The spiritual condition of America, politics, culture, and current events, analyzed through the lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. When I was in seminary during chapel, we would sing a new song. At least it was new to me back then, and it went like this. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory.
In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, Satan will have to flee. Who can tell what God will do? Who can tell of His love for you? In the name of Jesus, Jesus, we have the victory. Hi, Alex McFarland here.
We're talking about the believer's authority in Christ, continuing from last week, in which we talked about the believer's identity in Christ, and reflecting on this song. It's a traditional spiritual song, a chorus that in the twentieth century appeared in many hymn books. As a song about spiritual warfare, perhaps originating in American black congregations, I'm not sure who the original composer was, and maybe the actual original composer is no longer known. But in thinking about the believer's authority in Jesus and as a follower of Jesus. Ponder the original lyrics, the the way the lyrics originally went, said, "In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, we have the victory.
In the name of Jesus, Satan, you have to flee. Who can tell what God will do? Who can tell of His love for you? In the name of Jesus, Jesus, we have the victory, and." I like the power of that. How the singer in that song is not just saying that Satan will have to flee, but speaking to.
Satan saying, "Satan, you have to flee." Now, last week we talked about a Christian believer's identity in Jesus. That our identity is not about our performance or our achievement, even though we should live right and do our best for the Lord. But when you put your faith in Christ, He is your identity. Our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, where indwelt by the Holy Spirit, we have a new identity. And we don't have to be haunted by our past.
We don't have to condemn ourselves. We are set free in Christ.
So this week, elaborating on that theme, I want to talk about something that I find a lot of believers are uninformed about, unsure about. Maybe they've never even heard it at all. Their authority in Jesus Christ.
Now, as a follower of Jesus, remembering who it is we belong to.
Now, Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. That's Revelation twenty two thirteen. He's the first and the last. Revelation twenty two thirteen. The beginning and the end.
The name above all names, Philippians two verse nine, the one who has been given all power in the universe. All power, Matthew twenty-eight, eighteen, Jesus, the one in whom dwells all the fullness of Godhead, in bodily form, Colossians two, verse nine, that's who holds you in the palm of His hand, John ten, twenty-eight.
So you, as a Christian, you have authority, and we're going to talk about what this really means. The word is exousia. What authority, though, might a Christian have? What authority does the church have, and how?
Now, if you're a believer, we have authority to do several things. For one, proclaim the way of salvation. Jesus is the one and only way to be made right with God. We have the authority to claim to speak authoritatively for God when we're proclaiming the Bible. That's God's written revelation, and we are relaying to a lost world what God has said.
So we, the church, can speak authoritatively on behalf of God. We have the authority to pray in Jesus. His name and prayers. We pray are informed by the will of God. We, the church, and you, the individual Christian, we have the authority to call out sin and to point sinners to salvation.
We have the authority to bind darkness. And bind the devil in Jesus' name, and to call on God to cast it all away. We have the authority to speak blessing, and peace over people and situations, in Jesus' name. Think about that. We have the authority to assess culture and to be salt and light, an influence in Jesus's name.
And God has delegated authority to His church, just like an employer would delegate authority to his staff.
Now, Psalm 115, verse 6 says this: "The earth God has given to the children of men." In Genesis chapter one verse twenty-eight, God gave Adam and Eve dominion.
Now it's interesting; God did not give Adam and Eve authority over. Other human beings, so slavery is wrong. The very notion of owning or controlling another human being is wrong. Although parents have authority over their children, not to abuse or exploit them, but really not only as authority but responsibility. But humans, God endued humans with what is called agency.
That's a legal. Standing, we can make moral decisions.
Now, animals only have instinct. Or, or innate, intuitive, brute instinct, but humans have moral agency and volition—that is, free will.
