Divine Authority - The use and abuse

[St. SteVen]

Kingdom business is done in the name (divine authority) of Jesus' name.
- Jesus gave His disciples authority over demons and to heal the sick (scripture below)
- The disciples observed others, outside the group, using the authority of Jesus' name. (scripture below)
- Jesus said that in the judgement, some will report having used the authority of His name to do miracles.
But he will declare that He never knew them. (scripture below)
- God has raised us up and seated us with Christ in the heavenly realms. (scripture below)

Much more to say about this. But this is enough for now.

Matthew 10:1 NIV
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority
to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

Luke 10:17 NIV
The seventy-two returned with joy and said,
“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

Mark 9:38 NIV
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name
and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Ephesians 2:6 NIV
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Discussion questions:
- What is the use of divine authority?
- What is the abuse of divine authority?

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[Ritajanice]

Gods will is done , through us, under the authority of the Living Spirit , of course one has to be 100% sure that they are doing God’s will and not their own.

God revealed his heart to my heart in an area of my life......at the time, I didn’t understand it and seriously thought it was from the enemy, ....over many years, he kept showing it to me, plus as you know @St. SteVen ...when God speaks to our heart, there can be no denying it.

I’m not able to share what I believe was his will for my life in this area....it’s just between God , two others and myself....all I can say is....it was intense for 3 years...I ended up leaving the church building over it...then it went quiet for around 25 years...then he brought me back to it, 5 years ago....I believe I have done everything that God led me to do....it’s a very long story....there has been so much heart break over it...

Anyway.....I stopped communicating with them, around a year ago....I’m now waiting for them to come to me with the truth.....I believe they will....this mission that I have been on....has strengthened my faith in God, beyond words can explain.....

Gods will be done, it can’t be thwarted......once you are inline and in harmony with his will.....it’s a peace like I have never experienced in my life.....it’s like a reassuring from God in one’s heart/ spirit...just resting and waiting on him.....only he can do his will and uses us to do it....
...
My testimony and belief...

Personally I don’t believe we can abuse the Spirit, .....as in, when we’re under “HIS” authority ,doing “ HIS” will.......

Not sure if this has answered your question....

What is the use of divine authority....you asked.

I would say....doing his will......we can’t do it under our own authority can we?

 

[Ritajanice]

Aren’t Pastors etc, under his authority,when preaching @St. SteVen ?

Can they abuse his authority...?

Are they under his authority, when they marry gays, lesbians?......I don’t think so....so , then they would be abusing his authority...would you say?

Is it his will that gays and lesbians marry?

It’s none of my business..just asking what you think and others?

I think @amigo de christo has hit on this subject......

 

[St. SteVen]

Personally I don’t believe we can abuse the Spirit, .....as in, when we’re under “HIS” authority ,doing “ HIS” will.......

Thanks for your post, and the topic idea.

We need to understand that there is authority in the name of Jesus. (kingdom business)
This is above and beyond typical obedience and the leading of the Spirit.

It requires confronting a situation that requires a miracle and using our divine authority.
(healing the sick, casting out demons, binding the enemy, raising the dead...)

Anything that we would declare in the name of Jesus. (divine authority)
See Matthew 18:15-19 (whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. - vs 18)

The two scriptures below show the use/abuse of the name (divine authority).

Mark 9:38 NIV
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name
and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

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[St. SteVen]

Aren’t Pastors etc, under his authority,when preaching @St. SteVen ?

This is a misunderstanding of divine authority.
Divine authority is more specific than general authority.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Matthew 12:29 KJV
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods,
except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Matthew 10:8 NIV
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons.
Freely you have received; freely give.

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[Ritajanice]

Thanks for your post, and the topic idea.

We need to understand that their is authority in the name of Jesus. (kingdom business)
This is above and beyond typical obedience and the leading of the Spirit.

It requires confronting a situation that requires a miracle and using our divine authority.
(healing the sick, casting out demons, binding the enemy, raising the dead...)

A guy in a building I attended...healed people...but, what we need to understand is...God did the healing through him, he has no power to heal anyone...only by the power from within him.

Anything that we would declare in the name of Jesus. (divine authority)
See Matthew 18:15-19 (whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. - vs 18)

The two scriptures below show the use/abuse of the name (divine authority).

