THE BELIEVER'S AUTHORITY V

Some people have the impression that says, you can be saved, all right. But you have to continue to be ruled by the devil – by sin, sickness, poverty, fear, and bondage. You have to go through life this way until you finally barely make it into Heaven. But that’s not what the Bible teaches.  We can reign in life by Christ Jesus. Weymouth’s translation says, “For if by the trespasses of the one, death reigned as king through the one, much more shall they who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign as kings in the realm of life.” We are to reign in the here-and-now! Remember that I shared with you from the beginning, how that the devil stole the authority the Lord had vested in man. The very notion of reigning carries with it the idea of ruling, of dominion, and of having authority. Well, where do kings rule and reign? In their particular domain or kingdom.

Reign is used of the governor of a province. It is used of the rule of the Jesus the Messiah. We reign in our province, here on earth. When Jesus died He went to hell because He took our sins. In hell, He defeated the devil and his cohorts (Colossians 2:15). After His resurrection He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus went to hell to take back the authority that the devil had stolen from Adam. Before His ascension He said to His disciples: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:15-18).

We have the authority to rule and reign and have dominion in our life – in the life we have here and now!  Someone might say, “Well, I don’t see very many people ruling and reigning in life.” One reason is that this truth hasn’t been proclaimed or taught as it should be. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Notice this verse doesn’t say sinners are destroyed for lack of knowledge. It says God’s people are destroyed because of their lack of knowledge. This infers that if God’s people had knowledge of who they really are in Christ, of who God is, and of the rights and privileges of their dominion – they wouldn’t be destroyed. One reason Satan is often able to reign, or rule, in the life of Christians is because those Christians do not realize the authority that has been given to them.  Many times Christians think Jesus is going to do everything for them; they do not realize they have a part to play.
 
Notice that Romans 5:17 doesn’t say, “Jesus Christ will reign through you.” No! It says, “…THEY [that’s us] which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.” This verse says that you and I will reign. Of course, it’s by, or because of, Jesus Christ that we have this authority, but He has given us the authority to rule and reign!  Many times people say, “I’ve left it up to the Lord; He’s going to do it.” But, no, the real truth about the matter is, He has left it up to you! Let’s find out our job and position. Let’s find out what we’re supposed to do! It’s receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness that enables you to reign. If you don’t know what you’ve received, you’ll be hindered in reigning. You are a king, whether male or female. In Christ there’s nothing like male nor female (Galatians 3:28). There’s no difference between us.

I do wonder why some people say women cannot take certain responsibilities in church. Where did they get such doctrine from? It’s FALSE! We look male and female in our bodies but in the spirit realm there’s no difference between us. We are spirit beings; our body is just a container of the “true us.” When our true selves leave the body, it becomes lifeless, and considered to be dead. We are to be kinging in life. The Lord Jesus made us kings and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6). Why do we accept to be priests and forget to be kings? Whether you know it or not, almost all Christians are functioning in their priestly ministry. In the Old Testament, the people had to go to the high priest when they needed to ask God for forgiveness. Every year, they sent their sacrificial items to the priest so he would pray for forgiveness on their behalf.

Do Christians do same today? Even if there are some who still practise this, let them check themselves. Whenever we miss the mark, we go straight to God, asking Him to forgive us. We take nothing to any high priest so he could ask for forgiveness on our behalf. The problem is, a lot of believers have not meditated enough on the kinging aspect of our position in Christ. We did nothing to obtain it; Christ Jesus qualified us to such a position. The Bible says that “…the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all” (Galatians 4:1). Without the knowledge of the fact that he’s the heir-apparent to the throne, an heir is not different from the servant. Likewise, as a child of God, you’re a king, and it’s important you know and live accordingly. Kings reign and exercise authority; they don’t talk casually as ordinary men, neither do they beg!

It’s not enough to just know this, it has to become your mindset; the only way you reason! You’re called to reign in life. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says, “Where the word of a king is, there is power…” Unlike the police man, you are backed by the authority of God. No circumstance can disobey you. Just as the policeman raises his hand and all rushing vehicles stop, the storms of life should keep calm when you speak to them. A perfect example could be traced to the life of Christ. Jesus once got on-board boat with His disciples. The next thing they knew, they were in a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat – and He was sound asleep! They roused Him, pleading, “Master, save us! We're going down!” Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass. The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What's going on here? Wind and sea come to heel at his command!” (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:36-41).

