AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

 

                                                           AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

 

What is Divine authority and to whom is it given?  Authority, according to one of the definitions is, “The right and power to command.”  Jesus said in Luke 10:19-20, “And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them.  Nothing shall injure you.  However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven.”  (Living Bible)

Jesus imparted His authority to the disciples and since we are also His disciples, as believers, this authority has been given to us as well.  The promise of the Holy Spirit was to give the disciples the strength and the wisdom and the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit would then impart.  We are emissaries for Christ because we represent Him on earth and as a representative, we are given authority to RE-PRESENT Him to the world.

We are also ambassadors for Christ.  An ambassador is also a ranking government representative in a foreign land.  We essentially are living in a foreign land because we get our “marching orders” from heaven.  Remember, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  An ambassador is a high ranking officer representing the head of state with full authority to represent the government.

We are citizens of heaven, and as such, can in effect, represent the Kingdom of Heaven having been given authority from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords---Jesus Christ!  (Authority of the Believer by Pastor Jim Feeney)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  1 John 4:4 (NIV)

 

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.  Matthew 10:8 (NIV)

 

The following are biblical examples of Christ’s authority working in the lives of believers:

Conversion and witness—The Samaritan woman came to the well because she was thirsty and little did she know that what she was really thirsting for was a touch from God.  She knew that the Messiah was coming, the Anointed One, who would tell them everything that they needed to know.   Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”  (NIV)  As a result of the Samaritan woman’s conversion, she went back to her town and testified to the people that they must come see a man Who must be the Christ.

Leading a person into the Baptism of the Holy Spirit---The Lord told Ananias, a disciple, in a vision, to go to a certain location and lay his hands on Paul who had been blinded on the road to Damascus.  “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 9:17 (NIV)

Deliverance (casting out demons---And these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;  Mark 16:17  During Jesus’ ministry He cast out many demons.  We have been given this authority too.

Heal the sick---Healing the sick is part of the great commission.  Whatever Jesus did, the disciples were able to do.  It wasn’t until they received power from on high at Pentecost that they were unafraid and bold and went out to the other parts of the world and continued the ministry of Jesus.

Prayers answered---We need to have faith for prayers to be answered.   “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.  Mark 11:23 “ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16 (NIV)

Walking in the gifts of the Holy Spirit---The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit; prophecy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, miracles, healing, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, faith and discerning of spirits, are the tools that the Holy Spirit gives us to work in conjunction with Him to manifest His glory so that He can work through us so He can reach others through us.  (Pastor Jim Feeney)

Authority is given but if it is not accepted or used, it is useless.  We, as Christians, need to accept the mantle of authority so we can walk in it and use it for the glory of God.  It is He, working through us that can manifest the compassion and love that Almighty God is seeking so passionately to bestow on a world that is lost in the darkness of despair and hopelessness.

So accept this mantle and walk in it because, we, you and I, are ambassadors for Christ.  We are His flesh and blood.  St. Teresa of Avila said;

 “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”