Focus: Living By God's Power

Text: 2Cor.13:4

"For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you."

The cross is a sign of divine weakness, and Paul tells us that the weakness of God is stronger than men. God's meekness or mildness is regarded as God's weakness. Jesus Christ refused to save Himself from the cross, and for the people of the world, that is weakness. Jesus Christ was reviled, but He refused to revile back or retaliate, and the world assumed that as weakness. 

Peter says, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1Pet.2:23). Jesus Christ refused to do anything that was contrary to the will of His Father. He knew that the cross was God's answer for peace, for as Paul declared, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them…" (2Cor.5:19). Matthew says, "And they that passed by REVILED him, wagging their heads." "Likewise also the chief priests MOCKING him, with the scribes and elders…"

Mark says, "And they that were crucified with him REVILED him…"

Luke says, "And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar."

Paul says, "And labour, working with our own hands: being REVILED, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it."

Jesus Christ did not retaliate. He did not unleash His anger on them. He knew no sin, did no sin, and no guile was found in His mouth. Instead He prayed to the Father, saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Lk.23:34). This is divine weakness. Christ allowed Himself to be unjustly treated. He did not insist on His rights. He was unjustly crucified. They let Him be killed even when the Courts had passed a verdict on Him as one without fault. They committed Him to a death sentence via the cross. He took everything in good faith and trusted in the ultimate justice of God. That is the weakness of God. 

He did neither pray against His enemies nor even saw them as enemies. Rather He saw them as ignorant people, who knew not what they had gotten themselves involved in.

Beyond the cross, Christ is alive and well, and He lives by the power of God. He conquered evil with meekness, mildness, or if you like, weakness. As the resurrected Lord, Christ lives by the power of God. He triumphed through weakness and lives on gloriously by God's power. 

Weakness and power work together and harmoniously in Christ. God's weakness always wins. God's power always prevails.

God's weakness is power in disguise. God never does evil to prove Himself as powerful. In fact, it is by doing evil that we lose power. It is a moral weakness in display when the powerful misuse or abuse power. Power is best known for the good it does for the good of others. No one is given power to trample on others, not even when people do or go wrong.

Paul says, "We are weak in him…" As long as the cross remains the central and vital principle of our Christian faith, the weakness of God will continue to count in our lives and apply to all our choices and actions.

It is important for us to know that we cannot lead the Christian life on our own. We need the power of God.

To forgive is divine; so we need the power of God to forgive. We need the power of God to reflect, express, and represent Christ in the world. To live and do right, we need the power of God. Living righteously, winsomely, courageously and triumphantly in this world really requires the enabling of God. We need the resurrection life and the resurrection power of God. Meekness is might that has been tamed. Weakness is power under control. Resisting compromise and choosing consistency is an impossibility without divine ability. Serving God in any form here on earth requires divine empowerment. Jesus Christ says that we cannot do anything apart from Him.

The people of this world count us as being weak each time we fail to fight for our rights. It is not all the time that one should be fighting for rights. One can die for nothing fighting for rights, and for us as Christians, every time we intentionally let our rights go, we create an opportunity for evangelism. When we forgive those who hurt us badly we open a window of opportunity to win a soul for Christ. 

Whatever you have to endure in your relationship with others for the sake of Christ is worth it. God has made us partakers of the divine nature and possessors of divine power, making it possible for us to live God-like and God-glorifying lives. God says to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2Cor.12:9). Rise above your weakness and live by the power of God.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter