lust in pieces, again and again, day after day (Gen.39:7-12). Our motives determine whether God will give us spiritual power or not. If your goal and ambition in life is only to please and glorify God, He will give you His power readily. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3). A job or a profession is only to be a means of earning our living. Our ambition in life must however be only to please God – and not to live for ourselves or to be great in this world. Satan tried to tempt even Jesus with the glory of this world. So, he will certainly offer this to us too. But we must constantly refuse it (like Jesus did) because we can get that glory only by bowing down to Satan in some way. We have to be especially careful that the love of money does not lure us away from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We must have no regrets over our choices, 2000 years from now. —————————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Christian Fellowship Church https://www.cfcindia.com/ —————————————————————————————-

One great danger of the last days is that of having “a form of godliness without the power” (2 Tim.3:5). It is very easy to be satisfied with the power that we have because of our gifts and talents. Soul power is manifested in intellectual power, emotional power and will power. But none of these is the Divine power that Christ and the Holy Spirit have come to give us.

“If your goal and ambition in life is only to please and glorify God, He will give you His power readily.”

Intellectual power is seen in great scientists, scholars, and clever preachers. Emotional power is seen in rock musicians – and in many preachers too. Will-power is seen among yoga experts and other ascetics – and also among preachers who seek to dominate others through their personality. We must not mistake any of these three for spiritual power.

Spiritual power primarily makes us obey God in everything. Consider the power of God displayed in the planets and stars that have moved within their orbits in perfect timing, for millenniums. The reason for that perfection is that they have obeyed God’s laws implicitly. These heavenly bodies are a mute testimony to the fact that the best thing to do is to obey God totally.

Jesus did not overcome Satan with brute physical power, but with spiritual power. When tempted by Satan, Jesus refused to turn stones into bread, even though He could have done that; and this, in spite of the fact that His body longed for food, after 40 days of fasting. What a contrast that was to what Eve did, who satisfied her bodily longing immediately in the paradise of Eden, even though she was not hungry. The desire for sex is another desire that resides within our bodies, like the desire for food. That also craves for gratification constantly. When we have spiritual power, we will be like Jesus Who said He would live by “every Word of God” rather than satisfy the cravings of His body.

Samson had great physical power to tear physical lions apart. But the lion of sexual lust within him tore him apart repeatedly. This proves that sexual lust is far stronger than any lion. Joseph however was a stronger man than Samson, for he could tear the lion of lust in pieces, again and again, day after day (Gen.39:7-12).

Our motives determine whether God will give us spiritual power or not. If your goal and ambition in life is only to please and glorify God, He will give you His power readily. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3).

A job or a profession is only to be a means of earning our living. Our ambition in life must however be only to please God – and not to live for ourselves or to be great in this world. Satan tried to tempt even Jesus with the glory of this world. So, he will certainly offer this to us too. But we must constantly refuse it (like Jesus did) because we can get that glory only by bowing down to Satan in some way. We have to be especially careful that the love of money does not lure us away from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. We must have no regrets over our choices, 2000 years from now.

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Reprinted with permission from: Christian Fellowship Church
https://www.cfcindia.com/
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