Chapter 08: Weakening God’s Omnipotence

When we say God is omnipotent, we mean He has all power. He can do anything He wants to do. Nothing is too hard for Him. The Bible is crystal clear about this – our God is all-powerful, almighty, and nothing is impossible for Him. But Finis Jennings Dake didn’t believe this. In his writings, especially in his famous Dake Bible and his book “God’s Plan for Man,” Dake taught that God has limits. He said there are things God cannot do. He claimed God is powerful, yes, but not truly all-powerful. This teaching strikes at the very heart of who God is. If God isn’t omnipotent – if there are things He cannot do – then He isn’t really God at all. When Dake weakened God’s omnipotence, he was creating a different god, one who looks more like a super-powerful being than the infinite Creator of the universe.

Dake, Finis Jennings. God’s Plan for Man. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949. Pages 63, 373. [All subsequent citations to this work refer to this edition unless otherwise noted.]

Understanding What Omnipotence Really Means

Before we look at what Dake got wrong, let’s be clear about what the Bible teaches. The word “omnipotent” comes from two Latin words: “omni” meaning “all” and “potent” meaning “powerful.” So omnipotent simply means “all-powerful.” When we say God is omnipotent, we mean He has unlimited power to do anything that doesn’t contradict His own perfect nature.

Think about it this way: Can you lift a car? No, you don’t have enough power. Can the strongest man in the world lift a mountain? No, he doesn’t have enough power either. Can all the people in the world working together move the earth? No, we don’t have that kind of power. But God? God created the entire universe with just His word. He said “Let there be light,” and there was light. That’s omnipotence – power without limits.

The Bible is absolutely clear about God’s unlimited power. Look at what Scripture says:

These verses don’t say God can do “most things” or “many things.” They say He can do EVERYTHING. All things are possible with God. He is the omnipotent – the all-powerful – ruler of the universe. This is basic Christian teaching that has been believed by the church for 2,000 years.

Now, when we say God can do anything, we need to understand this correctly. God cannot do things that go against His own nature. For example, God cannot lie because He is truth. God cannot sin because He is holy. God cannot cease to exist because He is eternal. These aren’t limitations on God’s power – they’re expressions of His perfect nature. It’s not that God lacks the power to lie; it’s that lying would contradict who He is. A God who could lie wouldn’t be more powerful – He would be less perfect.

Dake’s Shocking Restrictions on Divine Power

Now let’s look at what Dake actually taught about God’s power. This is where things get really troubling. Dake didn’t just make small adjustments to our understanding of omnipotence. He fundamentally changed what it means for God to be all-powerful. Let me show you exactly what he said.

Dake’s Teaching About “Spheres” of Limitation

In his book “God’s Plan for Man,” Dake makes this shocking statement:

Did you catch that? Dake says God is only omnipotent “within God’s own realm.” He claims there are “spheres” where God “cannot operate.” He’s saying God’s power has boundaries, limits, places it can’t reach. This is absolutely not what the Bible teaches!

Think about what this means. If there are spheres where God cannot operate, then:

• There are places in the universe beyond God’s control
• There are situations God cannot handle
• There are problems too big for God to solve
• There are enemies God cannot defeat

This turns God into a limited being who only has power in certain areas. It’s like saying a king only rules in his castle but has no power in the countryside. But the Bible teaches that God rules over everything, everywhere, all the time!

Dake repeats this shocking limitation throughout his Annotated Reference Bible. In his notes on omnipotence, he states: “God can do all things consistent with His nature and plan, but He cannot lie or act contrary to Himself and the best good of all (see 30 Limitations of God, p. 1058).”² Notice how Dake limits God’s omnipotence to what is “consistent with His nature and plan.” This creates massive theological problems – who decides what is consistent with God’s plan? And if God’s power is limited by His plan, does that mean the plan is more powerful than God Himself?

Dake’s List of Things God “Cannot Do”

Dake goes even further. He actually makes lists of things he claims God cannot do. Look at this quote from the same book:

Here Dake is saying God “has to limit” His love. Not that God chooses to limit it, but that He HAS TO. This makes it sound like something forces God to hold back, like He doesn’t have enough love to go around, or like there’s some power above God making Him limit Himself.

Dake continues with specific things he claims God cannot do. According to Dake, God cannot:

• Lie (which is true, but Dake misunderstands why)
• Deny Himself or act contrary to His own eternal truth
• Have respect of persons
• Save a soul apart from faith and grace in Christ
• Bless men contrary to faith in His Word
• Curse men who meet His conditions
• Change His eternal plan
• Save rebels who persist in rebellion
• Be tempted with evil
• Forgive unconfessed sin
• Keep one saved who turns back to sin and lives in rebellion

Now, some of these statements contain truth, but Dake twists them in dangerous ways. Yes, God cannot lie – but not because He lacks power. He cannot lie because He IS truth itself. It’s not a limitation of His power but an expression of His perfect nature. But when Dake says God “cannot save rebels who persist in rebellion,” he’s suggesting that human rebellion is stronger than God’s power. That’s absolutely false!

Dake elaborates on this complete list in God’s Plan for Man, declaring: “God cannot: lie (Heb. 6:17-19); deny Himself, or act contrary to His own eternal truth (2 Tim. 2:13); have respect of persons (Rom. 2:11; Col. 3:25; 2 Pet. 1:17); save a soul apart from faith and grace in Christ (Rom. 3:25; Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9); bless men contrary to faith in His Word (Heb. 11:6; Jas. 1:5-8; Jn. 15:7); curse men who meet His conditions (Mk. 1:15; 16:16; Lk. 13:1-5; 1 Jn. 1:9); change His eternal plan (Act 15:18; Eph. 2:7; 3:11); save rebels who persist in rebellion, refusing to meet His terms (Pr. 1:22-33; 29:1); be tempted to do evil or tempt man with evil (Jas. 1:13-15); forgive unconfessed sin (Lk. 13:1-5; 1 Jn. 1:9); and keep one saved who turns back to sin and lives in rebellion.”⁶ This comprehensive list reveals how extensively Dake limited God’s power, treating moral choices as if they were power limitations.

Dake’s Limitation of God’s Body and Presence

One of the most bizarre aspects of Dake’s teaching on God’s limitations involves his claim that God has a physical body. Dake wrote extensively about this, arguing that God is literally shaped like a man and confined to one location at a time, just like humans are.