We shouldn’t let life’s challenges take over us. Jesus even rebuked His disciples for not having enough faith. The question is, “What is God’s definition of you when you go through trials?” We leave everything to God while He expects us to take charge and dominate. Instead of speaking and making declarations to circumstances, we go to friends and families to help us solve our problems. I’m not saying that is wrong but sometimes we end up going too far. The worst part is that most of these people we confide in are non-believers. What kind of advice are they going to give you? The Message Bible translates 1 Peter 5:7-11: “Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. 

“The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ – eternal and glorious plans they are! – will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.” Glory to God! Arise and get on your feet by revelation knowledge (Isaiah 60:1). Kings make decrees and proclamations and have them established: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee…” (Job 22:28). You can have everything you say, because your words are backed with power. A lot of Christians are suffering because they are saying the wrong words. Pray to God, exercising your authority in Christ Jesus; not beg!  Some Christians beg everywhere and for everything, which is wrong. They beg at work, at home, in the office, and even beg God in prayer, simply because they haven’t fully understood their heritage in Christ. Don’t beg for your health; don’t beg for money; don’t beg for God’s help; don’t beg for anything!

You’re a king! Don’t beg for what’s rightfully yours in Christ. It wasn’t by your request, choice or idea, that God made you a king; He did it of His own volition. Your response, therefore, is to live the kingly life. Exercise authority over Satan, sickness, disease, and the negativities of life.  If it’s a growth somewhere in your body, tell it to dematerialize in the Name of Jesus. It might even be a situation at work, school or in your home, say what you want to see and it shall be so. Exercise your God-given authority today and forever. God is happy to see us exercise authority. No parent would be happy if their children come to them with complaints, even though what they require is already given to them. In the same way, God is happy to see us take charge. Trial overcomers will be rewarded (James 1:12). We’ve heard a lot taught about grace, and thank God for His grace. But not only have we received abundance of grace; we’ve also received the “gift of righteousness.” 
 
Righteousness is a gift and we did nothing to earn or deserve it. By this we are made right with God, and therefore have right-standing with Him. We have nothing coming between God and us, and we can’t be in any better standing with Him. That is a truth you need to learn and get firmly settled in your heart and mind. I wonder why some people think they are more righteous than others; the Bible never talks about growing in righteousness. It talks about growing unto maturity through the Word (1 Peter 2:2). And Paul talks about faith that can grow exceedingly (2 Thessalonians 1:3). But nowhere does the New Testament ever talk about growing in righteousness. The truth is, you can’t grow in righteousness. You can’t have any more right-standing with God than you have right now. Even when you get to Heaven, you won’t have any better standing with God than you have right now.

You will never be any more righteous – or any less righteous – than you are right now! A new-born believer has the same standing with God as a Christian who’s been living a holy and sanctified life for 80 years! How is that possible? It’s all through Jesus and what He did for us! Unlike the sacrificial blood in the Old Testament, the blood of Jesus Christ does not cover our sins. The blood of Jesus washes away our sins (Revelations 1:5). We’re not a “covered creature”; we’re a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). God doesn’t make any unrighteous new creatures. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21)! If you want to reign as a king in life, then it’s important to get rid of guilt and condemnation. Yes, it’s true that you missed the mark by doing something wrong but do not dwell over it. As new creatures, we don’t want to sin, and God doesn’t want us to sin, either. But if we do miss it, provision has been made for us. 

1 John 2:1 says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” The Greek word translated “advocate” means lawyer or one who pleads our case. We’ve got a lawyer in the “Supreme Court” of Heaven pleading our case. Who is it? Jesus Christ the Righteous! If I sin and lose my sense of righteousness, I quickly turn to God and say, “Dear Lord, I’ve sinned. I’ve failed. I didn’t want to, but I missed it. Forgive me.” Then Jesus goes to the Throne Room of God and says, “I took his place. I shed My blood for him.” And, Hallelujah, God sees Jesus instead of me! God sees what Jesus did to wash away sin, and He counts me righteous because of Jesus! 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

