dickbraswell

Then he called his twelve disciples to­gether, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1  

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. Luke 9:2   

          What will it take for the Church to get rid of itswimp, weak, weenie spirit? Much of the world sees the church as a congregation of sissies and weaklings.  We have projected the image of a bunch of winless wimps with no backbone and less courage.  It is time for this to change. 

We are fac­ing the most monumental challenges in the history of the church.  We are standing at the threshold of glori­ous vic­tories.  We were born for such a time as this.  And we do have a destiny.  However, to the unbe­liever, the limited-be­liever, the backslidden and the worldly, the church still has the stigma of being weak, tasteless, insipid, and unimportant.  You and I have given this impression be­cause, in reality, we have felt this way. 

We have been led to believe that there is not a whole lot that we can do about the way things are.  We have been encouraged to just wait and see.  We have been told that things will get better, by and by.  We have bought into the lie that “what will be, will be” and we have believed it and acted like it.  So we have projected the image of being a bunch of wimps that can’t do anything. This is a lie and it is time for the truth to come forth. 

          God has given every believer authority.  We have it whether we know it or not.  It is there whether we exer­cise it or not.  It is available regard­less of how we feel or how big our problems may be.  The Revelation of Authority is essential if one is to Reign in Life.    We will never act like a winner unless we know we have the power inside to win.  We will never become an aggres­sive Christian un­less we know we have the Authority to support our ag­gressiveness. 

Here we will look at what Authority is and who has it. 

FIRST:  What Authority is

          Authority is power. Authority is ability.  Authority is force. Authority is right.  As we con­sider this subject, we must look at three words:  (1) Authority (2) Power and (3) Dominion. 

There are two words in the New Testament that are used to describe the authority of the believer.  One is the word for Power (dunamis) and the other is the word for Authority (exousia). 

Dunamis means:  strength, ability, power, might.  It means inher­ent power, or power that re­sides in a thing by virtue of its very nature.  It means power which a person exerts and puts forth.  It means the power to perform miracles.  It refers to the Power of God, the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Power that God puts into the believer.  

Ye shall receive POWER (dunamis) after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..   Acts 1:8. 

          Exousia means:  ability, privilege, force, ca­pacity, compe­tency, freedom, influence, liberty, right, strength.  It means the right to do something.  It means power to rule.  It means delegated au­thor­ity. 

 But as many as re­ceived Him, to them gave He power (exousia) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name…  John 1:12.

          When you combine Dunamis (Ability) with Exousia (Right) you have Dominion. 

So God created man in His own image, in the im­age of God created He him; male and female cre­ated He them.  And God blessed them and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and re­plen­ish the earth, and subdue it: and have DOMINION over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth…   Genesis 1:27. 

          Dominion (Heb: radah) means to tread down, to subju­gate, to crumble, to prevail against, to over­take, to reign and to rule.  We can have Ability without Right and still be a wimp.  We can have Right without Ability and still be a wimp.   It takes Ability coupled with Right to equal Dominion.  In the beginningGod gave Adam Dominion.

          The extent of Adam’s authority was awe­some.  God gave Adam complete control and ruler­ship over all life-forms on earth.  God gave Adam jurisdiction and control over everything on earth…. over the plants and animals…. over the forces of nature, over the crea­tures in the sea and all the an­imals and insects on earth. 

God gave Adam do­minion over his own body… he was not subject to weakness, sickness, sin or death.  He had a perfect mind, a perfect heart, a perfect spirit.  He was in control of his emotions and his de­sires.  He was the offspring of God, filled with the life of God and en­dued with the power and authority of God. He was a perfect man, living on a perfect earth exercising complete control and dominion over all things.  God was Number One and Adam was number two. 

 Thou madest him (Adam) to have do­minion over the works of thy hands;  thou hast put all things under his feet…   Psalm 8:6. 

SECOND:  Who has Authority       

          God gave it but Adam lost it.

Adam sinned and forfeited it.

When Adam lost it, Satan got it.