Now, think about this. In a legal sense, there is power of attorney (POA), or someone can be designated an executor, and it literally means, "quote to stand in the shoes." Of another, maybe you've been given healthcare power of attorney. Over an elderly parent or relative, if you've ever been a part of a real estate closing and you're out of town, you can sign a power of attorney document, and just for this one transaction, your real estate agent can have power of attorney to sign a paper for you. And very often, if you buy a car at a dealership, you'll give power of attorney or a delegated authority. To the dealer, to you know, notarize a document on your behalf to get a car title or something like that.
So, in a legal sense, there's much about agency. For example, if you sign a contract for a company, you might sign it with your name, comma for such and such company, Inc.
Now, in the New Testament, some two hundred times, the Bible says Christ gives His Church power and authority. We are delegated or endued with moral, spiritual agency. And I would say, regarding the times in which we live, the spiritual warfare that's just present in this world, we the believers, and we the body of Christ, need to understand the authority that we have in the name of Jesus and by the Word of God.
Now, when we come back, we've got to take a brief break. I'm going to talk about the 200 times that the Bible says. Believers have been delegated, endued, imparted with power, authority, in the name of Jesus and for the work of Jesus. Stay tuned. More about this after this break.
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Welcome back to the program, Alex McFarland. Here we're talking about. Just one of the great realities of being a born again believer, and that's the Christian's authority in Jesus Christ.
Now, we mentioned in the first segment that some two hundred times the New Testament says that Christ gives His church. Power.
Now, I'm sure you've heard it preached that there are a couple of words for power. One famously is dunamis, and that means ability or competency. And we get the word dynamite from this power. There's sometimes dangerous power present in dynamite, dunamis. But another word that you probably have not heard taught about too much is the word exusia.
Xousia, and that means authority, but it doesn't just mean ability, power, but it means jurisdiction. Authoritative presence and really territorial power, so the church and individual believers are endowed, imparted, delegated with both of these—both dunamis ability and exousia. Jurisdiction.
So let's talk about some of the reasons that we have authority and what these these levels and types of authority mean. Point number one is this: the Christian has authority because of the one whom they represent. Second Corinthians five verse twenty. Says now, then we are ambassadors for Christ. We are His representatives.
We're ambassadors, and the word there, ambassador, is both a noun and a verb. The the original word, and I won't bore you with a lot of of Greek here. But we are a representative for one, Jesus Christ, and then to act as a representative. For Jesus Christ, it can be both a noun, the individual ambassador, delegate, representative, but then to represent a verb. If I could create a word to ambassidate, and so it says this: We are ambassadors for Christ.
As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
So a wonderful verse.
So we represent Jesus Christ, and don't be shy and don't feel intimidated. If you lovingly, humbly, but led by the Spirit, say to someone, you know, you need to be born again. Homosexuality is a sin. God loves you. Christ died for you, but transgenderism is wrong.
If you say there is no God but the God of the Bible, there is no Savior but the Son of God Jesus Christ. You see, these are not our words alone; these are not our opinions. Although, if you are a Christian, certainly you believe this. This is fact. This is truth.
This is reality. And so, Second Corinthians f:i.ve twenty Says that we have been delegated with this. We are Christ ambassadors. We've been, if you will, deputized, authorized, to speak for God. And it says as though God did beseech you by us.
Now, what does that mean? If Almighty God Himself were here, He would tell you what I'm telling you.
Now. I realize I'm keenly aware that an unsaved world is going to push back. You know, they, you know, may be very dismissive, but. We, the church, are not only authorized, but we have the duty to tell people what the Bible says. And as though God did beseech you by us, the word there is a parakaluntas.
Now you remember the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, is the one who comes alongside, right?
Well, p a r a, alongside, we have come alongside. Alongside Christ, God comes alongside us. But as we go forth to be a witness, a soul winner—that's a word you don't hear very much anymore. But really, as my friend and mentor Chuck Colson used to say, we are to be the conscience of the culture. We're to remind people of truths they have ignored or forgotten.
