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The Cross Foundation Ministries
Obeying God's Commandments, and
the Greatest of These is Love. |
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OUR POSITION OF AUTHORITY |
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As new creations,
Born Again Christians, we have been put in a
position of power and authority— a position delegated to us by God through Jesus
Christ. Along with that authority come certain responsibilities. Let us examine
God's Word concerning our position and the authority we have in Him.
When you made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, Colossians 1:13 says you were
delivered from the power of darkness. The word power is literally
translated "authority". You have been delivered from the power, or
authority, of darkness and placed into God's kingdom. Jesus said, "All power
is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore..." (Matt.
28:18,19). That power was given to you as part of your inheritance in Christ
Jesus. You have entered into this position of authority because you are in Him.
The Word says that righteousness has come upon all men (Rom. 5:18). You may ask,
"Then why don't all become righteous?" Because in order to receive it, you have
to act on righteousness from the point of authority.
When we are
Born Again, we are made the
righteousness of God in Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath
made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him."
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JESUS SECURED OUR
POWER AND AUTHORITY |
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Jesus succeeded in securing
all power by going to the cross, dying a horrible death, suffering
the penalty for sin, and defeating Satan in the pit of hell. He came to earth as
a man for one reason: to re-capture the authority that Satan had stolen through
Adam's disobedience in the garden. Jesus was called the last Adam (1 Cor.
15:45). After securing that power and authority, He freely gave it over into the
hands of those who would believe on Him— you and me.
It is not enough for us to simply accept Jesus' work at Calvary. We are held
responsible for much more. Jesus' words in the 16th chapter of Mark were not
intended for the early church alone. His words are just as vital and real today
as when they were first spoken.
Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection from the dead. His words
to them form the basic foundation for the work of the New Testament church. It
was at that time that He delegated the authority to carry out that work.
Beginning in verse 15, Jesus said:
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be
damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they
cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands
on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:15-18)
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WE HAVE
AUTHORITY TO PREACH THE GOSPEL |
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"Go ye into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature." Every Born Again believer has the
authority and responsibility to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this earth.
If you can't go, then you can send someone in your place.
"And these signs shall follow them that believe...." Notice who is to do
all these things: them that believe. The signs will follow the
believers who act in faith and boldly speak in Jesus' name. THEY
shall cast out devils; THEY shall speak with new tongues;
THEY shall lay hands on the sick, etc. The believer is the
one with the power and authority to do these things.
Verse 20 says, "They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working
with them, and confirming the word with signs following." God will confirm
His Word, but first it has to be put forth. That is where you and I come in. God
does not preach; He has given us the authority to do the preaching. God will not
lay hands on the sick. He will bring the healing, but you and I as believers
must lay hands on the sick by faith, believing that God will perform His Word.
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WE HAVE
AUTHORITY TO STAND AGAINST SATAN |
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One of the most vital
areas of the believer's authority is his power to successfully stand against
Satan. Ephesians 4:27 says, "Neither give place to the devil." In the
sixth chapter of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul describes the armor that we as Born
Again believers are to wear in combat against Satan. He explains each piece of
that armor. It is the armor of God. But not once does he say that God will put
the armor on you or that God will fight the devil for you. YOU is
the understood subject of these verses. He says, "[YOU] be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of his might. [YOU] put on the whole armor of
God that [you] will be able to stand against the wiles of the devil... [YOU]
take the whole armor of God that [you] may be able to withstand in the
evil day, and having done all, [you] to stand." (Eph 6: 10-13) God
has given you the power and the authority to stand against Satan and his
destructive works. He has provided the armor, but it is your responsibility as a
Born Again believer to put on that armor and stand against the devil. James 4:7
says, '[You] resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
The armor and the weapons are at your disposal. God is there with you to back
His Word; but all is worthless unless you take your position of authority and
assume the responsibility to use what He has provided. You have the power
and the authority to take the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of
the Holy Spirit and run Satan out of your affairs. Don't pray and ask
God to fight Satan for you. You are the one in authority. Take
your responsibility and speak directly to Satan yourself and stand your ground
firmly. He will flee!
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WE ARE SEATED
WITH HIM IN HIGH AUTHORITY |
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In the first chapter of
Ephesians, Paul prayed a prayer for the body of believers in Ephesus. One part
of that prayer was that they know "the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward (those) who believe" (Eph. 1:19). That exceeding great power
is the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead and set Him at His
own right hand in the heavenlies. Ephesians 1:21 tells us that Jesus is seated "Far
above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:"
The work God did in Jesus was supreme. He raised Jesus from the dead and set Him
far above all other authority— not only in this world, but also in
the heavenly world. Then verse 22 says that God has "put ALL things
under His feet and made Him to be the head over all things to the church which,
Which is His body..." Where are the feet? They are in the body. As Born
Again believers, we are part of His body and we are seated with Him in that
highly exalted place of authority. Look at Ephesians, chapter two: "And you
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins... Even when we were
dead in sins, [God] hath quickened us together with Christ... And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
(Eph. 2:1,5,6).
