PERFORMING IN YOUR AUTHORITY IN CHRIST (24 OCT 2016)

A message for the elect believers about their authority in Christ. A number of Spirit-led believers in recent times have been inspired to teach Christians on their authority in Christ. This is a message God considers important for these times, even though the complete subject is rarely taught. These end times leave the believer within enemy territory which is a battleground, and just like Elijah, who was surrounded by hostile Satanic forces & had to operate in his spiritual authority , so likewise do we who want to be overcomers. The message from God’s Word hopes to inspire the elect to excellence and to realize & rise to the stature & fullness of their identity in Christ. There is so much to teach on authority, that this message is more of an exhortation.

WHAT DO I MEAN BY AUTHORITY?? The meaning in this message includes jurisdiction, mastery, leadership, royal status & power. In seeking examples, I need to employ a combination of analogies. Our spiritual authority in Christ is like an excellent mother who can project her will/authority to her well behaved children, who yields to God’s authority & submits herself in turn to her proper spiritual authorities, and who is treated by her husband & children as a queen. Other limited analogies for our spiritual authority in Christ would be the royal status of a king or prince and the jurisdiction of a judge. The true believer participates with Christ in his authority. Not only is Yahshua the king of kings, but he is our high priest. Likewise, those in Christ are a nation of Kings & priests.(A) We are called to conform to the image of God’s Son unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.(B) So it makes sense that if he is both royalty & a priest, we shall conform ourselves to the fullness of that image. Whatever he is, is what we want to be. “I am complete in Him [Jesus Christ].”(C) “We have the mind of Christ.” 1 COR 2:16

FOREVER TRIUMPHANT. “Thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.”(D) Christ said, “My grace is sufficient for you.”(E) “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”(F) “Greater is he [Christ] that is in you, than he that is in the world.”(G) So the divine standard for life in Christ is victory & triumph!! We should be lifting our heads up & walking in the status that we have in Christ. Why don’t we see this standard achieved more often?

NOT PERFORMING IN OUR AUTHORITY. Sadly most Christians don’t really understand what their authority in Christ is. They live in defeat. “I’m just a poor sinner…blah, blah, blah.” Very few understand what their calling is, and the few who do know their calling often are not operating in it. The enemy is not going to let you know your calling, status & authority. He comes to rob, kill & destroy.(H) The enemy knows that believers are heirs, and that those who overcome will inherit all Christ’s things (I) and they will co-rule with him (J), so the enemy wants to destroy the heir, as in the story Christ told. (K) Further, many Christians are carnal Christians, double-minded & lukewarm. Instead of the Holy Spirit wanting to empower them, the Spirit wants to convict them of their unholiness which separates them from the full blessings & power of God. Many Christians have never contemplated the implication of being an anointed born-again son of God. What is it like to be a king or prince, or a queen or princess?? Are you up to rising to & behaving at that level??…because that is your identity!! Can you say with Paul that you press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus??(L) Learn to reign brothers & sisters! “The gift of righteousness will reign in life”!(M)

AUTHORITY IN ACTION. Christ amazed people because he taught with authority.(N) He told them that all power in heaven & earth was given to him.(O) He told people, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the World.”(P) He’d simply tell a paralyzed man, “Arise & walk!” Likewise, he delegated the same kind of authority to his disciples. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit.”(Q) He told them that the name of Jesus would drive out spirits.(R) Yahshua said, “Behold I give unto you power…”(S) “If you say to this mountain, be removed…” it will happen.(T) When the Spirit moved on his early disciples after Pentecost, the World was in awe.(U) The anointing allowed the disciples to breath life into truths. Things became living truths, not stale principles. Christ destroyed the devil’s works (V) and then went on to tell his disciples they’d do greater things!

AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE TAKING THEIR AUTHORITY BACK FROM THE ENEMY. The enemy will especially try to humiliate the anointed (adopted) sons of God. Likewise, in WW2, when the American army surrendered in the Philippines, the Japanese took pleasure in humiliating the American leaders. The head of the American force was Gen. Wainwright, who was moved to Manchuria to work in a concentration camp. He was mocked & beaten & starved. He was reduced to bare bones. But when he secretly got news that Japan was defeated, he went to the Japanese concentration camp directors (who actually knew Japan had surrendered, but had kept it to themselves because they wanted to have more fun abusing the American inmates)–he went up to them & said, “No, I am in command here! These are my orders!” And from there on out, he gave the orders!

We experience victory day by day by allowing Christ to live his life in us. Our authority is from him. He delegates his comprehensive authority to us. Like Gen. Wainwright, the demons have been defeated. We can take authority over them. Even if one is to buy into the secret military documents which claim numerous species of aliens are visiting earth, even their documents state that these malevolent alien races do not have authority here–a Council of 5 alien races has authority here and the supposedly 1,700 reptillians who want to conquer the planet are being prevented–that is unless humanity willingly gives them the authority to do their evil. In similar fashion, the fallen angels, archons, demons & devils have no authority in your life–except what you give them. Christ’s authority is “…above all principality & power”.(W) Stand & the forces of darkness must flee. Resist the devil and he must accept your authority in Christ.(X) So don’t give up the moral high ground. We are more than conquerors.(Y)
FINAL SCRIPTURAL THOUGHTS. “The earth is the Lord’s & the fullness thereof, the world, & they that dwell therein.” PS 24:1 “What is man, that thou [O, LORD] art mindful of him?…For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory & honor. Thou made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his [man’s] feet; all sheep and oxen,…fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea…”(PS 8:4a,5-8) Let us wisely walk in our authority & status, and not concede anymore to the enemy than we have to.

(A) REV 1:6 (B) EPH 4:13 (C) COL 2:10 (D) 2 COR 2:14, cf 2 COR 10:4 (E) 2 COR 12:9, cf. EPH 4:7 (F) 1 JN 4:4 (G) PHIL 4:13 (H) JN 10:10 (I) REV 21:7 (J) REV 3:21 (K) LK 20:14, several stories by Christ have a similar theme. (L) PHIL 3:14 (M) ROM 5:17 (N) MT 7:29, MK 1:27, LK 4:32 (O) MT 28:18 (P) JN 16:33 (Q) ACTS 1:8 (R) MK 16:17-18 (S) LK 10:17-19 (T) MK 11:23 (U) ACTS 2:7,12 and 4:13 (V) 1 JN 3:8 (W) EPH 1:15-23 (X) 1 PTR 5:8-9 (Y) ROM 8:37