May 30, 2014

Della caught an "OOPS!" in part 30 that got past me, and it seemed like a good idea to start today by correcting that misstatement. I said, "Jesus fulfilled both parts of the Covenant -- His part as the provider and enforcer, and our part, which required the shedding of blood for the remission (aphiémi: eradication) of all past sins, iniquities, failings, etc., and -- more than that -- the curse that brought about sin, sickness, disease, infirmity and demonic affliction."

Here's the "OOPS!" When Jesus eradicated sin and erased it completely it wasn't just past sins. As noted in previous Coffee Breaks, when I was transported back in time (in the realm of the spirit) to the foot of the Cross, all of the sins throughout time -- past, present and future -- were converging on the Cross just like a huge black tornado. All that sin converged in Jesus, and He died taking those sins with Himself and depositing them at Satan's feet.

The point is that when we are in Christ, "old things have passed away, and behold ALL things are become new!" When we blow it as Christians and fail in some way or another, the Law of Sin and Death has already been canceled for us. We have been set free from that Law and all the penalties that accompany it -- as far as our spirits are concerned -- by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus!

That doesn't mean there aren't consequences that follow us for acts we may have committed before we have come to Jesus and entered into the New Covenant He made with us. Neither does it negate consequences for acts that we may knowingly or unwittingly commit AFTER we have entered into this Covenant. Transformation is a process that we are all in the midst of, once we come to Jesus, and that transformation incorporates our minds, our thoughts, our thought processes, and our physical bodies.

Jesus paid the entire price for that transformation and renewal. We simply need to appropriate it for ourselves and stop allowing Satan to condemn us for any subsequent or ongoing failures in the midst of this process. He wants to beat us up with them and try to convince us that we are no longer righteous in God's sight because of those shortcomings.

At the same time, our freedom from the Law of Sin and Death does not justify or make OK our continuance in sins, shortcomings and failures. John put it like this in his first general letter to the body of Christ (see I John 2:1-2 with my clarification):

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He is the propitiation (covering with mercy) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

Wow! Didn't mean to get so wordy with that correction, but as Della pointed out in reading my statement, that was simply too much of an oversimplification.

 

Anyway, time to get on with today's discussion.

 

Consider this statement in the light of Paul’s comment to the Ephesians (2:1-2): And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Then we have Jesus’ statements as He was teaching:

John 12:31: Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

John 14:30: Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

John 16:8-11: And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Three times we see Jesus use this phrase “the prince of this world.” When you juxtapose that statement against Paul’s description that Satan is “the prince of the power of the air,” and we go back to the Greek term, ouranos, which describes “the over-arching and all-embracing heaven beneath which is the earth and all that is therein,” we have a very clear picture of where and how demonic powers operate.

Their domain is “the second heaven.” Consider the exactness of the phrasing in the Greek text of the three verses in John 12, 14 and 16. Jesus NEVER describes Satan as being  “the prince of the world.” Instead He uses the phrase êüóìïò ôïýôïõ (kosmos toutou): the prince of “this present arrangement of the world” – a phrase which is totally time dependent and indicates a space of time and order to which Satan has been given delegated authority.

Remember how David put it? (See Psalm 115:16) The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.

The heavens – plural – all three of them (the original, the present, and the future) – are the Lord’s. Satan’s purpose from day One has been to steal those heavens from the Lord and use them to torment the people of God.

It may seem rather academic, but you’ll notice that Satan is NEVER referred to as “the King of this present world.” Jesus always refers to him in the lower sense as an archon: prince. The more accurate translation of that Greek word would be “magistrate.” A magistrate has permission to exercise power and authority within certain proscribed boundaries.

Let’s take this discussion the next step. We know from Paul’s letter to Timothy that Jesus Christ has the title “King of Kings.” (See I Timothy 6:15) In fact, three times in the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” This may be completely academic, but who are the “kings” He is King of?

Revelation 1:4-6: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 5:9-10: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

That being the case, where do we stand in the hierarchy of Heaven? As kings, princes are subject to us. Go back to David’s statement in Psalm 115:16: The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’S: but the earth hath He given to the children of men.