In his notes on omnipresence, Dake makes this astounding claim: “God’s body is not omnipresent, for it is only at one place at one time like others.”³ Think about the implications of this statement! If God’s body can only be in one place at a time, then there are countless places in the universe where God physically is not. This directly contradicts Psalm 139:7-10, which declares that there is nowhere we can go to escape God’s presence.

Dake goes even further in “God’s Plan for Man,” teaching: “God can be like man in bodily form and still be as magnificent as we have always thought Him to be. He can have a spirit-substance body and still be like man in size and shape; and He can have passions, feelings, desire, intelligence, and will power without being confined to man’s limitation and sinfulness.”⁴ Here Dake explicitly states that God has a body “like man in size and shape.” This is not just limiting God’s omnipresence – it’s fundamentally redefining who God is!

Dake insists on this point throughout God’s Plan for Man. He writes: “Spirit beings, including God, Himself, cannot be omnipresent in body, for their bodies are of ordinary size and must be at one place at a time, in the same way that bodies of men are always localized, being in one place at a time.”⁷ Notice Dake’s assertion that God’s body is of “ordinary size” – as if the Creator of the universe is just another being with spatial limitations like we have!

He continues this shocking teaching, stating: “God has a body and goes from place to place like anybody else.”⁸ This incredible statement reduces the infinite God to the level of a created being who must travel from one location to another. Dake has completely abandoned the biblical teaching of God’s transcendence and immensity.

The logical consequence of this teaching is devastating. If God has a body like ours in size and shape, and that body can only be in one place at a time, then:

• God cannot be personally present with every believer simultaneously
• God must physically travel from place to place like we do
• There are vast regions of the universe where God’s body is not located
• God’s power must somehow operate independently from His physical presence

This creates an absurd picture of God as a very powerful man who can only be in one location at once. It’s no wonder Dake had to invent the concept of “spheres” where God cannot operate – his God is too small to be everywhere at once!

Dake tries to explain this away by distinguishing between God’s body and His presence, writing: “God is omni-present but not omni-body, that is, His presence can be felt by moral agents who are everywhere, but His body cannot be seen by them every place at the same time.”⁹ But this creates more problems than it solves! If God’s body is in one place while His “presence” is everywhere, then God is divided against Himself – His body in one location, His influence in another. This is not biblical omnipresence but a confused attempt to rescue a false doctrine about God having a physical, limited body.

Things God Supposedly Cannot Do

Let’s look more closely at Dake’s claims about what God cannot do. These teachings reveal how deeply Dake misunderstood God’s nature and power.

The “Free Will” Limitation

One of Dake’s favorite arguments was that God cannot override human free will. He wrote extensively about how God “must” respect human choices and cannot force anyone to be saved. In “God’s Plan for Man,” Dake states:

Notice how Dake says God “has limited Himself” and gives humans “absolute right” to choose. This makes it sound like human will is so powerful that even God cannot overcome it. But is this what the Bible teaches?

Dake repeatedly emphasizes this limitation, stating: “If man never wills to be saved he will never be saved. This is why some are saved and some are not saved. It is God’s will that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). If God’s will is done all will be saved, but God will not and cannot save man until he chooses to be saved and calls upon God.”¹⁰ Here Dake explicitly says God “cannot save man until he chooses” – making human choice a limitation on divine power rather than a chosen method of divine grace.

He goes even further, declaring: “God is limited in blessing man, should he rebel against Him. If He were not, then He would be obligated to force all men to be saved alike.”¹¹ This statement reveals Dake’s fundamental error: he confuses God’s sovereign choice not to force salvation with an actual inability to do so. These are vastly different concepts!

Look at these Scripture examples where God clearly overcomes human will:

Pharaoh’s Heart: God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 9:12). Pharaoh thought he was making his own choices, but God was directing his will for His purposes.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humbling: The proud king Nebuchadnezzar resisted God until God humbled him, making him eat grass like an animal for seven years (Daniel 4). Did Nebuchadnezzar’s “free will” stop God? Not at all!

Paul’s Conversion: Saul (later Paul) was violently opposing Christ, arresting and killing Christians. Did God politely wait for Saul to change his mind? No! God knocked him to the ground with a blinding light and completely transformed him (Acts 9). God overcame Saul’s rebellious will.

Proverbs 21:1 tells us: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” If God can turn a king’s heart like a river, how can Dake say God cannot overcome human will?

The truth is, God often allows humans to make choices, but He is never limited by those choices. He can and does intervene when He chooses. He can change hearts, open blind eyes, and turn rebels into saints. That’s omnipotence!

The “Cannot Save Everyone” Error

Dake also taught that God cannot save certain people. He claimed that if someone rejects God enough, they become impossible for God to save. This is a terrible error that limits God’s saving power. Look at what Dake wrote about God’s limitations in salvation:

Do you see the problem? Dake says God “must limit” His faithfulness to “those who merit it.” This makes salvation depend on human merit rather than God’s power and grace. It suggests there are people too far gone for God to save.

Dake elaborates on this further, teaching: “If God should seek to save and keep rebels contrary to their wills He would break His own laws and fail to carry out His own plan. God could not be guilty of such unlawful dealings, so if men are finally lost it is not because God has failed, His plan has failed, the sacrifice of Christ has failed, or that God did not have power to keep them contrary to His plan.”¹² Notice how Dake frames this – it’s not that God chooses to honor human agency, but that He “could not” save rebels. This is a power limitation, not a moral choice!

But what does the Bible say? In Luke 19:10, Jesus said He came “to seek and to save that which was lost.” He didn’t say “to save those who aren’t too lost” or “to save those who merit it.” He came for the completely lost!

Think about these biblical examples:

The Thief on the Cross: This man was a criminal, dying for his crimes. He had no time to do good works or “merit” salvation. Yet Jesus saved him with just a word (Luke 23:39-43).

Manasseh: This king of Judah was one of the most wicked men in the Bible. He practiced witchcraft, sacrificed his own children to idols, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Yet when he humbled himself, God forgave him (2 Chronicles 33:1-13). If God could save Manasseh, who is beyond His reach?