We are seated together with Him. Where? Far above all principality
and power and might and dominion. As a Born Again believer, you have accepted
the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary. Therefore, you are a part of
His body and are seated with Him in that heavenly place, equipped with the same
power, the same authority that He has.
The great power that God worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead is
the same creative power of God that worked in you to make you alive when you
were dead in your trespasses and sins. The moment you made Jesus Christ the Lord
of your life, that same power was exercised on your dead, unregenerate spirit,
causing it to be reborn in the likeness of God Himself. "Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17).
As Born Again believers, we are part of His body and we are seated with Him in
that highly exalted place of authority.
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WE HAVE THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD TO EXERCISE OUR AUTHORITY |
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"And the same day,
when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other
side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in
the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a
great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awoke
him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and
rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful? how
is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4:35-40).
Jesus spoke the words, "Let us pass over unto the other side," and there
was enough power and authority in those words to accomplish the job. Notice that
Jesus did not take command of the ship to see that His words were carried out.
He walked to the back of the boat and went to sleep. Jesus delegated the
authority to His disciples and they accepted it. But when the storm came, they
were filled with fear that the boat would sink. Jesus had to carry out the
responsibility of authority that he had delegated to them by rebuking the wind
and the sea.
You have the power and the authority to take the Word of God, the name of
Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and run Satan out of your affairs.
Do you see the parallel here? You are the captain of your ship. You have control
over your own life— your spirit, your soul, and your body. Jesus has delegated
power, or authority over Satan to you as a Born Again believer. You are to give
him no place in your life. You are born of the Spirit of God. You are
filled with the Spirit of God. You have been given the Word of God.
Those three elements are enough for you to carry out your spiritual authority
here in the earth. You don't need any more power. You have all the power
necessary. You simply have to exercise your authority. Jesus has already done
everything necessary to secure the authority and power over sin, sickness,
demons, and fear. You have to employ the faith action to receive that authority
and join forces with Him in this earth. You are the one to be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might.
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WE HAVE
AUTHORITY TO ACT AS NEW CREATIONS |
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Hebrews 2:14 says, "Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same..." Jesus partook of flesh and blood, so that you
could partake of spirit and life. For you to partake of that spirit and life,
you must take the responsibility of standing in the place of authority as the
new creation in Christ Jesus that you are. You are "born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God..." (1 Pet.
1:23). It was the Word of Almighty God that was injected into your spirit man to
bring about the new birth in your life. When the church was first beginning,
Acts 12:24 described it as the Word growing and multiplying. The Word is in you,
but you are the one who must be willing to allow it to work in you.
Ephesians 4:21-24 says, "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And
be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
You are the one in authority. It is your responsibility to put off the old man—
the unregenerate man that you were before you were Born Again in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit does the actual work in you, but you must make the decision to
allow Him to do it. God has never forced His will on any person. YOU
put off the old man. YOU use the Word of God to renew your mind.
YOU put on the new man, which is created in righteousness and true
holiness.
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WE
CAN MINISTER AND WALK FROM A POINT OF AUTHORITY |
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God's power is in His Word. He
is "upholding all things by the word of His power... " (Heb. 1:3). You
need to learn to minister and walk from a point of authority. In His earthly
ministry, Jesus said such things as "Be thou made whole." "Take up
your bed and walk." Then to a lame man Peter said in Acts 3:6, "In the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." He too ministered and
spoke from a point of authority.
Jesus came to earth as a man for one reason: to re-capture the authority
that Satan had stolen through Adam's disobedience in the garden.
It's time for you as a Born Again believer to begin to act that way. You have
obtained an inheritance, and in that inheritance you have been given all
authority. The God of the universe lives inside you! He lives and walks in you.
Become God-inside-minded and you will begin to walk in this point of authority.
Keep right on building yourself up in your inheritance. You live in a world that
is full of evil influences. Satan wants to see to it that you forget the reality
of being Born Again. He wants to see to it that you never realize your place of
authority in Christ Jesus, because if you do, that power you walk in makes you
absolutely dangerous to him. He has no defense against you when you walk in the
power of God's Word.
When you see in the Word that you are in Christ Jesus, that you are in Him, then
confess it with all of your heart. Then you will be strong, standing in a point
of authority and operating in your inheritance in Him. As you do this, the power
of God will always be available to work in your behalf.
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