His Mighty Power

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:19b-21) In the first half of verse 19 we hear Paul's prayer that we may know in our heart the power of God for us who believe.  It has been my increasing sense over these past number of years, probably ever since 2015 or so, that we as Christians in the West have little sense of this power of God.   Whether in the legalism of progressive justice seeking or the legalism of conservative ethical codes—both political and church discourse has been shaped by an implicit belief that if any Christian good is going to get done around here—we have to do it ourselves, that is, in the strength of our own power.  These "strong positions" of "strong stances" betray our belief in a very small, impotent God.  A God that is functionally dead.  "It's all up to us now" is what we actually believe: we believe we're on our own.   From the spiritual angle, I think this smallness of our God and our functional belief in his powerlessness is, more than anything, what has driven the polarization in church and society.  We think that we have to save the church.  That we have to fight the secularists.  We have to save our society.  We have to set things right and make justice happen in this world.  We, we, we.  Through the power of law, the power of our money, the power of our influence, the power of our votes—through any power that is, that we can get our hands on—we ourselves have sought to be the god that we no longer believe in.   Aside from lip service, very rarely in these divisive conversations have we bent the knee of our hearts to a power greater than our own.  Very rarely have we laid down our powerful, coercive armaments in trust that God's power will vindicate and save us—if not now than in the world to come.  Very rarely have we held out hope that his power will see us through to a glorious inheritance despite what our eyes can see around us.   When we lose sight of a big, sovereign God—a powerful God—we lose everything.  If we no longer believe that God is powerful to act in our lives, world, and church anymore, then we functionally deny the very power that "he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand."  Said differently: a belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ demands belief in a God who powerfully works in our world still today.  The power is the same, Paul says.  The power of God for us who believe is the same as the power that vindicated Jesus in Resurrection.   Let me revise that stark and hopeless sentiment that I offered at the beginning though.  Over the past number of months, I think the tide has begun to turn.  As we all become exhausted from the trouble of our world, slowly I begin to see Christians in our congregation, city, and elsewhere remember and rest again in the power of the big, sovereign God that has always saved and held them.   And as we recognize that power once again, so we begin to feel our hope and calling renewed.  God is on the move!  Just like in those days of power when, through his mighty strength he raised Christ from the dead.  My prayer is the same as Paul's: that God will once again open the eyes of our hearts to perceive and rest in his mighty power, hope, and calling for us who believe.    Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)