Mary Magdalene: She had seven demons. Seven! Yet Jesus cast them all out and she became one of His most devoted followers (Luke 8:2).

The Bible never says anyone is too sinful for God to save. In fact, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15 that Christ came to save sinners, “of whom I am chief.” If God could save Paul, the “chief” of sinners, He can save anyone!

The “Physical Realm” Limitation

Another area where Dake limited God’s power was in the physical world. While he acknowledged that God created the universe, Dake suggested that God now operates under the physical laws He created and cannot simply override them at will. This is particularly evident in his teachings about healing and miracles.

Dake taught that there are conditions that must be met for God to heal or perform miracles. While it’s true that God often chooses to work through faith and prayer, Dake went too far by suggesting God is bound by these conditions. He made it seem like God wants to help but can’t unless humans do their part perfectly.

But look at what the Bible shows us about God’s power over the physical world:

Jesus Walks on Water: The laws of physics say a human body should sink in water. Did that stop Jesus? Not at all! He walked on the sea like it was dry ground (Matthew 14:25).

The Sun Stands Still: When Joshua needed more daylight to defeat his enemies, God made the sun stand still for about a full day (Joshua 10:13). The Creator of the universe isn’t limited by the laws of nature He created!

Feeding the 5,000: Five loaves and two fish fed over 5,000 people with twelve baskets left over (Matthew 14:13-21). God multiplied matter itself. He created food out of almost nothing!

Raising the Dead: Lazarus had been dead for four days. His body was decomposing. Martha even said, “by this time he stinketh” (John 11:39). But Jesus called him out of the grave with just His voice. Death itself cannot limit God’s power!

The Biblical Testimony to Unlimited Power

Now let’s look at what the Bible actually teaches about God’s unlimited power. The contrast with Dake’s limited god is stunning. Scripture after scripture declares that nothing is impossible with God, that His power knows no bounds, and that He does whatever He pleases.

Old Testament Declarations of God’s Omnipotence

The Old Testament is filled with powerful statements about God’s unlimited ability. Let’s examine some key passages that Dake apparently ignored or misunderstood:

This was God’s response when Sarah laughed at the promise of a son in her old age. She thought she was too old, her womb was dead, it was physically impossible. But God asked a simple question: “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” The answer, of course, is no! Nothing is too hard for God. Not even giving a 90-year-old woman a baby.

If Dake was right about God’s limitations, God should have said, “Well, Sarah, there are certain spheres where I cannot operate. The sphere of dead wombs is beyond my reach.” But that’s not what God said at all!

Jeremiah understood something Dake missed: The God who created the entire universe can do anything. If God had the power to create everything from nothing, how can there be something too hard for Him now? It doesn’t make sense!

Think about it: Creating the universe required infinite power. God spoke and billions of galaxies came into existence. He commanded and countless stars began burning. He decreed and planets began spinning in perfect orbits. If God could do all that, what could possibly be beyond His power now?

This verse destroys Dake’s idea of a limited God. God does “whatsoever he hath pleased.” Not “whatever He can within His limited sphere,” but whatever He pleases! God’s will is never frustrated by lack of power.

The psalmist continues this theme in Psalm 135:6: “Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.” Notice the scope – heaven, earth, seas, and all deep places. There’s no sphere where God cannot operate. His power extends everywhere!

New Testament Confirmations of Divine Omnipotence

The New Testament continues and even amplifies the Old Testament’s teaching about God’s unlimited power. Jesus and the apostles made it crystal clear that nothing is impossible with God.

This was the angel Gabriel’s declaration to Mary about her miraculous pregnancy. Notice the absolute nature of this statement: “NOTHING shall be impossible.” Not “most things are possible” or “things within God’s sphere are possible.” Nothing means nothing!

This same truth appears when Jesus taught His disciples about salvation. When they asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). Jesus didn’t say, “Well, salvation is impossible if people resist too much.” He said what’s impossible for humans is possible for God!

Paul understood God’s power goes beyond our wildest imagination. God doesn’t just do what we ask – He does “exceeding abundantly above” what we can even think! How can a God who operates beyond our ability to imagine be limited by “spheres” He cannot enter?

Think about what “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” means. Take your biggest prayer request. Now multiply it by a thousand. Now multiply that by a million. Keep going until you can’t imagine anything bigger. God can do more than that! That’s omnipotence!

Jesus’ Demonstrations of Unlimited Power

Perhaps the clearest refutation of Dake’s limited god comes from watching Jesus in action. Jesus, being God in flesh, demonstrated divine omnipotence repeatedly. He never encountered a situation He couldn’t handle, a disease He couldn’t heal, or a demon He couldn’t cast out.

Let’s look at some specific examples that destroy Dake’s theology:

Power Over Nature: When a storm threatened to sink the disciples’ boat, Jesus didn’t say, “Sorry, guys, weather is outside my sphere of operation.” He stood up and commanded, “Peace, be still,” and immediately there was a great calm (Mark 4:39). The wind and waves obeyed Him instantly!

Power Over Demons: When Jesus met the man with a legion of demons (that’s potentially thousands of demons), did He say, “This is too many for me to handle”? No! He cast them all out with a word (Mark 5:1-13). No demon or group of demons could resist His power.

Power Over Disease: Every single person who came to Jesus for healing was healed. Matthew 4:24 says, “They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” All of them. Every single one. No exceptions.

Power Over Death: Jesus raised the dead multiple times. He raised Jairus’s daughter who had just died (Mark 5:35-42). He raised the widow’s son who was being carried to burial (Luke 7:11-15). He raised Lazarus who had been dead four days (John 11:1-44). Death itself could not resist His power.

If Jesus had the limitations Dake imagines, none of these miracles would have been possible. But Jesus demonstrated unlimited power because He IS the omnipotent God!

Distinguishing Ability from Consistency with Character

Now we need to address an important distinction that Dake completely messed up. There’s a huge difference between what God cannot do (lacks power to do) and what God will not do (chooses not to do because it goes against His character).

When the Bible says God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), it’s not saying God lacks the power to speak false words. It’s saying that lying would contradict God’s nature as Truth itself. This isn’t a limitation of power but a perfection of character.