When I sinned, I lost my sense of righteousness. When I confessed my sin, God forgave me.God cleanses me from all unrighteousness! If I’m cleansed from my unrighteousness, that means I’m righteous. I can start ruling and reigning! That means I can stand in the Presence of God without a sense of spiritual inferiority or condemnation. It also means that instead of being ruled by Satan and all of his works, I can now rule and reign over him! If this truth ever fully dawns on the Church and registers in our spirit, we’re going to rise up as giants in the land. We will be like those in the Early Church, and it will be said of us, too, that “…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6)! This is the time to get born again. If you’re not a child of God, waste no time; accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour. The Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). The greatest thing that could ever happen to a human person is to know and have Jesus Christ in his life.

He is the life giver (John 10:10). When Christ is manifested in your life, everything that’s not of God will leave. When He’s manifested in the life of a sinner, the power of sin is broken, and righteousness takes over. It’s the spirit of man that’s born again and receives eternal life. That’s the reason someone can be born again but still have a devil oppressing his body, or still have the wrong thoughts in his mind, allowing the devil to manifest himself in his thinking. But the Bible says, “…Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Christ shouldn’t only be manifested in your spirit, but also in your soul and body. When He’s manifested in your soul, you’ll think the thoughts of God, have His emotions, and do His will. If you’re sick today, this is what you need: the manifestation of Christ in that part of your body that’s afflicted! 

Romans 8:10 says if Christ be in you, though the body be dead because of sin, the Spirit gives it life because of righteousness. The words of Jesus in John 14:21 & 23 lets us know how Christ can manifest Himself in your life; it’s by loving the Lord and keeping His Word. He can show Himself to you, not only by coming into your life and directing you through your spirit, but also by showing Himself alive in your physical body, making you healthy and strong. If you’re unable to walk, if He’s manifested in your legs, your legs will be healed. If you needed a heart surgery, and He’s manifested in your heart, He’ll give you a new heart. Christ in you is the answer; He’s all you need. Follow Him with all your heart, and give yourself completely to His Word, for an ever-winning and triumphant life. ACCEPT JESUS TODAY! 

 As believers, we’re to study (chew) the Word of
God day and night (2 Timothy 2:15; Psalm 1:1-3). Prophet Jeremiah declared to God: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). Another translation says, “When your words showed up, I ate them – swallowed them whole. What a feast! What delight I took in being yours, O GOD, GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies!” (MSG). This is inspiring! We can only feed our spirit with the Word of God. And can you imagine how many people are spiritually hungry? The reason some do not realise this is because they are not born again, or they have allowed the flesh to dominate them. If you are born again, you’ll feel it on the inside that your spirit is hungry and thirsty for the Word of God. It’s the Word of God that gives true satisfaction.

Do you see that you are not truly satisfied despite the money, cars, mansions etc. that you’ve got? Nothing can give true satisfaction than the Word of God. Most people are physically grown; they’ve got big bodies but are dead or babes in spirit. We can only grow to maturity by meditating on God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). Jeremiah had almost given up because people did not accept the message of God he preached. He testifies, “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay” (Jeremiah 20:9). Hallelujah! The reason God’s Word was burning on the inside of him was because he had eaten so much of it. Have you got to the point where you spoke to people about Jesus but they made mockery of you?

 At such times you feel like giving up but the Word of God begins to well up in you. This is going to happen if you have meditated on God’s Word enough. I tell you, you cannot give up. You could be facing challenges, but because God’s Word’s taken over you, giving up is impossible. You will come back even when you leave. Problems may arise, but we’re bigger than them. Nothing can overcome us. Don’t just let any wind of doctrine settle down in your spirit: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). Preach the Gospel to people, not bondage. The heart of God is merciful. He wants to bring people to repentance so He can forgive, rather than bring judgment (2 Peter 3:9). He desires to save even the most wicked and hardened individuals!

Finally, I pray for you, that the story of your life will be that of grace. You will bring forth testimonies with rejoicing; testimonies of great doors being opened for you; doors opened by the Lord himself and that no man or thing can shut. The Lord has set you apart for greatness! The anointing of Christ in you abides forever and makes you fruitful and productive in all your endeavours today and forever, in Jesus' Name. Amen!

I love you,

God bless you!

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