What does "to Him be the power" teach about God's authority? Setting the Scene in 1 Peter 5 - Peter has just urged elders to shepherd well, called younger believers to humility, and reminded everyone to cast cares on God (vv. 1-10). - He ends with doxology: “To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 5:11). - After warnings about suffering and the devil, this declaration anchors every command in God’s unshakable rule. What “the power” Means - Greek word kratos: strength, dominion, force exercised in rule. - Not potential power but active, reigning authority already in God’s hands. - The phrase credits God alone, excluding any rival source of final control. Truths About God’s Authority Embedded Here • Absolute ownership - “The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof.” (Psalm 24:1) - All creation, history, and people belong to Him; our authority is always delegated. • Sovereign dominion now and forever - “His dominion is an everlasting dominion.” (Daniel 4:34-35) - 1 Peter 5:11 ties God’s rule to eternity—no coup, no vote, no end date. • Unquestioned right to command - “Once God has spoken; twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.” (Psalm 62:11) - He may tell us to humble ourselves, resist the devil, or suffer well; He never overreaches. • Guarantee of final victory - “Our Lord and God, You are worthy… because You created all things.” (Revelation 4:11) - If power is inherently His, every enemy is already outmatched. • Centered in Christ - “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” (Matthew 28:18) - The Father’s power is expressed through the risen Son, fulfilling 1 Peter 5:10 where God perfects, establishes, strengthens, and grounds us. Living in Light of His Power - Confidence: What God promises He enables. - Obedience: Commands aren’t suggestions; they carry divine weight. - Humility: We steward gifts; we don’t originate power. - Worship: Doxology isn’t filler—it recalibrates our hearts to reality. Reinforcing Passages - Ephesians 1:19-22—God’s “immeasurable greatness of His power” displayed in raising Christ and seating Him “far above all rule and authority.” - Colossians 1:16-17—“All things were created through Him and for Him… in Him all things hold together.” - Romans 11:36—“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!” Same structure as 1 Peter 5:11, linking power and glory. Takeaway “To Him be the power” is not a polite benediction; it is the Bible’s declaration that God alone possesses and exercises ultimate authority—past, present, future. Every command we obey, trial we face, and hope we cling to rests securely on that unchanging fact. |
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