Dake himself acknowledged this distinction in theory. In his Bible notes on omnipotence, he writes: “God cannot lie (Tit.1:2; Heb. 6:18), which means that He is absolutely truthful and can be depended upon as being above lying. We say then that it is morally impossible for Him to lie. As to being able to utter words which are the opposite of truth, such is within God’s power if He would Permit Himself to do so; but He will not and for that reason it is declared that He cannot lie.”⁵ Here Dake correctly distinguishes between moral impossibility and lack of power. The problem is that he then contradicts this distinction throughout his other writings by treating God’s nature-based limitations as if they were power-based limitations!

Let me illustrate this with a simple example. Can a skilled artist draw an ugly picture? Of course! They have the ability. But a truly great artist might never draw an ugly picture because it goes against their nature as an artist devoted to beauty. Their refusal to create ugliness isn’t a lack of ability but an expression of their commitment to excellence.

Similarly, God’s “inability” to sin isn’t a weakness but a strength. It shows His perfect holiness. A God who could sin wouldn’t be more powerful – He would be morally imperfect and therefore not truly God at all.

What God Cannot Do (Nature)

There are things God cannot do because they would contradict His perfect nature:

God Cannot Lie – Not because He lacks power but because He IS truth (John 14:6). For God to lie would be for God to deny Himself, to cease being God.

God Cannot Sin – Not because He’s weak but because He is perfectly holy (1 Peter 1:16). Sin is falling short of perfection. How can the Perfect One fall short of perfection?

God Cannot Deny Himself – God cannot act contrary to His own nature (2 Timothy 2:13). He cannot be unholy, unloving, unjust, or unwise because these would contradict who He is.

God Cannot Be Tempted with Evil – James 1:13 tells us God cannot be tempted with evil. This isn’t because He’s weak but because evil has no appeal to One who is perfectly good.

These aren’t limitations on God’s power. They’re affirmations of His perfect character. They show that God is so powerful that nothing can make Him act against His nature.

What God Will Not Do (Choice)

Then there are things God chooses not to do, though He has the power to do them:

God Will Not Force Love – God could force everyone to love Him, but forced love isn’t real love. So He allows people to choose, though He has the power to override their choice.

God Will Not Violate His Promises – God has bound Himself by His word. When He makes a promise, He will keep it, though He has the power to do otherwise.

God Will Not Act Unjustly – God could use His power unjustly, but He chooses to always act in perfect justice and fairness.

These are choices God makes, not limitations on His power. Dake confused these categories, turning God’s perfect character into weakness and His sovereign choices into inability.

Why a Non-Omnipotent God Cannot Save

Here’s the really scary part about Dake’s teaching: If God isn’t truly omnipotent, He cannot guarantee our salvation. Salvation requires infinite power, and a limited God cannot provide it. Let me explain why.

Salvation Requires Power Over Sin

Sin is incredibly powerful. It has corrupted the entire human race and the whole creation. Romans 5:12 tells us that through one man sin entered the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men. The power of sin is so great that it brought death to everything.

If God has limited power, how can He overcome the infinite offense of sin against His infinite holiness? How can He break sin’s power in our lives? How can He guarantee that sin won’t ultimately win?

The Bible says Jesus “appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26). But if Jesus (who is God) has limited power, how do we know His sacrifice was sufficient? Maybe sin is in one of those “spheres” where God cannot operate fully. Maybe some sins are too powerful for a limited God to forgive.

But praise God, the Bible teaches that where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). God’s grace is more powerful than all our sin because God’s power is unlimited!

Salvation Requires Power Over Satan

The Bible calls Satan “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). Satan has tremendous power. He deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9). He holds people captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26).

If God isn’t omnipotent, how can we be sure He’s more powerful than Satan? Maybe Satan operates in one of those “spheres” where Dake says God cannot go. Maybe some people are under Satan’s power in a way that a limited God cannot break.

But the Bible assures us that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). ALL power, not some power. Satan is a created being, and the Creator is infinitely more powerful than any creature.

Colossians 2:15 tells us that Jesus “spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them.” This doesn’t sound like a God with limited power! This is complete, total victory over all the forces of darkness.

Salvation Requires Power Over Death

Death is called the “last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). It’s the final consequence of sin, and it seems absolutely final. Once someone dies, that’s it – from a human perspective, there’s no coming back.

If God has limited power, can He really conquer death? Can He really raise the dead? Can He guarantee eternal life? Maybe death is one of those areas where God’s power doesn’t fully operate.

But Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25). He proved this by rising from the dead Himself! And not just coming back to life for a while – He conquered death forever.

Revelation 1:18 records Jesus saying, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Jesus holds the keys! Death must obey Him! That’s omnipotence!

Salvation Requires Power to Keep Us Saved

Even after we’re saved, we need God’s power to keep us saved. We face temptations, trials, persecution, and our own weak flesh. If God has limited power, how can He keep His promise to preserve us?

Jesus promised, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). But if God has limited power, maybe someone or something CAN pluck us out of His hand!

Dake actually taught that God cannot keep someone saved if they choose to turn back to sin. But this makes our security depend on our strength, not God’s. It makes salvation ultimately depend on human power, not divine power.

But the Bible says we are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (1 Peter 1:5). It’s GOD’S power that keeps us, not our own. And Jude 24 says He “is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory.” He is ABLE – He has the power!

The Comfort of Serving an Almighty God

Understanding that God is truly omnipotent isn’t just important for theology – it’s essential for daily Christian living. When we know our God is all-powerful, it changes everything about how we face life’s challenges.

Confidence in Prayer

When you pray to an omnipotent God, you can have absolute confidence that He can answer your prayers. There’s no request too big, no problem too complicated, no situation too hopeless. The God who created the universe with a word can handle your situation!

But if you believe Dake’s teaching about a limited God, prayer becomes a gamble. Maybe your problem is in one of those “spheres” where God cannot operate. Maybe your situation requires more power than God has. Maybe you’re wasting your time asking for something God cannot do.

Jesus said, “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14). He didn’t say, “I’ll do it if it’s within my limited sphere of operation.” He said, “I WILL do it.” That’s the confidence that comes from omnipotence!

Think about some of the “impossible” prayers God has answered:

• Hannah prayed for a child when her womb was barren – God gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 1)
• Elijah prayed for rain after 3½ years of drought – God sent rain (1 Kings 18)
• Hezekiah prayed when Jerusalem was surrounded by an invincible army – God destroyed 185,000 soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19)
• The church prayed for Peter in prison – God sent an angel to free him (Acts 12)

These prayers were answered because God has unlimited power. Nothing is too hard for Him!

