Man’s Authority On Earth

Man’s Authority On Earth

This subject, when discussed, seems to provoke a lot of questions in people.

It can even provoke anger against anyone who suggests that man has authority on earth to change or rule circumstances.

A lot of Christians believe “GOD IS SOVEREIGN“ and that we humans, and even Christians on earth, simply HAVE TO PUT UP with whatever God chooses to do on earth or chooses to allow to happen on earth.

Statements such as, “God is Sovereign and  in control and He alone chooses what will happen on earth” are brought up to me, whenever I mention that MAN has authority on earth.

But think about this: to make the statement that God is in control of everything on earth, makes God seem like a careless God or a mean God.

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So, is He IN control?   Is He Sovereign and does He do whatever He wants to do, all the time and in all situations?  Does He CHOOSE to rescue and save some people, and does He CHOOSE to allow sickness, disease, or tragedy on others to kill them?

Un-believers bring this question/argument up frequently:    “If God has such power, then why does He allow the children in Africa to starve … what kind of a God would do such a thing?”

There are a number of answers that man has come up with for the answer to that question, such as:  “The un-believers don’t follow God, and so are not under God’s protection” has been one answer, I’ve heard.

But what about another tougher question, which could be a follow-up to the above statement:     “Why then, does God allow tragedies to come upon a Christian’s life?  Why does cancer take some Christian’s life?  What about the Christian who always tithes, is always in church, and is such a sweet, loving, God-fearing Christian?  Why would God allow tragedy to strike that persons life, or the lives of their sweet, innocent babies?”

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.Does the same answer for why children of un-believers die stand up with why the children of believers die, especially when they die with the same diseases and/or in the same tragedies.

Are believers and un-believers BOTH NOT under God’s protection.  Or does God choose to protect some believers, and choose to NOT protect other believers?

Does God choose to protect some un-believers and choose to not protect other non-believers?

Everything simply according to His plan and purpose?

Is God a respecter of persons?  Does He favor anyone, or any one family?

So the answer has evolved, which many  Christians give as to why believers or believers’ children die of sickness or die  in tragic accidents:    “Because God is Sovereign and because God chooses to allow something to happen for a reason which we do not understand at this time.  He alone is in control.“

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But, can ANY of these answers be found in Scripture?

The Word is the Truth.

The Word is supposed to be the Lamp unto our feet, and the Light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

We should always base our conclusions, answers, and thoughts on the Word.

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God has written in His Word:.
Genesis 1:26 – Let us make man … let  THEM rule over… all the earth …” (NIV)

Psalm 115:16 – the heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; But the EARTH HE HAS GIVEN TO THE CHILDREN OF MEN (NKJ)

Psalm 8:4-6 -  What is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than “God” (side bar) and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made  HIM RULER OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; You put EVERYTHING  UNDER   HIS FEET (NIV)

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Next:
We see another “ruler” introduced to us, by Jesus.  This “ruler” was shown to have authority over this world when Jesus said:
John 12:31 – Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the PRINCE OF THIS WORLD will be driven out (NIV)  (or the RULER of this world – NAS)

John 14:30-31 – I will not speak with you much longer, for THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD (RULER OF THIS WORLD (NAS) is coming.  He has no hold on Me …
and

John 16:7-11 – When (the Counselor) comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:  … in regard to judgment, because the PRINCE OF THIS WORLD (THE RULER OF THIS WORLD (NAS) now stands condemned

It was satan himself who said to Jesus in Luke 4:5-7 – “I will give to You all (the kingdoms of the word’s) authority and splendor, for it has BEEN GIVEN TO ME, and I can give it to anyone I want to.  So if You worship me, it will all be Yours … “   This would not have been a temptation to Jesus, if this were not the Truth.  Jesus would have laughed at such a lie, if it were indeed a lie.

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Paul makes the same statement, when he writes:
Ephesians 2:1-3 – As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the RULER OF THE KINGDOM OF THE AIR, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient

2 Corinthians 4:4 – The GOD OF THIS AGE has blinded the minds of unbelievers …
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1 John 5:19 writes – We know that we are children of God, and that the WHOLE WORLD IS UNDER CONTROL OF THE EVIL ONE

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Wow.  Big statements.  Did God loose control somewhere along the line?  Did God appoint satan to become the GOD OF THIS WORLD at some point in time?  Did we miss reading about that appointment in the Scriptures?

. Let’s see what else Paul has to say:
Romans 6:16 states that – when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey

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.Remember, Adam and Eve did just that.  They obeyed satan.  Meaning, they allowed satan to become their master, or god.  They should have been the rulers of this earth.  God the Father appointed THEM to be the rulers of the world which He made for mankind,  but they bowed down to satan, they obeyed his suggestions, and by doing so gave him authority over themselves, and gave him, therefore, authority over this earth.

Can you see the chain of command?

