Topical Bible: The Power of God: Efficiency of Ministers is Through

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The concept of the power of God as the source of a minister's efficiency is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. This power is not merely an abstract force but is the active presence of God working through His chosen servants to accomplish His divine purposes. The efficiency of ministers, therefore, is not based on human wisdom or strength but on the empowerment and guidance provided by God Himself.

Divine Empowerment

The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently emphasizes that the effectiveness of his ministry is due to the power of God working through him. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul writes, "Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us." This verse highlights the contrast between human frailty and divine power, underscoring that the true source of ministerial efficiency is God’s power, not human ability.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in empowering ministers. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promises His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This empowerment by the Holy Spirit is essential for effective ministry, enabling ministers to witness boldly and perform their duties with divine authority.

Reliance on God’s Strength

Ministers are called to rely on God’s strength rather than their own. In Philippians 4:13, Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." This reliance on Christ’s strength is a fundamental principle for ministers, ensuring that their work is not in vain but is accomplished through the power of God.

God’s Power Perfected in Weakness

The efficiency of ministers is often most evident in their weaknesses, where God’s power is made perfect. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul recounts God’s words to him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." This principle reveals that God’s power is most clearly demonstrated when human limitations are acknowledged, allowing His strength to be fully manifested.

The Word of God as a Source of Power

The Word of God is another vital source of power for ministers. Hebrews 4:12 states, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword." The Scriptures provide the authority and power needed for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, equipping ministers for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Prayer as a Channel of Power

Prayer is a crucial channel through which ministers access God’s power. James 5:16 affirms, "The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail." Through prayer, ministers seek God’s guidance, strength, and intervention, making their ministry effective and fruitful.

Conclusion

The efficiency of ministers is fundamentally rooted in the power of God. This divine power, manifested through the Holy Spirit, reliance on Christ’s strength, the Word of God, and prayer, ensures that ministers can fulfill their calling effectively. By acknowledging their dependence on God, ministers become vessels through which His power is displayed, accomplishing His purposes in the world.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 3:6-8
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 2:8
(For he that worked effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ephesians 3:7
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effectual working of his power.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Christ as Man had the Power of Producing the Inward ...
... of Person, it has a certain headship and efficiency in regard ... Q[62], A[5]). And because
the power of the ... faith, according to Rom.3:25: "Whom God hath proposed ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ as man had 2.htm

A Consecrated Ministry
... Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God ... be with him until
the end, as his shield, his strength, his efficiency, he works for God. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 34 a consecrated ministry.htm

Regeneration.
... the moral influence, and indispensable to its efficiency, in producing ... for regeneration
is not effected by physical power. God cannot do the sinner's duty, and ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxviii regeneration.htm

Appendix. An Ordination Charge.
... These are the index of a revolution; for inside, in their management and in the
efficiency of the education ... It has proved itself the power of God, to the ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/appendix an ordination charge.htm

The Christian Ministry, and Its Relation to the Christian ...
... or the power of the keys, the power to open ... God and man, by whose intervention alone
God is reconciled ... set places are indispensable to her efficiency, so also ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 59 the christian ministry.htm

Power --Its Source
... And if we want that power to quicken our friends who are dead in sin ... shall be
disappointed; but if we look to the Spirit of God and expect ... SECRET OF EFFICIENCY. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/secret power/chapter i powerits source.htm

A Memorial Sketch by W. Robertson Nicoll
... that he could not reconcile his own statements as to divine efficiency and human ...
was the belief that honest and true men might find power in God to alter ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/a memorial sketch by w.htm

Prayerlessness in the Pulpit
... prayer, and use it fully in all its exhaustless efficiency, the millennium ... the divine
presence, and the consciousness of the divine power of God's Spirit on ...
/.../bounds/the weapon of prayer/viii prayerlessness in the pulpit.htm

The Social Test of Religion
... accomplish if they intelligently directed the power of religion ... a rival or a feeder
of the Kingdom of God? ... the churches compare in social efficiency with other ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter ix the social test.htm

How to Preach the Gospel.
... if he had not voluntarily taken it, or yielded his body to its power. ... a sinner, it
is true that God gives the truth efficiency to turn the sinner to God. ...
/.../finney/lectures on revivals of religion/lecture xii how to preach.htm