Peace in Trials

When you face trials, knowing God is omnipotent gives you perfect peace. Whatever you’re going through, God is more powerful than your problem. He can deliver you from it, sustain you through it, or use it for your good and His glory.

Romans 8:28 promises, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” But this promise only works if God has the power to control “all things.” If God has limited power, maybe some things are outside His control and can’t be worked for good.

But when you know God is omnipotent, you can face anything with confidence. Cancer? God is more powerful. Financial crisis? God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Relationship problems? God can change hearts. Death itself? God conquered it through Christ!

Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13) because Christ has all power. If Christ had limited power, Paul would have had to say, “I can do some things through Christ, depending on which sphere we’re operating in.”

Hope in Hopeless Situations

Some situations seem absolutely hopeless from a human perspective. The diagnosis is terminal. The marriage is beyond repair. The addiction seems unbreakable. The loss is devastating. In these moments, only an omnipotent God can give real hope.

If God has limited power, then some situations really are hopeless. If the doctors say there’s nothing more they can do, and God has limited power, then that’s it – there’s no hope. If the addiction is too strong for human will to break, and God can’t override human will, then freedom is impossible.

But with an omnipotent God, there’s always hope! No situation is beyond His power to change. No heart is too hard for Him to soften. No body is too sick for Him to heal. No problem is too complex for Him to solve.

This doesn’t mean God always does what we want Him to do. Sometimes He has greater purposes we don’t understand. But it means He always CAN do it. The limitation is never in His power but in His perfect wisdom and love.

Courage in Spiritual Warfare

The Christian life involves spiritual warfare against powerful enemies – the world, the flesh, and the devil. If God has limited power, we’re in serious trouble. These enemies might be too strong for Him to defeat.

But knowing God is omnipotent gives us courage to stand against any spiritual enemy. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). The answer is: No one can successfully oppose us if omnipotent God is on our side!

The armor of God described in Ephesians 6 only works if God has unlimited power to back it up. What good is the “sword of the Spirit” if the Spirit has limited power? What protection is the “shield of faith” if the God we have faith in can’t handle certain attacks?

But with omnipotent God, we can “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10). His might is unlimited, so our strength in Him is sufficient for any spiritual battle.

How Dake’s Error Connects to His Other Heresies

Dake’s denial of God’s omnipotence wasn’t an isolated error. It connected directly to his other false teachings, creating a web of heresy that trapped those who accepted any part of it. Let’s see how limiting God’s power led to other dangerous doctrines.

Connection to His Teaching on God’s Body

Remember, Dake taught that God has a physical body with hands, feet, eyes, and other parts. This false teaching directly relates to his denial of omnipotence. If God has a body, He’s automatically limited in power.

A body can only be in one place at a time. So a God with a body can’t be omnipresent (everywhere at once). And if God isn’t omnipresent, He can’t exercise power everywhere. There would be places where God isn’t located, and therefore places where His power doesn’t reach.

This is exactly what Dake taught! He said God is “NOT omnipresent in body but in Spirit through the Holy Spirit” (Dake Bible, note on Jeremiah 23:24). By giving God a body, Dake had to limit God’s power to wherever that body happened to be.

But the true God is spirit (John 4:24), not confined to a body. He is everywhere present and therefore can exercise His unlimited power anywhere and everywhere simultaneously. The omnipotent God doesn’t need to travel from place to place like Dake’s bodied god would.

Connection to His Tritheism

Dake’s teaching that the Trinity consists of three separate Gods (tritheism) also relates to his denial of omnipotence. If there are three separate Gods, do they each have unlimited power? That would mean three omnipotent beings, which is logically impossible.

Think about it: If the Father is omnipotent and the Son is omnipotent and they’re separate beings, what happens when they disagree? Whose unlimited power wins? The very idea of multiple omnipotent beings creates an unsolvable contradiction.

Dake tried to solve this by dividing up spheres of operation between the three Gods. But this means none of them is truly omnipotent – each is limited to their own sphere. The Father might be all-powerful in His sphere, but He can’t operate in the Son’s sphere.

The biblical Trinity – one God in three persons – doesn’t have this problem. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share the same divine essence and therefore the same unlimited power. They don’t compete or divide territory because they are one God, not three.

Connection to His Prosperity Teaching

Dake’s limitation of God’s power directly affected his teaching about health and wealth. He taught that God wants everyone to be healthy and wealthy, but people aren’t because they don’t meet the right conditions or have enough faith.

This teaching makes sense if God has limited power. If God can’t overcome human unbelief or can’t work outside certain conditions, then our lack of faith could stop Him from blessing us. The problem isn’t God’s will but His limited ability to accomplish His will.

But if God is truly omnipotent, He could make everyone healthy and wealthy instantly if that was His will. The fact that godly people sometimes suffer and struggle proves that God has purposes beyond just making us comfortable. He has the power to prosper everyone, but He chooses to work differently for His glory.

Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that God chose not to remove despite Paul’s prayers (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Was this because God lacked power? No! It was because God’s grace was sufficient and His strength was made perfect in weakness. An omnipotent God can choose to work through our weaknesses rather than eliminating them.

Connection to His Racial Teachings

Dake’s horrible teaching about racial segregation also connects to his view of God’s limited power. He taught that God created the races separate and wants them to stay separate forever. He claimed God cannot or will not unite what He has divided.

But if God is omnipotent, He certainly has the power to unite all people in Christ. And that’s exactly what the Bible teaches! “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

The gospel breaks down every wall of division because God’s power is greater than human prejudice and sin. But Dake’s limited God apparently can’t overcome the racial divisions that sin created. His God is stuck with segregation forever.

The true omnipotent God is creating one new humanity in Christ, breaking down every dividing wall (Ephesians 2:14-16). No human prejudice or sinful division can stand against His unlimited power to unite His people.

The Philosophical Problems with Limited Omnipotence

Beyond the biblical problems, Dake’s teaching about God’s limited power creates massive logical and philosophical problems. His position is not only unbiblical but also irrational. Let’s examine why a partially omnipotent God is a logical impossibility.

