The word “omnipotence” simply means that God is all-powerful with “omni” meaning “all” and “potence” meaning “power.” God has all power and can do everything that He pleases or desires. Anything that is possible to do God can do. Some think that it is a limitation to God’s power to say that God can do anything possible. It is not a limitation, but is defining what a real possibility is. Scripture tells us that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). What we must note is that the word “nothing” simply means “no thing.” There are intellectual conceptions that are not things. Another way to put that would be to say that a contradiction is not a thing so when we say that God cannot do a contradiction we are not saying that there is a thing that is impossible for Him to do. It is a contradiction for the same dog to be running and not running at the same time and at the same exact location. That means it is not a denial of the power of God to say that God can’t make a dog run and not run at the same time and at the same location. A contradiction is not a thing and so if God can’t do a contradiction (make both sides of the contradiction true at the same time) it is not a denial to say that He can do all things that are possible.
Another argument some would raise against the omnipotence of God is that the definition is that He can do all that He pleases or desires. Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18 teach that God cannot lie. Here, some would say, is proof that there are things that God cannot do. But is a lie a thing in and of itself? A lie is a contradiction of the truth and God is truth itself. A lie would be a contradiction of the character of God. To say that God cannot lie is simply to say that God cannot contradict His own being and holiness. It is also true that a lie is from weakness rather than power. So it is not a statement against God’s omnipotence to say that in all His power He cannot be weak.
People also raise silly little questions like the one where a question is asked. Is God able to make a rock that He cannot lift? If we say that He is not able to make a rock that He cannot lift, then we are saying that it is impossible for God to make a rock that He cannot lift. If we say that God can make a rock that He cannot lift, then we are saying that it is impossible for God to lift a specific rock. Either way, it is said, this shows that He cannot do something. However, involved in this little puzzle are a few problems. The first is that the question is within the framework of physical strength. God is a spiritual being and we are not to think of His activity solely in terms of physical strength. Second, this puzzle also involves a contradiction within the realm of God’s character. It is pitting His omnipotence against His wisdom, knowledge and omnipotence. It is something like asking if God can know enough so that He can’t know everything or that if He is powerful enough not to know everything. The answer to this question is that God cannot make a rock big enough that He cannot lift because He cannot contradict His own being. It is another way of saying that God’s supposed weakness should be able to overcome His power.
Still another answer to that would be to point out that God’s power is seen as His power over Himself and all that He created. To suppose that He could make a rock that He could not lift would be to say that God could create something that is beyond His power and bigger than Himself. That would entail God not being God at all since it would destroy His omnipotence. That is something like God using His eternal life to destroy His eternal life. Neither point shows anything against His character or power.
The meaning of God’s omnipotence, then, is that God can do all within the realm of logical possibility in that it must be a thing (not a contradiction which is not a thing) that is done and it must be something that a holy God (sin is a contradiction of His character) is willing to do. Psalm 115:3 tells us that “our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.” Anything that God desires or is pleased to do He does. Genesis 17:1 is how God presented Himself to Abraham: “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.” Hebrews 1:3, speaking of Christ, says that “He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.” We know that God created all things and that creation shows that He is the God who can do all things. We know that His upholding all things by the word of His power shows that He has full power of His creation. There is simply no-thing that God cannot do if it does not contradict His own nature and character. That is a true omnipotence and one that has the beauty of character and holiness with it as well.
God Loves... Himself 
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