Mark 9:38 NIV
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name
and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

[

I’ve posted what I believe was under the authority of the Spirit, that I believe I did in Jesus Name ...
That was doing his will in a certain area you can’t really explain it....you just know that you know, you are being led .in one’s spirit.....as I said it also came with a lot of heartache and misery ....the end result will Glorify Gods power and authority.

 

[Ritajanice]

This is a misunderstanding of divine authority.
Divine authority is more specific than general authority.

Divine authority is divine authority.....one knows imo when they are under it...if one is Born Again.

Flesh has no power and can do nothing in its own strength....don’t even try....he said to me, LOL.

Ephesians 6:12 NIV
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,
against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Matthew 12:29 KJV
Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods,
except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

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You can’t rush or interfere with Gods will...if you do...then we will suffer the consequences...speaking from my own experience.

 

[St. SteVen]

Divine authority is divine authority.....one knows imo when they are under it...if one is Born Again.

It appears that you do not yet understand divine authority.
I have tried to explain it to you. But... (sigh)

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[Ritajanice]

It appears that you do not yet understand divine authority.
I have tried to explain it to you. But... (sigh)

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I don’t understand divine authority through you @St. SteVen , yes you are right.

I don’t understand through “ you” I understand divine authority, the way I believe the Spirit has brought me to understand it.

Like I’ve explained or tried to explain to you...that only the Spirit can speak to my heart...sorry, you can’t.

Whose to say that your understanding of divine authority ..is the right way?

Plenty here, have their own understanding of divine authority and are allowed to voice it..

We’re not all here to agree with your understanding of divine authority or mine...they are here to express what the Spirit has brought them to believe what it is.

This is a discussion board..not @St. SteVen ..only board, where only he knows what divine authority in Christ means.

 

[Ritajanice]

Eph 2:20When we act without God's authority, we invite disaster and ruin. Those who scorn the need for divine authority in doctrine and practice are rejecting God to have rule over them.

I pray that God has control over every area of my life.....I’m under his authority and his will.in Jesus Name...Amen!

 

[St. SteVen]

Whose to say that your understanding of divine authority ..is the right way?

Plenty here, have their own understanding of divine authority and are allowed to voice it..

Just nasty.
- You asked me to launch a topic.
- I have invited others to participate.
- You clearly do not understand divine authority.
- Now you want to inform me of what you think.
- You disrespect my input.
- You are off topic.

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[Ritajanice]

Just nasty.
- You asked me to launch a topic.
- I have invited others to participate.
- You clearly do not understand divine authority.
- Now you want to inform me of what you think.
- You disrespect my input.
- You are off topic.

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I disrespect your input..LOL.

@St. SteVen said..

It appears that you do not yet understand divine authority.
I have tried to explain it to you. But... (sigh)...................RJ.says......LOL.

Good day. @St. SteVen

Members here is another commentary about authority in Christ.

3 Things You Need to Know About Your Authority in Christ​

You and I are living in the most intense time in human history. It’s no time to cower in fear or even to allow darkness and evil to prevail –it’s a time to use the authority God has given us!
In Luke 10:19 Jesus told us, “ Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”
Now, I’ve known about my authority in Christ for a while – I just don’t always remember to use it! Has that happened to you? Sometimes I just allow things to go on that I shouldn’t, instead of using the authority that Jesus gave me.
I believe there are three things we must be aware of in order to use this authority Jesus has given us:

• We have to know what it is
• We have to know that it belongs to us
• We have to know how to use it

1. WHAT AUTHORITY IS

The authority that Jesus is talking about in Luke 10:19 is not brute force power. It’s delegated power, much like a policeman possesses. When a policeman steps out in front of traffic and holds up his hand to stop it, he’s not stopping cars and trucks with his own brute strength – he’s stopping them with the delegated authority that comes from wearing the uniform. He’s backed by the law.
That’s the authority you have in Christ. You’re not stopping the forces of darkness (sickness, fear, evil, lack) with your own strength – you’re stopping them with the delegated authority given to you by God in Christ. You’re backed by all the power of God.
How amazing is that -- God Almighty Himself is the power behind your authority! Ephesians 6:10 says, Be strong in the Lord and the power of HIS might. That means you can step out in front of the devil, hold up your hand and say no, backed by the power of God’s might.