God beseeches the world through His Church. We pray you in Christ's stead. In other words, we implore, we beg of you, we urge you, be reconciled to God. And how were we reconciled to God through faith in Christ, Romans five one? Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, Romans eight one.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
Now, to those who are outside of Christ, yes, there most certainly is condemnation. For sin, Second Corinthians five eleven. We'll go back, speaking about the fact that we have authority because of the one whom we represent. Second Corinthians five eleven. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
But we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. You see, we're to be role models and representatives, and yes, the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit. God might use our witness in the conscience. Of people that need to turn to Christ, and you—you probably don't hear this much. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, a holy God with all power and all knowledge, if you are in rebellion against Jesus, yes, that should terrify you.
Now, many people are not under conviction, and the idea of standing before a holy God no longer. Terrifies them because they've suppressed the truth so long. Their conscience no longer feels terror before a holy God. You know, Psalm one nineteen, one of my favorite parts of the Bible. Psalm one nineteen.
I wrote an entire book about it. It's a tribute to Scripture, and it says, "Horror hath overtaken me because of the wicked that forsake thy law." When's the last time you were horrified about the unsaved world going into eternity unprepared? But we have authority because we represent the Savior, and yes, um. The terror of the Lord motivates us because we're going to give an account for what we did or didn't do, but the eternity for those that have rejected Christ—that's a terror as well. And we try to arouse people that have fallen asleep and no longer even think about where they stand with Almighty God.
Secondly, though, the Christian has authority because of the one who indwells us. Ephesians four thirty. I mention it often. Says that the Holy Spirit of God indwells and seals each believer. We have security in Christ because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of God, and we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit who seals us unto the day of redemption.
See our actions, and this is believers, by the way. We can please God. We can displease God. Is not something the idea to grieve God, and it doesn't mean that God is mad at us. It doesn't mean that God is in heaven just eager to drop the hammer on us.
I do think the Lord is disappointed when we could be walking in such blessing and such power and such consistency and confidence, and we. We live beneath our privilege, and we live beneath our standing, very often, because even though maybe we've come to Christ, but the the siren song of a fallen world gets our attention. Second Timothy one verse seven says that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of love. And power and a sound mind, we have authority because of the one who indwells us.
Now we've got to take a break. We're going to come back and continue and amplify on this as we realize and believe it, embrace it, give yourself permission to believe it. That in Christ we have authority. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this.
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Issues that divide Christians today, wherever books are sold. He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program, Alex McFarland. Here we're going to resume our look at the believer's authority in Christ in just a moment.
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Well, before the break, we were talking about how we have authority because of the one who indwells us, and to amplify on that, the Bible says in Second. Timothy one seven we have the spirit of power, love, and of a sound mind.
Now the word spirit is pneuma, and back in verse six, Paul had told Timothy to stir up the gift of God which is in you.
Now remember, all spiritual gifts in a believer are imparted to us by God's Holy Spirit, and God replaces the spirit of Fear, with confidence. The spirit of weakness with power. The spirit of bitterness and apathy. With love, and the Spirit of God replaces confusion and deficiency with a sound mind.
So, in light of all this, we have authority. Number three, we have authority because of the promises of God's word.
Now, you'll remember in Matthew twenty-eight twenty, in that great commission passage, Jesus said. And this is the word of God. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. God and His promises and His delegated authority is with us now in the twenty-first century, as pagan and dangerous and just as chaotic as it is. First.
Peter 4:11 says this regarding the promises of God's word: If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. And the word there for oracles or the revelation of God, it's the word logos.
So when we are telling people truth and Scripture. This is the word of God, and we have authority when we're speaking God's word, and we've been delegated, and really commissioned, to proclaim God's word. Number four, the Christian has authority because of our mission in this broken world. Mark sixteen fifteen, we are to proclaim the good news to every creature. Atheists, Muslims, pagans, neighbors, loved ones—every person is to hear the word of God, and we've been commissioned to proclaim it.
