2003-02-06
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
The Holy Spirit leads me to continue writing about how God or the Son gives us the authority to do spiritual warfare or any other task. I spent time writing about Peter, who though not fitting a profile humans would think properly prepared him to do one of the most important tasks for God in establishing the early church, was chosen by the One Who knew he was just the right person for this. The inherent lesson in this is a reminder to us not to decide things about people leaning on human understanding, but instead, to seek God for His [PR 3: 5-6]. Our human judgments are faulty at best, but God’s is always perfect. It is illuminating for us to take comfort in the promise, in MT 16: 19, that the gates of hell will never overpower the church. Getting back to the subject of authority, it is helpful for us to understand the “keys to authority” as they are given to us in the Scriptures. So, we begin with that.
The first place where we see this taken up is in the story of Shebna, the manager of the royal household during Isaiah’s time in IS 22: 15-23. Shebna allowed his position to go to his head to the point where he was having a tomb carved out of a rocky hillside for himself. This displeased the Lord very much, so through Isaiah, the Lord told Shebna that he would be “thrown into a much larger country where he would die beside the chariots he had been so proud of” and that “he was a disgrace to his master’s household.” Furthermore, “The Lord will removed you from office and bring you down from your high position” (18-19). The Lord goes on to say that He will give his position to Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, and “he will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah.” The key verse in this section is found in (22), “I will give him complete authority under the king, the descendant of David. He will have the keys of office; what he opens, no one will shut, and what he shuts, no one will open.” It is not hard to see the similarities between this verse and MT 16: 19, because the same principle applies. God has the power to grant authority to ordinary men to do certain tasks of great importance.
This is not the only place in the Scriptures where we see this authority given. Note REV 3: 7, the part of John’s revelation where he writes about the message to the church at Philadelphia. “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia writes: ‘This is the message from the One Who is holy and true. He had the key that belonged to David, and when He opens a door, no one can close it, and when He closes it, no on can open it.’” The angel is the messenger to this church, and the One Who is holy and true is Jesus Christ. There can be no doubt that Jesus is the One to Whom God gives the right to rule the Kingdom that will last forever and replace all human ones [DN 2: 34-35 & 7: 13-14].
But the question still lingers in our minds about us. Do we have authority to carry out tasks for God? The answer to that is found for sure in MT 18: 18-20. “And so I tell all of you: what you prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven. And I tell you more: whenever two or you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, I am there with them.” Who is Christ speaking to here? His Body, the church! This is the set of all people who have repented and come to genuine faith in Him. These are the people who endure in that faith having become “new creations” as a result of being in union with Him [2 COR 5: 17]. There is nothing inconsistent about the bold promise made by Christ here. It is wholly in line with JN 15: 7, “If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, then you will ask for anything you wish and you shall have it.” If there is any question about the nature of this bond, examine the statements our Lord and Savior makes in JN 15: 13- 17. “The greatest love a person have for his friends is to give his life for them. And you are My friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because I told you everything I heard from My Father. You did not choose Me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures. And so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in My name. This, then, is what I command you: love one another.” The authority bestowed upon us is never to be used contrary to His will, but instead, is to be used under His direction at all times.
God has placed His trust in us. I often wear a cross with the words “Christ is counting on you” on the back of it where they lay over my heart. To me, this is an outward symbol of an inward commitment I have made, and I believe it to be a part of the covenant we have with our Messiah. I never have to worry about whether or not He will keep His part of the covenant; I only have to be concerned that I keep my part of it. Exactly how this commitment that each true believer has taken manifests itself depends on the circumstances of his life, the talents God has given him, and the tasks to which he has been called, empowered, and authorized to do. We each need to examine our lives, listen for God’s commands, and obey them. And when we do, He will grant us the “peace that goes beyond human understanding” [PHIL 4: 7]. That, Dear Friends, is a foretaste of the real happiness that awaits us in His Kingdom together.
PRAYER: O Lord, the devil would like us to think that we should doubt Your promises to us and that we should fold under the pressure of the pain, suffering, and loss he delivers to us. But, through faith in You, we are better than that. At the time that Moses was selecting judges to help him, he turned to God for advice. DT 1: 17 reveals the compassion and will of God. Moses’ instructions to he newly authorized judges were, “Show no partiality in your decisions; judge everyone on the same basis, no matter who he is. Do not be afraid of anyone, for the decisions you make come from God. If any case is too difficult for you, bring it to me, and I will decide it.” In looking over these instructions, they are the very same instructions we are given when we are authorized by You to make decisions. How can we forget the time that King Jehoshaphat and his Jewish army found themselves facing battle greatly outnumbered by his Edomite, Ammonite, and Moabite enemies, in 2 CH 20: 15, 17? They prayed first, and it was then that You said to them, “You must not be discouraged or be afraid to face this large army. The battle depends on God, not on you…You will not have to fight this battle. Just take up your positions and wait; you will see the Lord give you victory…” Dearest Abba, it must not be lost on us that You, through Your Son, authorize us to face our enemies (who are also Yours) and that You will protect us when the danger to us is too great. PS 55: 22 was David’s way of lending his faith in You to us, “Our Lord, we belong to You. We tell You what worries us, and You will not let us fall.” We remember PS 91:1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” We humbly confess our sins and offer You eternal adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, glory, honor, trust, obedience, thanks, and praise. In Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.
There are still some wonderful citations which must be shared on the issue of Christ’s authorizing us to do battle with the devil to victory under His direction. That will be done in tomorrow’s message. The trust He places in us is remarkable, and our humility, given to us by the Holy Spirit, often leads us to question whether or not we are qualified to take on a task to which He has called us. But, rest assured, if the Lord calls us to obey a certain command, He knows (even when we aren’t sure) that we can do it. To our loving Abba, we are each very important, the “apple of His eye” [PS 17: 8]. How do I know this? Remember that while PS 17: 8 was a prayer request on David’s part, PS 116: 1, “I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications” and JN 15: 7 (cited above) give us plenty of assurance that when we are obedient to Him, God answers our prayers. I often cite PS 145: 8-9, because it caps everything I’ve said, as it does so again today. “You are merciful, Lord! You are kind and patient and always loving. You are good to everyone, and you take care of all Your creation.” How can we not give the Father the praise He is due every day? Peter and I send each of you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn