Knowing our authority in Jesus
Have you ever been driving down the road, as either the driver or as a passenger, and your vehicle is selected as one to be stopped for a random breath test by the Police?
When that Police officer steps out onto the road and indicates for your vehicle to pull over to the roadside, the driver has a decision to make, whether to obey that Officer or not to obey. But what is important to notice here is; what makes us want to obey that command from that Police Officer?
One thing that all drivers on Australian roads should know or for that matter most drivers on any roads throughout the world should know is, that the Police have the Authority of the Government behind them. Their power, their Authority is upheld by the Laws of the country. We know that the Police Officer is a representative of the Government and as such has the Authority of the Government. It is this Authority that we obey.
So, what are the Laws that give such people that Authority? They are decisions made by the Government regarding matters pertaining to the welfare of the people. Those decision are then written into the Law books of that Government and certain people are authorised to enforce those written Laws. People such as the Police Officer mentioned above.
But where does the Authority of the Believer come from?
All believers in GOD know that GOD is the Governing Power over all things, HE is all Powerful: So, as an example, we can compare GOD's Power and Authority to the Government over a Country:-
· Earthly Governments reign over countries, states, territories, or local areas,
· Earthly rulers have limited Power, and their Authority applies only to their area of responsibility;
· but GOD reigns over everything:
We have seen that the Earthly Governments employ people to carry out the responsibilities of that Government, such as Police, Tax collectors etc.
But GOD does things differently, HE has volunteers to carry out HIS wishes, they are HIS Children. It is to these people who voluntarily come to HIM through HIS Son JESUS: Those who ask HIM to be their FATHER GOD, these are the ones to whom GOD gives HIS Power and Authority.
So what does that AUTHORITY apply to?
Firstly, let's look at what Authority JESUS had, and still has.
Mark 1:27 They all were amazed, so as to question among themselves, saying, What is this? What new doctrine is this? FOR HE EVEN COMMANDS THE UNCLEAN SPIRITS WITH AUTHORITY, and they obey Him.(KJV) Take Note, JESUS did not command the people, HE commanded the unclean spirits. Then we see where the FATHER has given authority to JESUS to execute Judgement upon the Earth.
John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
We see above that JESUS has been given great Authority over this Earth, to confirm that look at this following verse of GOD's Holy Word. Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Here we see that HIS Authority extends far above just this Earth, it also extends into the Heavens, or to put it another way, it extends into the Spirit Realm.
We asked the question above; "what does that AUTHORITY apply to?" To answer that please look at the end of the previous paragraph: The Authority of the one who is our LORD, extends right over all of this planet and also into the Spiritual Realm: Both realms are where the evil one is trying hard to dominate us.
And now the good news. We too, have all of the Authority that JESUS has, even over the same locations that HE has it over.
To clarify that statement let us examine how that Authority gets distributed. In John 14:12 JESUS commands us to do the things that we have seen HIM doing, " John 14:12 Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father. " This is a joint command, that is, it is a command as well as a promise: Within that command is the power and Authority for us to do exactly what we have seen our LORD doing. And we can prove that from GOD's Word.
In the great Commission found in the book of Mark chapter 16 and verses 15 through 20, we see where the LORD commanded the Disciples to go out into all of the world and make Disciples, (see back page), and in Luke 9:1 we see JESUS empowering the twelve Disciples to do the same work as HIM.
Luke_9:1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. GOD is no respecter of persons, so the authority which was given to these Disciples has been given to us as well.
Referring back now to John 14:12 above, we see where JESUS said that the things that HE did we shall do also. JESUS walked this Earth in the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT. Also HE was born of the HOLY SPIRIT, and JESUS walked in HIM as the will of our FATHER GOD was being done. We too are Sons and Daughters of our FATHER GOD, and we too are born again of that same HOLY SPIRIT. Therefore we are empowered just as JESUS was and still is, to do the things that our FATHER calls us to do.
Mark 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. In this passage we see where JESUS says that HE has given HIS Authority to us, for us to do the work that HE has commanded us to do, (see the great commissions on the back page).
There is nothing on this Earth that does not come under the Authority of our LORD JESUS: And if you remember in my first newsletter we saw that the word translated as "Image" (Gen 1:26) means to "Represent": This means that, since we are created in the Image of JESUS, we are meant to "Represent JESUS".
Therefore, whatever JESUS has commanded us to do HE has given us HIS Authority to do. If HE tells us to raise the dead, then we have HIS Authority to raise the dead, if HE tells us to heal the sick, then we have HIS
Authority to heal the sick, If HE tells us to go into all of the world and make Disciples, then we have HIS Authority to go and make Disciples.
All of these things of course we all know are things that HE has already commanded us to do in the two great Commissions.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying,
ALL AUTHORITY IS GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.
Matthew 28:19 THEREFORE GO AND TEACH ALL NATIONS,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Mathewt 28:20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, GO INTO ALL THE WORLD, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Mark 16:17 And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things:
IN MY NAME THEY WILL CAST OUT DEMONS;
they will speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them.
THEY WILL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY WILL BE WELL.
Mark 16:19 Then indeed, after speaking to them, the Lord was taken up into Heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
Mark 16:20 And going out, they proclaimed everywhere,
THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM AND CONFIRMING THE WORD
by miraculous signs following. Amen.
JESUS has Commanded us to do the will of the FATHER, and HE has given us HIS Authority to do just that, so what's stopping us. LET'S GO.
YOU ARE EMPOWERED, In CHRIST JESUS.
Don Phillips 11/11/2018