Acts one verse eight. Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, unto the uttermost parts of the earth." And so we have the word of God, and we have the assignment, the commissioning, the mandate, to proclaim, and we go forth obediently. I hope obediently and with God's authority. But finally, the Christian has authority because of God's design and God's decree.
Now, in just a moment, I'm going to share something with you that I think will revolutionize the way that you pray and the confidence that you have. But The blood-bought, born-again, spirit-indwelt Church of Jesus. This is God's design. You see, we are saved by a relationship with Jesus. It's not just ritual religion; it's reality and its relationship.
And God has ordained and made the world this way, that we who now have a relationship with God, we help others. That relationship. This is the way God made His world to be. He mandated His church to live and operate, and we've been given an assignment to go into all the world, and we've been equipped to do that. Part of the reason that we do what we do, you know, Ephesians four eleven and twelve says that God gave pastors, teachers, and Evangelists to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, and really, it's the Holy Spirit that does all the teaching and all the equipping.
However, we who are in full-time vocational ministry. We sometimes help people understand the true standing they have that maybe they were not aware of.
Now you'll remember, I mentioned there is dunamis and there is exousia. There is dunamis ability, power, and there is exousia authority, power. I would say authority is even better than ability, really, because here is the thing. Ability yields to authority, power must follow authority, and Jesus gives His church exusia, authority power, to tread over our enemies dunamis power. You see, Satan and a fallen world has some power and some ability as well, in Luke ten.
Luke ten nineteen and twenty. Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all power of the enemy. Nothing shall by any means hurt you." Now listen to this. Luke ten nineteen and twenty. I ponder on it.
Jesus said, "I give you power." That's exusion. It's a form of exusia. Authority, to tread over the power, the dunamene, of the enemy. See, we have both ability and authority, but we have the authority to tread over Satan's dunamis.
Now, Satan and his minions have no exousia. They do have some ability, but they have no authority, and.
So Jesus sends us forth, John twenty twenty one. He says, "And so send I you." Isn't that something? Satan has no authority; we have the authority.
Now, the final thing I'll have time to say in this particular show is that we are to, in the authority of Jesus, speak the name of Jesus to cause our problems to go away. I've had many employees, and I'll say, you know, go call the printer, and you know, do this or that. And sometimes employees will come back and they'll say, "What do you say?" And I said, "Well, remember, I gave you the authority. You can go, and you can act on behalf of the ministry, and you can speak on my behalf if I've given you that authority." Now, do you remember in Mark chapter eleven, Jesus cleansed the temple. He caused the fig tree to be withered, and the disciples, well, Peter said to him, "You know what about that fig tree that withered?" And so Jesus said to the disciples, "If you say to the mountain." Be removed and cast into the sea.
This is Mark eleven twenty two. Have faith in God, for assuredly, in other words, be confident. I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be removed and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart. But believes those things he says will be done, it will be done. Therefore, I say to you, whatsoever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Now listen carefully as we close. Very often Christians pray, Lord, do this or do that, and I understand that. But Jesus said to Peter. You say because see Christ has given us authority, so if you've got a pain or an injury, or a need or a problem, or you're under oppression, in the name of Jesus you can say to that, be removed. We often say God do it.
Jesus says, Look, I've given you authority. I've delegated for you to do it. This is very. I want you to think about this. We have the authority, in the name of Jesus, to speak truth.
John fifteen sixteen, three times Christ says, "If you pray, in my name, according to my word and my will, it will be done." Now it's time that the church. Walk and live in our authority, just as a person in the human realm can be an agent or a principle empowered to speak on someone's behalf. Remember, we've been given authority in the name of Jesus in John 20:21. Deputized, empowered, given authority. Jesus said, "So I send you." So, believer, let's obediently, confidently, joyfully live, speak, minister, represent in the authority that we've been given.
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Yes, God. One. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarland Show.
