Is Your God Able? – Luke 1:34-38

The Bible is the inerrant and infallible truth. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, which means beginning, God makes the universe and all life. In the entirety of Scripture, the Bible reveals who God is and in Genesis, one of the important aspects we learn is that God is powerful. God is not just powerful, but omnipotent (all-powerful). It is wise to remember, we walk with Almighty God. Hudson Taylor once said, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on God being with them.” (Mt 19:26, Job 42:2)

Do you see God in this way? Not just with confession of mouth but in the actions of your life? When faced with trial or hardship, do you trust in God’s power? (Zec 8:6) When Gabriel spoke, Mary asked “How can this be?”. Like Mary, We often forget the power of God.

Why do we forget God’s power?

1. We think we can achieve our desires through money, skills or work, and that we don’t need God. We think that with man it is also possible.

2. We replace God with other things, such as science or entertainment. We try to conquer death with science or appease our boredom with entertainment.

3. The society is becoming more feminine and therefore a powerful and masculine God is unappealing. Power in the traditional sense is offensive and unattractive, while a kind and gentle God is more accepted.

The truth is though, since the fall of Adam, we’ve been powerless due to our sin. Sin is a plague and a most terrible curse that we cannot defeat. Man is completely under the dominion of sin (Rom 6:23, Mt 4:4). No descendant of Adam  has ever overcome the power of sin or ever will without God’s saving power.

God’s power is the same as the beginning
The birth of John the Baptist and the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is an example of God’s unlimited power. It is the same as Creation, where life was created from nothing or ex nihilo (Lk 1:34-35, Mt 1:18, Gen 1:1). God is the Creator who can bring anything into existence by the power of His words. God doesn’t change and His power never fades (Heb 11:3, Ma 3:6, Heb 13:8).

We must believe in our minds and trust in our hearts that God is powerful. In our sin, we limit God’s ability or think God is not the same as He was in the Bible. Our God is the God of Genesis. We must have faith. Like the centurion, we must understand God’s authority and power (Mt 8:7-9)

God can save you
God saves you through the power of the Holy Spirit and works of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was also present in Creation, and where there is the Holy Spirit, there is God’s power (Acts 1:8). It is through Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God that sinners are saved (Eph 2:1-3, Mt 3:13). To be saved from sin, we need a sinless Savior. Only Jesus has the power and the righteousness to save sinners from death (Acts 4:7-12).

If men are saved by God’s power, the why are all people not saved? It is not because God couldn’t save them but because they are unwilling to be saved.  The reject the Savior, Jesus Christ. The gospel is offered fairly and freely but not all receive it by faith

God can sanctify you
After hearing Gabriel, Mary accepts God’s will for her, she receives it by faith and obeys. She demonstrates that by the power of God, we are sanctified.

Three means of sanctification

1. Humility: Mary says she is a bondslave of the Lord. Whatever means God has given, she is willing to submit, even if it’s to be an outcast of society. If we cling to pride, we would hinder sanctification. By pride, we reject God’s will for us and remain in disobedience (James 4:6, 10).

2. Willing prayer: Mary prays ‘may it be done to me’ in submission to God’s will

3. Faith in God’s word: ‘according to your word’.

God used these three means to help Mary obey and accomplish His saving will. Our response to God’s will and word must be be like Mary’s. We forget that God is powerful and able to do the impossible, even save a wretched sinner unto eternal life. May we remember and believe.