Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Today I'm going to do something a little different with this devotional. I'm going to share something that hopefully equips you to deal with different pushbacks that you may get from the world or about God.
Have you heard the quote: "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"?
That actually originated from Lord Acton. He was an English historian and politician back in 1887. He wrote: "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
That is not necessarily one of the positive, encouraging things to dwell on. Even back in the late 1700s, William Pitt, a British statesman, said: "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it."
Throughout History
I think we all have that context and mindset—that if somebody had actually had absolute power, ultimate power, that there was nothing to bring accountability to them, that it would not go well. Bad things would happen. You look out throughout history at dictators who had that absolute power, ultimate power. There really was no accountability. They were able to do whatever they wanted.
Do you know what translates into that? Anyone who's meaningful to that person or individual is somebody that brings something to the table that is needed or necessary to elevate power even more or expand power. That's the nature of it.
Equipped to Respond
Why am I sharing this again? Hopefully to equip you. Because we get a lot of challenge about the God of the Old Testament. There are different things in the Old Testament that I've even heard Christians calling in to question and say, how could a loving God... and fill in the blank with various things in the Old Testament.
Here's where I want to equip you in responding to challenges like that: If we believe absolute power truly does corrupt amongst people, now have a holy, righteous, all-powerful, omnipotent God with ultimate power—quite frankly, He could possibly always live in a place of anger and vengeance and judgment.
God's Patience
Candidly, I've thought this many times before: if I were a holy God, I would have had enough. I would have had enough a long time ago, because I'm constantly thanking the Lord for His patience with me because I just haven't learned that yet. I haven't gotten that through my head. He keeps teaching me. He's so patient.
That's why this is so important. When we hear or read about things of the Old Testament, we say, well, it seems to be a different God from the Old Testament and New Testament. I would beg to differ because it's the same God.
The Same God Throughout
It's when we talk about absolute power: He has the ability to behave that way all the time, in every scenario, in every situation—just have enough of it and have no patience at all. What could possibly benefit somebody who has absolute ultimate power to have mercy? There's no benefit. There's no gain to that.
Through the Lens of Ultimate Power
Our Verse of the Day is Titus chapter 3, verse 5. "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit."
Look at this verse through the lens of ultimate power, absolute power—a holy, just, and merciful God. Mercy does not benefit Him if He has absolute ultimate power. Yet He chose to save us.
A person that has absolute ultimate power? They're constantly looking for somebody that's going to benefit them, to expand their power. There is nothing we have to offer God to increase His power, to increase His capability, to improve anything for Him. Yet He chose to show us mercy and reach down and save us.
Encouraged and Equipped
I hope this devotional both equips you, challenges you, and encourages you. When we have nothing to offer God, He chose to show us mercy, love, and to save us.
I pray that you will find ways to live into that today.