The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 1:
12 But those who embraced Him and took hold of His Name and teachings
were given authority to become the Sons of God!
If I have the authority to be a Son of GOD, then I am meant to be an imitator of GOD for HE is my Example of how to live life. Am I to settle for anything less once I truly receive the revelation of being a Son of God?
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 5:
5 Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as HIS beloved Sons and Daughters. 2 And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant Love of Christ, for He surrendered His life as a sacrifice for us. His great Love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.
As imitators, we are to walk and by motivated by the extravagant Love of Christ, the most fundamental characteristic of Our Heavenly Father. The authority we have been given includes healing, deliverance, and forgiveness of sins as we walk according to THE SPIRIT.
Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 9:
1 Jesus got into the boat and returned to what was considered His hometown, Capernaum. 2 Just then some people brought a paraplegic man to Him, lying on a sleeping mat. When Jesus perceived the strong faith within their hearts, He said to the paralyzed man, “My son, be encouraged, for your sins have been forgiven.”
3 These words prompted some of the religious scholars who were present to think, “Why, that’s nothing but blasphemy!”
4 Jesus supernaturally perceived their thoughts, and said to them, “Why do you carry such evil in your hearts? 5 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Stand up and walk!’? 6 But now, to convince you that the Son of Man has been given authority to forgive sins, I say to this man, ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk home.’” 7 Immediately the man sprang to his feet and left for home.
8 When the crowds witnessed this miracle, they were awestruck. They shouted praises to God because He had given such authority to human beings.
It is easy for anyone to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” for that cannot be proven. But if someone were to tell a paralyzed man to stand up, and he didn’t stand up, that would prove the person is a fraud. Jesus didn’t do the “easy thing” without accomplishing the hard thing, the miracle of healing. Forgiveness and healing both flow from Jesus Christ.
The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 20:
21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you! Just as the Father has sent Me forth, so I am sending you.
22 And having said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit!
23 Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained.
23 I send you to preach the forgiveness of sins—and people’s sins will be forgiven. But if you don’t proclaim the forgiveness of their sins, they will remain guilty.”
As Sons, we can announce the forgiveness of sins to those who repent. People are given hope as they begin their life as believers in The Word. When we preach Christ to them, their sins are fully realized and we are to lead them into a life in Christ, old things pass away, behold all things are new. This should be the most primary aspect of ministry, the saving of souls. We have been given the authority and power as Sons and Daughters so let us walk in this maturity in order to truly spread the Gospel in our assigned areas.
Along with the salvation message comes the aspect of judgment. Agape Love is a two-edged sword- one side cuts the adversary whereas the other cuts us between our soul and our spirit. FATHER will not tolerate a persistence of sin in our lives. In response, we will suffer judgment. Once a person has fully tested FATHER’S mercy, judgment arrives at the door.
Paul had to deal with such as issue in the church. The church had compromised when it came to dealing with lawlessness and sin among them. It was time for Paul to intervene so that the entire church would not walk in persistent compromise resulting in an unrighteous environment.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians chapter 5:
3 Even though I am physically far away from you, my spirit is present with you. And as one who is present with you, I have already evaluated and judged the perpetrator. 4 So call a meeting, and when you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and you know my spirit is present with you in the infinite power of our Lord Jesus, 5 release this man over to Satan for the destruction of his rebellious flesh, in hope that his spirit may be rescued and restored in the day of the Lord.
6 Boasting over your tolerance of sin is inappropriate. Don’t you understand that even a small compromise with sin permeates the entire fellowship, just as a little leaven permeates a batch of dough?
“Let him suffer the consequences of his actions.” They had the authority to release a man to the adversary. Think about it. Do you think habitual sin among believers is simply going to be overlooked by FATHER because of our incomplete perspective of Agape Love? HE is Love but also a just GOD of correction. You don’t get one without the other. Paul had the obligation to deal with the sin among the believers… we do too.
Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 16:
19 I will give you the keys of Heaven’s kingdom realm to forbid on earth that which is forbidden in Heaven, and to release on earth that which is released in Heaven.”
We have the authority to bring forth compliance on earth based on what is acceptable in Heaven. This authority cannot be taken lightly so we must understand FATHER’S Heart is such matters.
