The power at work in us ...

Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010. Power is something which is extremely important for us humans. Who is in charge? Who has power? Who is governing a state, some society? Who can do what he wants and impose his will onto others?

What type of power? …

There are many levels of power, though. We can think of the power of police or military. They exercise physical power. But there is also the power of brands and business. Some big companies have gained power. Their products sold well … and they lead a whole business. Today, google has a lot of power. Microsoft has power. It is not military power, but still it is a form of this important quantity “power”, “might”, “potency”, “influence” …

There is another power. The power to change hearts. The power to influence the life of people by words, by ideas, by guidance which is more than force or business. This power of transformation, of deep personal change, the power of a dimension beyond the visible, is another type of power. In the biblical text of Ephesians the apostle Paul addresses all of these powers in one sentence.

19 I also want you to know how amazingly great is his power which is at work in those of us who trust in him – a mighty power 20 which he used to raise Christ from death and to place him at his right hand in heaven.

Power in us …

Paul talks about the power of God in us. Here, he starts with the last type of power we talked about above. He talks about the power to change our hearts. It is the power to transform our life, to move us into a different direction. It is the power of what the bible calls “a new creation”. We are a new creation “in Christ”. Things are completely different after we started to life in and by faith.

It is very interesting that Paul puts this particular life-changing power into one sentence with the death and resurrection of Jesus. The death of Jesus at the cross has a deep meaning. It is the death of our “old life”. It is the death of sin, the death of all what is not what it should be. The cross is a symbol for God's judgment. Then, the resurrection is the sign and symbol of new life. Jesus has been risen. It is a symbol, but more than that, it is a fact. It is reality. It is God's power to do something absolutely fundamental and completely unbelievable. He started a new creation with the resurrection of Jesus. This “new creation power” is the same power, which is now changing the life of those who believe. Paul draws a line, the line of the New Testament gospels. The line of faith! ... more texts