He said with a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet.” The man ran and walked.
The apostle Paul was the second most powerful person in the New Testament after Jesus. When he preached the gospel to the Gentiles who do not know God, he was able to testify of the true God and Jesus Christ because he had the powerful words and the miracles and signs that followed. Considering that idolatry and witchcraft practices were prevalent at that time, there must have been people among the Gentiles who practiced various things that could deceive people. In order to preach the gospel to these people, a wonderful work of God’s power had to follow, which was completely different from the works of false magic or evil spirits they had ever seen (Romans 15:18). As the Apostle Paul preached the gospel in a place called Lystra, when he commanded a man who had been lame since birth to “stand upright on all fours” in a loud voice, he immediately jumped and started walking. The people who saw this were amazed and called out to Paul, saying, “The gods have come down among us in human form” (Acts 14:11).
1. The difference between ablity and Power of God
In general, when referring to the power of God, power and authority are sometimes thought of as the same, but there is a clear difference.
In the Korean dictionary, it is written that ability is ‘the strength to undertake work’, but the spiritual meaning is ‘the power of faith, which is impossible for man, but there is nothing impossible for God’.
Since power has a comprehensive meaning, it is not only to cast out demons, to heal sicknesses and infirmities, to raise the dead, but also to go from death to eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ itself. .
Power is given to those who have the perfect spirit of faith who can renounce even the appearance of evil and sanctify their hearts to walk in the truth. So, as it is said in Mark 16:20, “As the disciples went out and preached throughout, the Lord was at work with them, and the signs that followed them testified the word.” As it is said in Mark 16:20, the Lord gives the evidence that He is with those who have the proper qualifications. Of course, even a person who still has the appearance of evil can receive power if he seeks power with a passionate heart to love souls and accumulates countless prayers, but it is not perfect.
2. What is authority?
Aurora Spiritually, authority is God’s ordained majestic and glorious power, and it can be said that it is a ‘God’s command’ from above in God’s order. However, in the spiritual world, the absence of sin is power. Therefore, spiritual authority can be said to be holiness itself. It is to love God so much that we completely cast off evil and untruth in our hearts and come to the children of God who are sanctified.
The God of justice gives spiritual authority to the great vessel, without evil, with love, virtue, and generosity. He also gives spiritual power to those who have accumulated infinite prayers and fasts to save souls, and to establish the kingdom of God.
3. What is power?
If you look at the Korean medical dictionary, it is written that power is ‘power and ability to handle work’. Spiritually, it can be called ‘power with authority’ because it shows both authority and power.
In Luke 9:1, it says, “Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to control all demons and to heal diseases.” In Luke 4:36, “All were amazed and spoke to one another, saying, What kind of word is this? He commanded the unclean spirits with his human strength and power, and they went out.” The reason that authority and power come together like this is to show the power that Jesus has given, that is, the combined meaning of authority and power is power. For example, a person who drives a car has the ability to drive a car, and a police officer who directs traffic has the power to stop and stop the car. It is because they have been given authority by the state. In this way, authority and ability are different, and when both authority and ability are combined, it is called power.
As it is said in Matthew 10:1, “Jesus called the twelve disciples and gave them power to cast out unclean spirits and to cure all diseases and infirmities.” It includes the ability to heal all weaknesses.
4. Power belongs to God
Power This power belongs to God, as it is said in Psalm 62:11, “I have heard what God has said once or twice, that he said, “The power is of God.”
Power is like a trademark that belongs to God and cannot be imitated by anyone. If he is exercising power in the realm that only God can do, it is because he is a person who belongs to God. If there is a person who deceives as if he is pretending to be a falsehood, he may be deceived at first as plausible, but eventually it turns out to be a fake. This is because there is a limit to falsely imitating power, and the fruits that appear are completely different from the power that God bestows. Therefore, when the power belonging to God is revealed through someone, anyone who belongs to God can see the fruit and immediately discern it. Because there is the Holy Spirit in it, we can recognize that it is the work of the Holy Spirit.
The enemy devil and Satan can never exercise the power that belongs to God. Since they are also spirit creatures, they have greater abilities than humans, and they have a lot of power to deceive people and make them oppose God.
5. Who can receive power?
Healing God gives the gift of love to His children who are sanctified and have perfect faith like gold, and that is the power.
Also, as we get closer to the dimension of God’s love, we can see that he adds power over power and blesses him with great power. That’s why Acts 2:22 says, “God gave great powers and wonders and signs among you through Jesus of Nazareth, as a witness before you.”
If we study the Bible, we can see that those who received power from God had no evil in their hearts and obeyed God’s word unconditionally, saying “Amen.” Even today, if anyone is sanctified and obeys the word of God only with Amen, God will work with him through miracles, miracles, and marvelous works as well as signs. Of course, in order to exercise perfect power, one must possess the faith of Christ, which is extremely pleasing to God, but even if they have not reached this level yet, God reveals the work of power to those who enter the stage of sanctification and do not change their heart. As much as the amount of fiery prayers is piling up here, a greater work can appear. Also, even if you have not yet reached the level of sanctification and have not reached the level where you can exercise power on your own, if you can receive the prayer of a person that God guarantees with His power through faith, then God’s work can be revealed to him too.
It is the same reason that signs followed Jesus when he placed his hands on his disciples and sent them out while he was working on this earth (Matthew 10:1). However, such things are not continuous, and only when we become a spiritual man who has achieved sanctification and receive power, God’s work can continue to follow.
In the New Testament, besides the apostle Paul, there are records of the apostles Peter, the deacon Philip, and the deacon Stephen, who performed their powers. Among the disciples of Jesus, only the Apostle Peter can see that he performed the power. Also, even if you are a deacon, if your heart is sanctified and you are a vessel worthy of God, God will give you power and work.
6. Difference Between Gift of Healing and Power of God
Some people think that the Power of God is the same as the gift of divine healing, but the Power of God and the gift of divine healing are completely different.
Because the gift of healing has a history of burning diseases mainly caused by germs, it cannot cure a person who cannot hear or speak because some of the body’s tissues have degenerated or the nerve cells have died.
The gift of healing is given as long as it is a vessel that can be used boldly in the sight of God when many prayers are built up with love for the soul, regardless of the holiness of the heart. However, if you use it as a means to seek your own gain, not the glory of God, or if it is not worthy in God’s sight, God will take it back. On the other hand, the power of God, who is light, is given to those who have achieved sanctification, so once received, it does not weaken or disappear. Rather, the more we resemble the heart of the Lord, the greater the work of God by giving us a higher level of power.
They are also very different in terms of the manifestation of God’s power. The gift of divine healing cannot easily cure a very serious or rare disease, and it is even more difficult when the patient has little faith. However, with the power of God, who is light, nothing is impossible, and even if the patient shows a little faith, it can be worked at once.
Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee’s Homepage The History of Power and Creation (Middle)
#Power of God
