The authority of the believer.
Growing up in church I have had the privilege of experiencing a lot of stuff in my life. I have also had the privilege to sit under some of the best teachers of the Bible. Some of the things I was taught are not negotiable like His birth, death resurrection and his return. Some things I was taught are negotiable such as the end times and a few other things. I understood the people who taught me the Word did not know the full truth. What they taught me was great. Better still is the fact that introduced me to the Holy Spirit who is the teacher we all need to be able to understand the word of God.
As I was growing up, I always had a desire to serve a God that is present and real. I do not worship an idol that is dead. I prayed for the sick believing God would show up and I would know He is real. The reality was and still is that I did not see everyone healed that I prayed for. Jesus says to lay hands on the sick and they shall recover or be healed. I had to struggle with this question for years. If I do what he commands then why doesn’t healing manifest? I had to get that question answered for myself.
So I ended up trying harder. I tried positive confession and memorizing scripture and prayer and fasting. This led to limited results. What was going on? Why no power and miracles. I had to come to the realization that I was doing all these things instead of doing what was needed, work on my connectivity and relationship with God. Being out of sync with His heart and not understanding his desire and will I reverted to making things happen in His name. What was I doing?
When we are out of relationship we tend to revert to commanding the devil or sickness to leave. We use the name of Jesus because in his name every knee will bow. Or so I thought. What did I miss? Whether I prayer or commanded my results didn’t change a lot. Then after years of asking the question “what am I missing” I had a time to meditate on John 1:12 and a whole new world opened up for me. The problem was not scripture or God but the problem was I. Yes you are right, I was not using authority the way God intended me to use it. What does the word authority mean?
John 1:12 All who have accepted Him He gave the power(Authority) to become the sons of God.
The word “power” is “dunamis” in the Greek but that is not the Greek word that is use here. The word “Exousia” authority is used here in John 1:12.
Dunamis means power. That is where we get the English word dynamite from. Power is what we get after we are baptized by the Holy Spirit like in Acts 1:8. Lets see what exousia (authority) means when it is taken to it’s root meaning:
1849. ejxousi÷a exousia, ex-oo-see´-ah; from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: — authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.
1832. e¶xesti exesti, ex´-es-tee; third person singular present indicative of a compound of 1537 and 1510;
1537. ejk ek, ek; or
ejx ex, ex; a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote)
1510. eijmi÷ eimi, i-mee´; the first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist (used only when emphatic)
Authority: Out of (origin – God) I exist.
Who is our origin? Where do we come from? We were created from and through God! He has given us the ability to live out of or from the “I Am.” We are from Him and we live from his ability or authority. All authority is from God. Jesus made this clear after his death when he said: “All authority has been given to me.” So the next question we need to ask is – what do I do with this authority that is from Him?
The problem when authority is abused.
When it comes to authority we must understand that any authority used outside of the source, which is God, is manipulation. Satan has no authority and so he manipulates people to believe his lies. Sin cuts us off from the source so if we have sin in our lives it affects the way we exercise our authority. This leads to people using authority as a scepter. They swing it and command stuff to happen but see no results or very limited results. The danger in this is what we see in Matt 7:21-23.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These are people that have done great things in the name of the Lord but lived disconnected from the source. There is power in the name of Jesus and it will get you results but if you are disconnected from the source authority is being abused no matter what the results. Authority was never intended to be used outside of close relationship with the one that empowers you to walk in that authority.
A different way to use authority is not as a scepter but as a source.
Jesus states in Luke 10:19.
Behold, I give unto you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
What does it look like when you are connected to the source? What did it look like in Jesus life? First of all Jesus states that he does nothing aside from the Father. “I only do what I see Him do and say what I hear Him say.” Can you see how he stayed connected to the source.? He never had to manipulate anyone. He simply spoke and every demon knew he had authority. Because he never sinned he was never disconnected from the source.
The first way you know someone is connected to the source is when he or she acknowledges his or her dependence on God. We can do nothing and we will be nothing without Him. In him we live and move and have our being.
The second way to know someone is connected to the source is that his or her sole purpose is to glorify the Father. It is not about them or their ministries, it is about God and the Kingdom that is at hand. Their heart is the same as God’s. They are for restoration and salvation. They want to see everyone come to know the Father.
The third way to recognize if someone is connected to the source is to look at the results. Jesus never had to beg or plead for results. The enemy knew he was connected and he was ministering from a place of abundance. The effective ministry of someone that is connected to God will be evident.
This was where I had to do a heart check. I realized that anytime I was disconnected with God I struggled to see breakthrough. When I stayed connected to the source ministry was easy and effective.
Are you using authority as a scepter because you are disconnected, or do you live from the source. I am checking myself to make sure I stay connected to Him.