The Problem of Partial Omnipotence

Omnipotence means “all power.” You either have all power or you don’t. There’s no such thing as partial omnipotence – that’s like saying something is “partially infinite” or “somewhat eternal.” These are absolute concepts that don’t allow for degrees.

When Dake says God is omnipotent “within His sphere,” he’s actually saying God is not omnipotent at all. He’s just very powerful within certain limits. But very powerful is not the same as all-powerful. The strongest human is very powerful compared to other humans, but they’re not omnipotent.

Think of it this way: If I say I have all the money in the world, but then admit I only have all the money in my wallet, do I really have all the money? Of course not! Similarly, if God has all power, but only in certain spheres, He doesn’t really have all power.

The Problem of Who Sets the Limits

If God’s power is limited to certain spheres, who decided what those spheres are? Who drew the boundaries that God cannot cross? There are only a few possibilities, and they all create bigger problems:

Did God Limit Himself? If God chose to limit His own power, then He must have had unlimited power to begin with. But why would an omnipotent God permanently limit Himself? And if He truly limited Himself, does He still have the power to un-limit Himself? If yes, then He’s not really limited. If no, then He’s no longer omnipotent.

Did Something Else Limit God? If something outside of God limited His power, then that something is more powerful than God. But then that something would be God, not the being we call God. You’ve just moved the problem back a step.

Is God Naturally Limited? If God is limited by His nature, then He was never omnipotent to begin with. He’s just a very powerful being with built-in limitations. But this isn’t the God of the Bible, who created everything from nothing and has all power.

The Problem of Evil

If God has limited power, it creates an unsolvable problem of evil. Why does God allow suffering? The biblical answer is that God has good reasons we may not understand, and He will ultimately work everything for good.

But if God has limited power, maybe He allows suffering because He can’t stop it! Maybe evil exists in one of those spheres where God cannot operate. Maybe Satan has power in areas where God doesn’t.

This would mean evil might ultimately win. If God’s power is limited, we have no guarantee that good will triumph over evil. Maybe God wants good to win but lacks the power to ensure it happens.

The Bible’s comfort in suffering depends on God’s omnipotence. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28) only works if God has power over all things. A limited God can’t guarantee this promise.

The Problem of Creation

The Bible teaches God created everything from nothing (Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 11:3). This required infinite power. Nothing except an omnipotent God could call the universe into existence from nothing.

But if God has limited power now, did He have unlimited power during creation? Did He lose power after creating? That would mean God changes, which contradicts Malachi 3:6 – “I am the LORD, I change not.”

Or did God create with limited power? But how can limited power create from nothing? Limited power can rearrange what exists, but it takes infinite power to create existence itself.

Dake never adequately explained how his limited God could have created the universe. His theology falls apart at the very first verse of the Bible!

Why This Error Is So Dangerous

Some might think this is just a theological debate that doesn’t really matter. “So what if Dake limited God’s power a bit? What’s the big deal?” But this error is incredibly dangerous for several reasons.

It Creates a False God

First and foremost, Dake’s teaching creates a false god – an idol of the imagination. The limited god Dake describes is not the God of the Bible. It’s a different god altogether.

When the Bible says “God,” it means the omnipotent Creator of the universe. When Dake says “God,” he means a powerful but limited being who operates within spheres and boundaries. These are not the same!

Worshiping a false god is idolatry, even if you call that false god by the right name. The Israelites called the golden calf “Yahweh” (Exodus 32:4-5), but it was still an idol. Similarly, calling Dake’s limited deity “God” doesn’t make it the true God.

Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). We must worship God as He truly is – omnipotent – not as Dake imagined Him to be.

It Undermines Faith

If God has limited power, how can we have unlimited faith in Him? Faith is only as strong as its object. Faith in a limited God will always be limited faith.

When you face a crisis, you need to know God can handle it. If you believe Dake’s teaching, you’ll always wonder: “Is this problem too big for God? Is this outside His sphere? Does He want to help but can’t?”

This doubt destroys faith. Jesus said, “Have faith in God” and promised that with faith we could move mountains (Mark 11:22-23). But mountain-moving faith requires an omnipotent God. Faith in a limited God might move molehills but not mountains.

Think about how this affects prayer. When you pray for someone with terminal cancer, do you believe God can heal them? If God has limited power, maybe He can’t. Maybe cancer is outside His sphere. Maybe medical science has reached the limit of what’s possible, and God can’t go beyond that.

But when you know God is omnipotent, you can pray with boldness and confidence. Not that God will always do what we ask – He’s wiser than us. But we know He CAN do it if it’s His will.

It Destroys Hope

Christianity is a religion of hope because we serve an omnipotent God. No matter how dark things get, there’s always hope because God has unlimited power to change things.

But Dake’s limited God offers limited hope. Some situations might be truly hopeless – beyond even God’s power to fix. Some people might be beyond saving. Some problems might be unsolvable.

This is especially cruel for people in desperate situations. The drug addict hoping for freedom, the abused person praying for deliverance, the terminally ill patient seeking healing – Dake’s theology tells them God might not have enough power to help.

But the Bible offers unlimited hope through our omnipotent God. “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). Notice – we abound in hope through God’s POWER!

It Empowers Satan

If God has limited power, then Satan has more power than the Bible teaches. Maybe Satan operates in those spheres where God cannot go. Maybe Satan has real power that can genuinely threaten God’s plans.

This would explain why evil seems to win so often – God wants to stop it but can’t! Satan is operating outside God’s sphere of omnipotence. This makes Satan a real rival to God rather than a created being under God’s ultimate control.

But the Bible teaches Satan is absolutely under God’s authority. He could do nothing to Job without God’s permission (Job 1-2). He will be bound by a single angel with a chain (Revelation 20:1-3). He’s already a defeated foe (Colossians 2:15).

Christians don’t need to fear Satan because “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). But this is only true if God has greater power than Satan. If God’s power is limited, maybe Satan is greater in some areas.

It Makes God a Liar

Throughout Scripture, God claims to have all power and to be able to do anything. If He actually has limited power, then these claims are lies. God has been deceiving us about His capabilities.

When God asked, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14), He was implying the answer is no. But if Dake is right, God should have said, “Some things are too hard for me.”

When Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18), was He exaggerating? If Dake is right, Jesus should have said, “I have power in certain spheres but not others.”