Satan kept it until Jesus came from heaven and took it back.  Jesus de­feated the devil and took do­minion away from him.  When Jesus completed His Work of Redemption, He gave Dominion back to those who are sons and daughters of the Most High God.  And now we are seated with Him in the Heavenlies.  Glory to God.  

But God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved) and hath raised up to­gether, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus… Eph 2:5-6.   

…Because as He is, so are we in this world… 1 John 4:17.   

          Jesus re­gained everything (and even more) that Adam lost in the Fall.  God did more in and through Christ than Satan did in and through Adam.   Jesus, through His Miraculous Birth, Sinless life, Supernatural Ministry, Vicarious Death, Descent into hell, Glorious Resurrection, Awesome Ascension, GOT US THE VICTORY. 

Death where is your sting?  Grave where is your victory?  Satan, where is your do­main?  Hell, where are your spoils?  JESUS Redeemed what Satan stole and He made it possible  for every be­liever to REIGN IN LIFE.

          If we are Born Again, we have Authority.  We have Power.  We have Dominion.  Adam lost it but Jesus bought it back. He bought it back for us and He gave it to us.  Authority is not authority if it is not exercised.  We can have it and not use it.  We can have au­thority and still be a wimp Christian.  Most believ­ers do not exercise authority because they do not know they have it.  Some know they have it but still refuse to believe they can use it.  Satan respects, fears and trembles at the authority God has given us.  The Bible says we can re­sist the devil.   That  means we have au­thority over him.   We could not resist him if we did not have more power and more authority than he has. 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7       

          The Authority of the Believer means that ev­ery be­liever has the ability and the right to exer­cise every privi­lege of Salvation, redeem every promise God has given, and take complete do­minion over all the powers of darkness that prevail in the earth. 

The Authority of the Believer gives every believer the ability and the right to accomplish the will of God in the earth.  The Authority of the Believer means that every Believer has the legal and lawful right to Reign in Life. 

          The Believer has Authority, Ability and Dominion because he is Redeemed.       

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:  Gal 3:13 

          Notice the tense of the preceding verse.  “Hath (past tense) redeemed us…” means that our redemption is a done deal.  It is not something that is to take place in the future but, rather, it is a Scriptural fact that our redemption is completed and is an established truth that is in effect in the Now.  “Redeemed” means “purchased out of slavery” and it implies that the believer has been delivered out of bondage and given  authority over his former master. 

What does this Redemption do for the believer?

          1.  It totally destroys the old nature (the old nature of Satan) and provides a New Nature (which is the Nature of God) and results in a New Creation.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2Cor 5:17

          2.  It delivers the believer totally from the power, authority and dominion of Satan.

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:   Col 1:13 

          3.  It provides the believer with the ability to walk with God in perfect harmony, fellowship and communion.

          4.  Redemption makes it possible for our body to become the temple of the Holy Ghost and for God to actually take up residence inside us.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  2 Cor 6:16 

          5.  It brings the believer into the realm of God’s Ability and God’s Authority where all things are possible.  It elevates man from the natural realm to the supernatural realm.

…ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Mat 17:20  …

          6.  Redemption meets all the needs of the believer; spirit, soul and body.  It provides the believer with a perfect spirit, a sound mind and a healthy body.

          Redemption is the fact that Jesus became sin for us (redeemed us), delivered us from sin’s power and sin’s control (gave us authority, power and dominion) over the devil, demons and the kingdom of darkness.

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.  2Co 5:21 

Here is what AUTHORITY does for the be­liever:

• It places the Believer in a position of success and vic­tory.
• It sets the Believer free from the control and power of sin.

• It gives the Believer a Nature like God.   It causes him to act  like God, talk like God, look like God, think like God and be like God.

• It  elevates the Believer above worry, fear, sick­ness, poverty, and de­feat.
• It provides the Believer with boldness to enter into the Holy of Holies and fellowship with the Father.
•   

NEXT: The Revelation of the Gospel

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