Skip to main content

Authority of the Church

Those who have received Jesus in their lives have the authority to be called the children of God. They have God's authority given to them as sons of God.

Anointing and authority are related. Anointing to an office gives authority of the office. 

In the OT, priests were anointed to intercede for and to teach people the difference between good and evil. The church has the priestly anointing for intercession and to uphold the word of God (1Pet 2:9; 1Tim.2:1-4; Phil.2:15,16). Kings were anointed to lead, govern, protect, and give justice to people. The church is a royal priesthood and children of God are appointed as kings in God's kingdom with authority over all the powers of the devil and his kingdom (Rev.1:6; 5:10; Luke 10:19). They will judge angels in the kingdom to come (1Cor.6:2-3). In the OT, prophets were anointed to testify for God. In NT, the church is witness of Christ (Rev.19:10).

The church has authority in Jesus Name
1. In doctrine - To preach the Gospel and uphold the truth of God (Matt.28:18-20; 1Tim.3:15)
2. On earth and in heaven - to bind and to loose (Matt.18:18)
3. Over diseases and death - To heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead (Matt.10:8)
4. Over demons  (serpents and scorpions) - To tread over them and to cast them out (Luke10:19)
5. Over nature and situations (mountains, trees, creatures) (Mark 11:23; Matt.21:20; Mark 16:18)
6. To pray and receive (John 15:16; 16:24,26)
   a. To pray for the people of God for their protection and for spiritual victories (Eph.6:18; 2Thess.3:1; Heb.13:18)
    b. To pray for all men (1Tim.2:1)
    c. To pray for political rulers and change political history (1Tim.2:2)
    d. To pray to receive what they need from God's resources provided for them
7. To forgive or retain sins of people against them (John 20:23; 2Cor.2:7)
8. To appoint people to office in the church and serve each other in submission, love, and humility (Matt.20:25,26; Tit.1:5)
9. For discipline in the Church (1Cor.5:4,5,11; 4:21)
10. For the execution of God-given responsibilities in the world (Mark 13:34)
11. God-given authority in the Church must be honored (Heb.13:7,17; Jude 1:8)
12. Church authority is pastoral, servant-minded, and ruled by love (1Pet.5:2,3,4).

God will entrust more authority in the age to come to the one who is faithful to fruitfully use all the authority given to him/her here on earth today (Luke 19:17)


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How Do We Know If An Opportunity Is From God?

1. Usually, it should be clear; but, if there is doubt, then there are reasons to reconsider (Rom.14:23) 2. Sometimes the goal may be noble, but the opportunity not. Any opportunity that compels you to hurry ahead of God will land you in a crash (Jer.48:10). 3. It should not invite you to do things or employ means that the Bible clearly forbids. If it does so, it is not divine opportunity but temptation to sin (James 1:13). 4. It should not tempt God, i.e. it should not be something like "I will jump from the pinnacle, He will send His angels in time to save me, because His Word promises so" (Matt.4:6,7). It will lead to disaster. 5. It should not be forced by human whims, even so-called prophecy or divine leading, especially when you don't have peace about it in your heart. Remember how a young prophet fell prey to a lion because he disobeyed God by listening to the lie of a prophet (1Kgs.13:16-24). There is a reason why Paul mentioned that when He heard God's cal...

7 Ghastly Sins of Ministry (Micah 3)

Text: Micah 3 1.  Hatred of Good and Love of Evil (Mic 3:2) A. Values that are Self-Centered, Not Christ-Centered B. Values that are Self-Defined, Not Spirit-Defined C. Values that are Self-Glorifying, Not God-Glorifying A confused value-system that honors culture, man, and the world rather than the Law of God Luke16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. 2. Exploitation of the Sheep (Mic 3:2) A. Manipulating People Like Things and Not Treating Them as Persons B. Over-Demanding C. Not Caring for the Well-being of Sheep Mat 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let hi...

The Opposition in Democracy

"The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." (Prov.18:17) The Opposition is a vital part of modern democracy. It ensures that the government elected by the people is working on behalf of the people and fulfilling the goals it set before them. It also ensures that the ruling party practices transparency and accountability. The Opposition has the right to question the actions of the government and demand an account or rationale for its actions. It may be wrong in its assumptions, but it has the right to voice its questions, without which democracy will be annihilated. To try to silence the voice of the Opposition by any means whatsoever is to kill the soul of the nation which is liberty, unity, fraternity, and justice; for where the right to freedom is exterminated, democracy is dead. A government that labels the Opposition as traitor for questioning its actions is against the people. The Opposition provides an opportunity for the ...