But, Hallelujah, Jesus came as A MAN, and took that authority back from satan.  Jesus won authority back, by His obedience.  Jesus Christ obeyed only God the Father while He walked the earth.  He did only the Fathers will.  Remember Romans 6:16 – when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey.  Jesus never faltered.  He remained obedient only to God the Father.  He conquered the works of the devil, and never obeyed the devil, which would have given satan lordship over Jesus.

Jesus was the spotless, sinless Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world, and to destroy the chain of command.

By the work of one man, the MAN Christ Jesus, the chain of command was broken.  The MAN Christ Jesus took back authority and broke the power of the devil.

1 John 3:8 states – The reason the Son of God appeared was TO DESTROY THE DEVIL’S WORK

Colossians 2:15 - And having DISARMED the powers and authorities, (Jesus) made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross

Colossians 1:13 – for He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the Son He loves

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.By Christ’s OBEDIENCE  to God the Father, He was made perfect and was given the Name above ALL names (Phil 2:9), and was given the position of being the “head over ALL things” for the churches sake (Ephesians 1:221-22).  He also has chosen to share His name, His title, and His authority with believers, whom He calls brothers!  (Hebrews 5:8-9, 7:25-28, 9:14-15).

Luke 10:19 - I have given YOU authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you

Matthew 28:18 – All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Therefore  (YOU) go … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age

John 14:12 – I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me, WILL do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father

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So, we can see through Scripture,  that man was given authority over all the earth, but lost his authority by obeying satan;  Jesus got the authority back from the ruler of this present age,  who lied and deceived his way into power;   and Jesus is now sharing His authority with every born-again believer presently, on this earth, at this time … with whoever will believe and walk in His authority.

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..This is why we can SPEAK to mountains, and the mountains will obey us.  Because Jesus has given us His authority to rule over the enemy, and over circumstances which are in opposition to the will of God.  (Note:  There will be no satanic opposition against us when we are living in heaven, for satan is not in heaven for us to have to contend with.  It is HERE on earth, that we have been  given authority over all the power of the enemy, where nothing should be harming us!  Luke 10:19)

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Now ….. how do we use the authority given us?

Do we sit in an easy chair, and expect the world (or the Word) to do exactly as we wish?  After all, if the Word is True and the Word says we are Born Again, over-comers, then shouldn’t everything simply fall in line for us in this life ??.

Or can we watch 8 hours of television, and expect the Word to ‘magically work’, when we walk out our doors?

..Or can we talk exactly the way we want to talk all day long, with all of our emotions and feelings controlling our tongues, but then when we REALLY want to shout at a sickness or disease in our life, we should then simply expect the Word of God to “work” for us?

Or perhaps we can just “believe” quietly, inside our minds, that the world, sickness, disease, disasters, tragedies, and the trials of life will simply SEE that we are children of God, and go around us and not touch us, because of the authority and the power (the ‘Greater One’) which lives inside of us?

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Is this what happened to Jesus Christ, while He walked on the earth?

NO!

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Christ, our example, showed us that He resisted the devil with His WORDS, and then the devil did flee.

Christ, our example, showed us that He also healed people with His WORDS and then the sickness departed.

And, the Word teaches us that Christ Jesus, our example, is still upholding the entire universe by His powerful WORDS (Hebrews 1:3).

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WORDS.

Our words bring death, or our words bring life (Proverbs 18:21).
Our words WILL move mountains, and our words will make circumstances obey us (Mark 11:23, Matthew 17:20, Matthew 212:21).
Our words even set the course of our life (James 3:1-7).
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.This should not be a teaching which brings condemnation.  This is a great message which brings LIBERATION!!!   For the teaching of the New Testament shows me that my entire life can be so easily directed … by my tongue.

I am no longer at the mercy of the world!
I am no longer at the mercy of circumstances.
I no longer have to wonder “why me”.
I no longer have to “HOPE” that the tragedies of life won’t touch me or my family!

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PRAISE GOD!    God has given me the answers!!!!  The answer is in my TONGUE!

God’s Word spoken by MY  tongue, is alive and powerful, and brings down strongholds in my life !!!  Hallelujah!

The Powerful Word is nigh me ….. even in my MOUTH !!
Praise God.

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Prayer to pray over your life today:

Thank You Father, You have given us the keys to life and to godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  You have shown us that Your power will flow from our mouths!  Thank You Father!  I choose today, to speak Your Words!  I choose today, to speak life and health!  I choose to believe You at Your Word, and use Your Words as my sword, cutting everything out of my life, which is contrary to Your Word and Your will for my life!  Hallelujah!  You have made it as easy as that for us!  What tremendous love You have for us, Your children!  Thank You for equipping us with weapons of warfare so that we can succeed in this life.  Thank You for not leaving us as orphans in this life, to be tossed to and fro,  and thrown around by the devil or even by natural events.  I praise You for giving us Your Word to show us what Your will is for our protection, and for our health, and for our peace!  And I thank You, that by speaking Your Words as present tense Truth, we WILL have victory in every area of our lives!  Praise You, In Jesus’ name!  Amen.

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