Monday, 2 May 2016

ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY


Absolute power corrupts absolutely; so they say.

I know one person who has absolute power and is not corrupted…..pardon me, incorruptible.

His name is Jesus and He has absolute authority in three realms: heaven, earth & hell. He didn’t always have it though; He earned it.

Remember when the Pharisees asked Jesus where He got His authority from? He replied with a question they dared not answer, though they knew the answer: God. Heaven. This was the same authority Moses, Gideon, David, Elijah and others like them had. It was this same authority God the Son had & used to full capacity when He was on earth. By it, He dominated darkness & nature (Matthew 21:24-27).

When He walked the earth, Jesus had only heavenly authority. Satan held earthly and hellish authority (John 16:11). He got the earthly authority from Adam. It was man’s authority, but as long as man was in Satan’s grip, the earth was in Satan’s grip (Genesis 1:28; Romans 5:12&21; 1 John 5:19). He offered Jesus earthly authority on one condition: worship me. It was a trap. He wanted to get heavenly authority from Jesus the way he got earthly authority from Adam (Matthew 4:8-10). Jesus would have gained temporary earthly authority & Satan would have ultimately ended up with authority in all three realms (Romans 6:16). Jesus saw right through it: I’m still gonna get earthly authority, but not this way!

When Jesus died on that cross & went to hell, carrying man’s sin, Satan thought he’d gotten his malicious desire. The bells sounded, there was a festival in hell: we finally got him! Demons swarmed Him, terrible principalities and powers; floods of them (Luke 22:53; Psalm 18:4). Bow to the master! Bow and worship him!

A light shined in hell. The Holy Spirit invaded the deepest, darkest regions of hell (Romans 6:4 & 8:11). Power surged through the Son; He came alive, He shined again. He threw off principalities and powers & made an open show of their utter nothingness & wretchedness (Colossians 2:15). Satan cowered in the corner, never had he beheld such power; such glory, such majesty! Jesus turned to Him: give Me the keys, earth & hell are Mine now!

Satan is a homeless wretch, beloved! That’s why he wanders about like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Even the place he thought was his to rule is now under the authority of the Son (Revelations 1:18). Hell is no longer his kingdom, it’s the eternal prison waiting for him (Matthew 25:41).

Jesus returned to His body, walked out of the tomb and said to His followers, “all authority in heaven & on earth has been given to Me, therefore go…..” (Matthew 28:18&19). He wasn’t kidding. Paul, speaking by the Spirit to the Philippian Christians, said that the name of Jesus is the highest authority in heaven, on earth & under the earth (Philippians 2:9-11). That’s absolute authority sir! Jesus confirmed it in Revelations 1:18: I have the keys of hell and death.

Every name & every being/creature in heaven, on earth & in hell is subject to the name of Jesus. As God is sovereign, yet has chosen to give man free will; so Jesus’ authority does not bend the will of man; but one day soon, every knee will bow to Him (Romans 14:11). They will have no choice, for He will come as earth’s King. Even now, everything else responds to the name of Jesus, so use the name!

Use the name, for it is yours to use
Use the name, for all that is required
Use the name, for the name is supreme
Use the name, for all authority resides in it
Use the name, and everything will submit to you

All powerful, all glorious; there’s nothing like the name of Jesus!
Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess to the mighty awesome name of Jesus!
There is no one like You Lord, none can compare to You; there’s nothing like Your name, oh Jesus!

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