The Authority Of The Believer

                                                    The Word of God - Lesson V C

                   The Authority Of The Believer 

Scripture teaches that believers do have authority but that this authority is founded on the authority of Christ as we can read in:

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. 

It is clear from this mandate that the Lord intended His disciples, from all ages and times, to obey all that He had commanded them. It is also clear that this mandate could not be accomplished unless they had authority and power; that is the reason why Jesus specifically told them the Father had given Him all authority and that they were to wait for the Holy Spirit as we can read in:

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

Through the Gospels we read how Jesus gave His twelve disciples His authority as we can read in:

Matthew 10:7-8

As you go, preach this message: “The kingdom of heaven is near.” Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

And in Luke 9:1-2

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Jesus then gave His authority to seventy-two of His followers as we can read in:

Luke 10:1:17

“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go….”  “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your Name.”

And in Mark 16:15-18

“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe; In My Name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Those of us who are believers cannot afford to try to accomplish the Great Commission without the use of the full authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and the full power of the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives.

In our next study we will look at the subject of prayer.

Lesson V D - All Kinds Of Prayer