2. IT BELONGS TO US
The Bible says that you are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). Jesus is the Head, we are the Body -- and His authority is perpetuated through the Body. When Jesus rose from the dead, He transferred His authority on earth to His Body, the Church. In God’s mind, when Christ was raised, we were raised
Ephesians 2:6 NLT says that God “raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.” Both the Head and the Body are seated there, next to God, in the place of power and authority. That means you are seated there! You are seated in the power position, and you are His heir (Romans 8:17). That means that everything that’s His -- including His authority -- now belongs to you.

3. HOW TO USE IT
The door to exercising your authority in Christ hinges on Ephesians 1:20 and Ephesians 2:6, the verses that say we are seated with God in Christ. I encourage you to meditate on those until you fully grasp the revelation that you are seated with Him, and youare the one He moves through.
Then when adversity arises, use your authority by speaking out what His Word says, using the Name of Jesus. For example, you could say, “Sickness, I command you to leave my body in Jesus’ Name according to 1 Peter 2:24 – by His stripes I am healed!” The authority is in the name.
It’s like using the name of the president of a company – that name can get things done. It’s the same in the spirit realm, except that the Name of Jesus is higher – carries more weight -- than any other name (Philippians 2:9).
Think about that! When you use the Name of Jesus, believing that you’re seated with Him at the right hand of God, you are backed by all the power in heaven! Every knee must bow to that Name (Philippians 2:10).
Jesus made it very clear that His Name is the key to all authority: “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may beglorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14).
In Acts 3 when Peter & John encountered a lame man at the Gate Beautiful, they said, “In the Name of Jesus, rise up and walk” and he did! It wasn’t their own anointing or power that raised the man – it was the authority in the Name of Jesus. That same authority belongs to us – using the Name of Jesus is how we use it!

 

[Lambano]

Mark 9:38 NIV
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name
and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

There's a couple of subtleties here. In the Mark case, Jesus HAD given authority to someone outside the group, but the disciples did not recognize it as such. In the Matthew case, I don't see it as abusing the Jesus's authority. Instead, I see the ones prophesying in Jesus's name and performing miracles in Jesus's name did not and never did have Jesus's authority.

...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. - Matthew 18:6​

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Now this one may be a case of those who DO have Jesus's authority abusing that power and being held accountable.

 

[Ritajanice]

Here is another short commentary by someone else.....which I’m in agreement with.

Who is divine authority given to?
Divine authority is God's gift to His children, enabling them to live victoriously and carry out His will on earth. It is rooted in Christ and exercised through faith, obedience, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

[St. SteVen]

St. SteVen said:
Mark 9:38 NIV
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name
and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

Matthew 7:22-23 NIV
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name
and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

There's a couple of subtleties here. In the Mark case, Jesus HAD given authority to someone outside the group, but the disciples did not recognize it as such. In the Matthew case, I don't see it as abusing the Jesus's authority. Instead, I see the ones prophesying in Jesus's name and performing miracles in Jesus's name did not and never did have Jesus's authority.

...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. - Matthew 18:6​

​

Now this one may be a case of those who DO have Jesus's authority abusing that power and being held accountable.

My conclusions differ.

The authority is in Jesus' name. Anyone can use it. Jesus does not have to authorize them.
Those in Mark were doing just that. Jesus didn't correct the disciples. He said,
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in
the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.

In Matthew, the authority of the name of Jesus was used to perform miracles.
Even though Jesus claimed to not know them. (thus not granted authority)

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[Ritajanice]

@amigo de christo .....are those who marry lesbians and gays, under the authority of Jesus?

Who is leading them to perform these marriages....would you say that they are under the influence of the world?

Will they be accountable for performing these marriages in his name..

 

[Lambano]

The authority is in Jesus' name. Anyone can use it. Jesus does not have to authorize them.

Like using Jesus's credit card?

 

[Lambano]

Having worked in large, hierarchal organizations, I don't think delegated authority works that way. "I never knew you" implies Jesus did NOT authorize them to perform miracles.

The difference is analogous to getting a company credit card when you don't work for them versus having a legitimate company credit card and using it for personal purchases.

 

[St. SteVen]

Like using Jesus's credit card?

It's like the wax seal in days of old.

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[St. SteVen]

Having worked in large, hierarchal organizations, I don't think delegated authority works that way. "I never knew you" implies Jesus did NOT authorize them to perform miracles.

How then is it possible that they fulfilled the miracles without Jesus' authority to do so?

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