When Paul wrote that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20), was he mistaken? If Dake is right, there are many things we might ask or think that God cannot do.

Either God has the unlimited power He claims, or He’s been misleading us. Dake’s theology, perhaps unintentionally, makes God a liar.

Answering Dake’s Arguments

Let’s examine some of Dake’s specific arguments for God’s limited power and see why they don’t hold up to biblical scrutiny.

“God Cannot Lie, So He’s Limited”

Dake argued that since the Bible says God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), this proves God has limitations. But this completely misunderstands the nature of God’s inability to lie.

God cannot lie not because He lacks power, but because lying would contradict His nature as Truth. It’s not that God tries to lie but fails due to limited power. It’s that lying is contrary to who He is.

Think of it this way: Light cannot produce darkness. Not because light is weak, but because producing darkness would mean ceasing to be light. Similarly, God cannot lie because doing so would mean ceasing to be God.

This isn’t a limitation on God’s power but an affirmation of His perfect nature. A God who could lie wouldn’t be more powerful – He would be morally inferior and therefore not God at all.

“God Must Respect Free Will”

One of Dake’s favorite arguments was that God cannot violate human free will. He claimed God “must” respect human choices and cannot force anyone to do anything.

But the Bible shows God overriding human will whenever He chooses:

Proverbs 21:1 – “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God turns hearts like rivers!

Philippians 2:13 – “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God works in us to WILL – He influences our very desires!

Exodus 9:12 – “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh.” God actively hardened Pharaoh’s heart, overriding his will.

God often allows humans to make free choices, but this is His sovereign decision, not a limitation on His power. He could override every human choice if He wanted to, but He chooses to allow freedom for His own purposes.

“God Cannot Save the Unwilling”

Dake taught that God cannot save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. He claimed human rebellion can successfully resist God’s saving power.

But Paul was actively persecuting the church when God saved him. Was Paul willing? No! He was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). Yet God knocked him down, blinded him, and transformed him into the greatest apostle.

Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him” (John 6:44). Salvation starts with God drawing us, not with us choosing God. He can draw anyone He chooses to draw.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 promises, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

Notice – God doesn’t say “I’ll try to give you a new heart if you’ll let me.” He says “I WILL” do it. God can change any heart He chooses to change. The limitation is not in His power but in His sovereign will.

“God Works Within Natural Laws”

Dake suggested that God usually works within the natural laws He created and cannot easily violate them. This limits God to working through natural processes rather than supernatural intervention.

But the Bible is full of God violating natural laws:

• The Red Sea parted for Israel (Exodus 14)
• The sun stood still for Joshua (Joshua 10)
• Iron floated for Elisha (2 Kings 6)
• Fire didn’t burn Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
• Jesus walked on water (Matthew 14)
• The dead were raised multiple times

God created natural laws and can override them whenever He chooses. He’s not bound by His creation – His creation is bound by Him! “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9).

The Biblical Response to Dake’s Heresy

How should Christians respond to Dake’s false teaching about God’s limited power? The Bible gives us clear guidance.

Affirm the Biblical Truth

First and foremost, we must clearly affirm what the Bible teaches about God’s omnipotence. We need to know, believe, and declare that our God has all power. Let’s review some key verses to memorize and share:

These verses aren’t complicated theological statements. They’re simple, clear declarations that God can do anything. A sixth-grader can understand them. There’s no excuse for twisting them to mean God has limited power.

Reject False Teaching

The Bible commands us to reject false teaching, no matter how popular or widespread it might be. Paul warned, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

Teaching that God has limited power is “another gospel” – it’s a different message about a different god. We must reject it completely, even if it comes from a famous teacher with a study Bible.

This means:

• Don’t use the Dake Bible as your primary study Bible
• Don’t teach from Dake’s materials
• Warn others about his false teachings
• Remove his books from your church library if you’re a pastor
• Correct this error whenever you encounter it

This isn’t about being mean or judgmental. It’s about protecting God’s truth and God’s people from dangerous error.

Trust in God’s Unlimited Power

Finally, we need to actively trust in God’s omnipotence. It’s not enough to mentally agree that God has all power – we need to live like we believe it!

This means:

Pray Big Prayers – Since God can do anything, don’t limit your prayers to small requests. Ask Him for the impossible! He delights to show His power in response to faith.

Face Trials with Confidence – No matter what you’re going through, God has the power to deliver you, sustain you, or use it for incredible good. Your problems are not too big for Him.

Share the Gospel Boldly – God has the power to save anyone – the hardest sinner, the proudest skeptic, the most committed atheist. Don’t write anyone off as too far gone.

Worship with Awe – We serve the omnipotent Creator of the universe! This should fill us with wonder, reverence, and praise. We’re not worshiping a limited deity but the all-powerful God!

Real-Life Impact of This Doctrine

Let me share some practical examples of how Dake’s false teaching about God’s limited power affects real people in real situations.

The Cancer Patient

Imagine Sarah, a devoted Christian mother of three, diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The doctors say there’s nothing more they can do. Sarah’s church has been influenced by Dake’s teaching.

If God has limited power, Sarah faces a horrible conclusion: maybe God wants to heal her but can’t. Maybe cancer is one of those “spheres” where God cannot operate. Maybe she needs more faith, but God told Dake that He cannot save those who don’t have perfect faith.

This teaching adds guilt and despair to her suffering. Not only is she dying, but maybe it’s her fault for not having enough faith. Or maybe God simply doesn’t have the power to heal her type of cancer.

But if God is omnipotent, Sarah can rest in different truths: God CAN heal her instantly if He chooses. If He doesn’t, it’s not because He lacks power but because He has purposes she may not understand. She can trust that He will work even this for good, either by healing her or by glorifying Himself through her faith in suffering.

The Struggling Addict

Consider Tom, who’s been battling drug addiction for years. He’s tried everything – rehab, counseling, willpower – but keeps relapsing. His church teaches Dake’s doctrine about God’s limitations.

If God cannot override human will, then Tom’s addiction might be stronger than God’s power to free him. If God must respect Tom’s “free choice” to use drugs, then God can’t deliver him until Tom delivers himself. But that’s exactly what Tom cannot do!

This leaves Tom in hopeless bondage. God wants to help but can’t violate Tom’s will. Tom wants to be free but can’t overcome his addiction. It’s a standoff with no solution.