The earth hath He given to the children of men! That’s US!

Stop and consider once again the legal concept of the first heaven, the second heaven, and the third heaven. We know from both from Genesis 7:21-23 and Peter’s second epistle (II Peter 3:5-6) that the first heaven and first earth perished. In terms of the time frame for this event, it took place AFTER Adam’s fall and eviction from the Garden of Eden. It took place AFTER Satan was cast into the earth.

With Noah and his family began the second heaven and second earth. That is the heaven and earth that presently exist. It exists within a proscribed time frame which has an end date:

II Peter 3:10-13: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Revelation 21:1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first (protos: foremost, present, former) heaven and the first (protos: foremost, present,  former) earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Why make this point again? Because Jesus three times described Satan as the “prince of “this present arrangement of the world.” He’s not a king. His power only operates as  men and women give him that right. Sin gives him a right to operate – and even then there are limitations to that right.

All of the “principalities and powers, the world rulers of darkness and those who practice and exercise spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies” are totally under our dominion. They have no authority which even measures up to that which we’ve been given. We are the ones to whom the earth has been given. Satan’s only sphere of operation is “the air.” In fact, here’s how Jesus put it to the disciples when He sent them out to preach the Kingdom:

Luke 10:17-20 (NASB): The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.

"Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

Some of our English translations read “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” The problem is that you have two distinctly different words translated “power.” The Greek text uses the word exousia (authority, right, permission) in the first instance and dunamis (force, power, might, ability) in the second.

Satan is never identified as having exousia anywhere in Scripture. He has dunamis but not authority. That is something we have, and we have the responsibility to deprive Satan of his power, to diminish it in every instance where we see it operating.

You understand the difference, don't you? Authority always transcends and supersedes power. Authority has the ability, the responsibility and right to exercise power. Power without authority is meaningless. You may get away with exercising power for a time, but the final authority over that power can negate the effects of power exercised without authority. (I could make a comment here with regard to our present political administration, but I think I will avoid it for the time being.)

Demonic princes are under our authority. Demonic magistrates are under our authority. Demonic foot soldiers are under our authority. Satan himself is regarded – legally – as being under our feet.

Psalm 110:1-3: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

Hebrews 10:12-14: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

“The Lord shall send forth the rod of thy strength out of Zion.” That’s us, folks! Zion. The Bride! We are expected to make Jesus’ enemies His footstool – and that’s exactly what we’re going to do! Consider the following prophecy of Isaiah:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

You get it, don't you? If the government is upon His shoulder, He is the Head and we are the Body, then He has specifically given the responsibility to see to the government (and the governments of the earth) to us as His people. The "government" of course is the presiding authority over the earth. (See again, Psalm 115:16)

Since there are demonic princes who exercise their power over cities, over states, over regions, and over nations, if we permit them to continue their activities and their interference with God's plan, then we get what we deserve.

Sorry to put it that way, but that's the truth, folks!

Let me wrap up today by saying -- in keeping with this series on healing -- that when we don't exercise the authority we have being seated IN CHRIST over disease, sickness,  infirmity, or captivity to things that we associate with aging such as Alzheimer's, Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), various kinds of arthritis, etc., etc., then we get the consequences.

We all understand that when we've not exercised the authority we do have, it's not any different than a lack of physical exercise with accompanying weakness. I'm not sharing these things to point fingers at anyone or condemn Christians for not exercising the authority we have in Christ Jesus. My desire is to show you that it's time for us to start exercising and begin to work our "authority muscles" so that they become strong!

Understand? Good! See you next week.

Again, if you are in need of healing -- especially if you have some terminal disease or prognosis of a very short time to live from the doctors -- please join our prayer conference calls on either Monday or Wednesday of each week at 7:00 PM Eastern. Once again, the number to call is (805) 399-1000. Then enter the access code: 124763#. To get into the queue for prayer, when Randy opens the call up for everyone, hit *6-1 on your keypad. Let us minister to your need for healing!

 

Blessings on you!