Acts chapter 5 provides a prime example of FATHER’S judgment among believers who have chosen a life of compromise. Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit:
1 Now, a man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, likewise sold their farm. 2 They conspired to secretly keep back for themselves a portion of the proceeds. So when Ananias brought the money to the apostles, it was only a portion of the entire sale. 3 God revealed their secret to Peter, so he said to him, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart and make you think you could lie to the Holy Spirit? You only pretended to give it all, yet you hid back part of the proceeds from the sale of your property to keep for yourselves. 4 Before you sold it, wasn’t it yours to sell or to keep? And after you sold it, wasn’t the money entirely at your disposal? How could you plot such a thing in your heart? You haven’t lied to people; you’ve lied to God!”
5 The moment Ananias heard those words, he fell over dead. Everyone was terrified when they heard what had happened. 6 Some young men came in and removed the body and buried him.
7 Three hours later, his wife came into the room, with no clue what had happened to her husband.
8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the sale of your land?”
Sapphira said, “Yes, that’s how much it was.”
9 Peter told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? I hear the footsteps of those who buried your husband at the door—they’re coming here to bury you too!” 10 At that moment she dropped dead at Peter’s feet.
When the young men came in, she was already dead, so they carried her out and buried her next to her husband. 11 The entire church was seized with a powerful sense of the fear of God, which came over all who heard what had happened.
We are to walk in uncompromising power and authority as true Sons and Daughters. This walk requires us to be uncompromising when we are dealing with unrighteousness. Opposition to Truth cannot be excused on the basis of ignorance for FATHER for HE has embedded this knowledge of Truth inside every human heart.
As Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 1:
21 Throughout human history the fingerprints of GOD were upon them, yet they refused to honor HIM as GOD or even be thankful for HIS kindness. Instead, they entertained corrupt and foolish thoughts about what God was like. This left them with nothing but misguided hearts, steeped in moral darkness. 22 Although claiming to be super-intelligent, they were in fact shallow fools. 23 For only a fool would trade the unfading splendor of the immortal God to worship the fading image of other humans, idols made to look like people, animals, birds, and even creeping reptiles!
24 This is why God lifted off HIS restraining Hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires. They were given over to moral depravity, dishonoring their bodies by sexual perversion among themselves— 25 all because they traded the Truth of God for a lie. They worshiped and served the things God made rather than the God who made all things—glory and praises to him for eternity of eternities! Amen!
26–27 For this reason God gave them over to their own disgraceful and vile passions. Enflamed with lust for one another, men and women ignored the natural order and exchanged normal sexual relations for homosexuality. Women engaged in lesbian conduct, and men committed shameful acts with men, receiving in themselves the due penalty for their deviation.
28 And because they thought it was worthless to embrace the true knowledge of God, God gave them over to a worthless mind-set, to break all rules of proper conduct. 29 Their sinful lives became full of every kind of evil, wicked schemes, greed, and cruelty. Their hearts overflowed with jealous cravings, and with conflict and strife, which drove them into hateful arguments and murder. They are deceitful liars full of hostility. They are gossips 30 who love to spread malicious slander. With inflated egos they hurl hateful insults at God, yet they are nothing more than arrogant boasters. They are rebels against their parents and totally immoral. 31 They are senseless, faithless, ruthless, heartless, and completely merciless. 32 Although they are fully aware of God’s laws and proper order, and knowing that those who do all of these things deserve to die, yet they still go headlong into darkness, encouraging others to do the same and applauding them when they do!
FATHER has given us power and authority on earth as HIS Sons and Daughters. Are we going to actively promote righteousness toward those whom HE sends to us for ministry or are we going to be silent and compromising? Doesn’t the above passage describe the situation today?
Many are waiting for FATHER to initiate some form of judgment over these people but HE has given us power and authority on this earth. Did Jesus sit around in His house awaiting FATHER’S judgment to come? No, He went forth and preached the true Gospel with power and authority where He confronted those demons who were plaguing the people and keeping them blinded to the Truth.
If we are not planting seeds of righteousness, the seeds of unrighteousness will continue to grow unabated on this earth. It is time to deal with the unrighteousness by being an uncompromising doer of The Word and not a hearer only. Justice and righteousness must prevail!