But if God is omnipotent, there’s real hope! God can break any chain, overcome any addiction, transform any heart. He can give Tom not just the power to resist but new desires that hate what he once loved. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The Missionary in a Hard Place

Think about Mary, a missionary to a Muslim country where conversion to Christianity is illegal and dangerous. She’s been sharing the gospel for years with little fruit. She reads Dake’s teaching about God’s limited power.

If God cannot save the unwilling, then Mary’s work might be hopeless. These people are firmly set against Christianity. Their culture, religion, and laws all oppose the gospel. If God cannot override human will, how can they ever be saved?

This doctrine would destroy missionary zeal. Why risk your life to share the gospel if God doesn’t have the power to save those who resist it? Why go to hard places if God’s power doesn’t work in certain “spheres”?

But knowing God is omnipotent gives Mary courage and hope. The same God who saved Saul of Tarsus can save Muslim extremists. The God who opened Lydia’s heart (Acts 16:14) can open any heart. No culture, religion, or human resistance can stop omnipotent God from saving whom He will.

The Abused Child

Consider the heartbreaking situation of Lily, a child in an abusive home. She prays every night for God to make the abuse stop. Her Sunday school teacher has been influenced by Dake’s theology.

If God has limited power, maybe He can’t stop Lily’s abuse. Maybe the abuser’s free will is stronger than God’s power to intervene. Maybe child abuse happens in one of those spheres where God cannot operate. What a horrible thought!

This teaching could destroy a child’s faith forever. If God can’t protect innocent children from abuse, what good is He? If His love is limited by His power, how is He different from any other caring but helpless observer?

But if God is omnipotent, there’s a different perspective. God CAN stop the abuse instantly. If He allows it temporarily, He must have reasons we don’t understand – perhaps to bring about justice, to develop compassion in others who will help, or to display His glory in eventual deliverance. This doesn’t make the abuse okay, but it means God is not helpless.

The Glorious Truth of God’s Omnipotence

Let’s end by celebrating the glorious truth that Dake denied: Our God is truly omnipotent! He has all power in heaven and earth. Nothing is too hard for Him. No one can stay His hand or say to Him, “What are you doing?”

Creation Displays His Omnipotence

Look at creation itself. Scientists estimate there are over 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe. Each galaxy contains hundreds of billions of stars. The distances are so vast we measure them in light-years – the distance light travels in a year at 186,000 miles per second!

And God created all of this with just His word. He didn’t struggle or strain. He simply spoke, and billions of galaxies sprang into existence. “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6).

If God has the power to create the universe, how can anything in the universe be too hard for Him? If He can make billions of galaxies, can’t He handle your problems? If He can keep planets in orbit, can’t He keep you in His care?

The Cross Demonstrates His Omnipotence

The greatest display of God’s omnipotence wasn’t creation but redemption. At the cross, God did what seemed impossible – He satisfied His infinite justice while showing infinite mercy. He punished sin fully while completely forgiving sinners.

Think about the power required at Calvary:

• Power to lay the sins of the world on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6)
• Power to satisfy infinite justice with one sacrifice (Hebrews 10:12)
• Power to defeat Satan, sin, and death (Colossians 2:14-15)
• Power to raise Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20)
• Power to save everyone who believes (Romans 1:16)

No limited God could accomplish this. It took omnipotent God to save sinners like us. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

His Omnipotence Guarantees Our Future

Because God is omnipotent, our future is secure. He has promised to complete the work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). He has promised to keep us from falling (Jude 24). He has promised to raise us from the dead (John 6:40). He has promised us eternal life that can never be lost (John 10:28).

A limited God couldn’t guarantee any of these promises. Maybe His power would run out. Maybe obstacles would arise that He couldn’t overcome. Maybe His enemies would prove stronger than expected.

But our omnipotent God backs every promise with unlimited power. Heaven and earth may pass away, but His words will never fail because He has the power to fulfill every one of them!

Revelation gives us a glimpse of the end, when God’s omnipotence will be fully displayed:

This is our God – the Lord God OMNIPOTENT! He reigns with unlimited power over all creation. Every enemy will be defeated. Every promise will be fulfilled. Every tear will be wiped away. Every wrong will be made right. Not because God will try His best with limited power, but because He has ALL power to accomplish His perfect will!

Conclusion: Standing for Truth

Finis Jennings Dake’s teaching that God has limited power is not a minor error or a different interpretation. It’s a fundamental denial of who God is. It creates a different god – a powerful but limited being who wants to help but often can’t, who has good intentions but lacks sufficient power.

This is not the God of the Bible. The true God has all power in heaven and earth. Nothing is too hard for Him. No purpose of His can be hindered. He does whatever He pleases in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

If you’ve been influenced by Dake’s teaching, I urge you to reject it completely. Return to the biblical truth of God’s omnipotence. Don’t settle for a limited god when you can worship the unlimited God!

If you’re a pastor or teacher, guard your flock from this error. Remove Dake materials from your church. Teach clearly about God’s unlimited power. Help people understand that the God they serve can do anything!

If you’re facing impossible situations, take courage! Your God is omnipotent. Your problems are not too big for Him. Your enemies are not too strong for Him. Your situation is not beyond His power to change. Trust in the Lord God omnipotent!

And if you know others who have been deceived by Dake’s teachings, share the truth in love. Show them from Scripture that God has all power. Help them see how a limited God cannot be the true God. Point them to the omnipotent God who alone is worthy of worship and trust.

The battle for truth about God’s nature is not academic – it’s essential to genuine faith. We cannot worship rightly if we don’t know who God truly is. We cannot trust fully if we doubt God’s power. We cannot have peace if we think our problems might be too big for God.

So let us stand firmly on the biblical truth: Our God is omnipotent! He has all power! Nothing is impossible with Him! This is the God we worship, serve, and trust. This is the God who saved us and keeps us. This is the God who will one day make all things new.

To Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen!

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Footnotes

² Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1035.

³ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 1035.

⁴ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 547.

⁵ Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963), 638.

⁶ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 63.

⁷ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 61.

⁸ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 61.

⁹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 61.

¹⁰ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 660-661.

¹¹ Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 663.

¹² Finis Jennings Dake, God’s Plan for Man (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1949), 619.

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