Our authority in Christ

The day before I was going to write this article, I was thinking about something I had read online earlier that day - 'One thing that puzzles a Satanist.' Quite an unsual topic, you might agree!

But the one line that stuck out to me was the Satanist saying to the Christian, ‘If your God is so powerful, and He has given you authority, why don't Christians take it?’

That really made me think.

Trembling hearts

I mean - have you ever participated in a seminar or workshop where the focus has been on how to share your Christian faith/your belief in Jesus as Saviour of the world with others... and then they decided to throw you all in the deep end? All of a sudden you are sent downtown and asked to put this newfound knowledge into practice by actually talking to people about salvation?! 

And were you anything like me... trembling on the inside all the way?

If you can identify with this feeling of hesitation, halting or fear as you consider living out the power of your Christian faith - then I hope you will find this understanding of 'who we are in Christ' (1 Peter 2:9) as freeing as I continue to!

Professing saints

'For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.' - Phillipians 1:21

Imagine for a moment another extreme of living out the power of your Christian faith: living in a country where you might be killed for confessing Jesus Christ as Lord... for millions of followers of Jesus around the world, this is their reality, every day.

And yet - far from making them weak at the knees, there are stories upon stories of those who walk with the Lord who have found the courage to speak out about their faith with boldness, knowing that if they die they're going to be with God! 

What confidence Christians can have in the promises of God! We are sons and daughters of the Most High God! We are ambassadors of the King of kings! We are not to be scared of mere humans! For what can they do to us?

Whether it is speaking to someone in a supermarket or preaching on the streets of a violently anti-Christian city - we are called to operate in the full authority and the full assurance of the nature of the God we serve and love.

Grasping God, three in one

It is so crucial to our Christian faith that we take a moment here to remember and understand that God is Spirit (John 4:24) and that God appears as three persons in the Bible:

• God is three persons, but One God. (1 John 5:7, Luke 10:21-22, Genesis 1:26)
• God the Father: ​Abba Yahweh in Hebrew. (Ephesians 4:6, Isaiah 64:8)
• God the Son: ​Jesus Christ or Yeshua HaMashiach in Hebrew  - the fullness of God dwelling in human form (Luke 1:35). We also believe Jesus is God's Word, and God's Word is truth. (John 1:1-3, John 1:14, John 17:17)
• God the Holy Spirit: ​Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew - who is given to all who believe in Jesus as Saviour (Luke 11:13, John 14:26). The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of God have a special connection - one which allows the Holy Spirit in our spirits to communicate. (Romans 8:26,27)​

Know your authority in Jesus

'If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.' - John 16:23

Are you walking in your authority as a believer? Did you know you have been promised Christ's authority and power?

We can ask the Father for anything in Jesus name, if it's in agreement with His will. Christ's authority came through having the fullness of God in him while on earth, but since then Christ has been given all authority over heaven and earth as the coming King, and High Priest over the church (Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 9:11).

The apostles needed to be baptised with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), and so do we.

This can be seen as a 'release' of the Holy Spirit already given to every believer and it can come by the laying on of hands, or by prayer of the believer themselves. This baptism releases gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) for our use in doing God's will. Through these gifts we can operate under the authority and power of Jesus. It is our right as followers of Christ.

We have the right to exercise:

• authority and power over unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1)
• authority and power to heal disease (Matthew 10:1)
• authority and power to move mountains (or things equally impossible, symbolically or otherwise) (Matthew 17:20)
• authority to announce the forgiveness of sins through Jesus (John 20:23)

Go!

Now we know our authority, we can speak out in faith, believing. If we claim promises found in the Bible with the insight of the Holy Spirit, we will be successful because we will be in God's will! These are just a few of the verses that help us to fully 'flesh out' our identity in Jesus Christ! Get your hands on a Christian Bible, get reading - and see for yourself who you are because of who God is!

'For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.' - 2 Corinthians 1:20​

God always honours His Word! This hope and promise is why I've taken to praying God's Word when I can. I hope that you have been greatly encouraged in your worth and authority in God, and His willingness to work through you, as His ambassador.

 

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Tracy Andrews is a talented author and poet. She worships at Taupo Salvation Army and over her next three articles will be talking about healing, deliverance, and faith that moves mountains.

By Tracy Andrews

WM Author