Jesus' followers asked Him, in John 6:28-29 (Amplified), "What are we to do, that we may habitually be working the works of God? What are we to do to carry out what God requires? Jesus replied, This is the work, service that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Whom He sent, that you cleave to, trust in, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger."
There are probably dozens of views, concerning the above scripture and probably most of these are true to one degree or another. Some believe that, "Trusting in God's Messenger (Jesus)," means being saved and born-again. This is most certainly true, but without faith in Jesus for salvation, all is lost. In order to be able to trust Jesus for other needs that He paid for with His Sacrifice, we must trust Him for salvation, We have all believed Jesus, to different degrees.
Jesus spoke about those who believed and those who didn't believe and in the above scripture, He said that doing the works of God was "to believe in the One Whom He had sent." Some have believed in Jesus, in order to receive salvation and be born-again. Others have believed further, and have received the Holy Spirit and His speaking in new tongues. Some have believed and have gone into the world, preaching the Good News. Most of us, though, have never really thought of ourselves as being Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. 2Corinthians 5:20 (Amplified) says, "So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were, through us. We as Christ's Personal representatives beg you for His sake to lay hold of the Divine favor now offered you and be reconciled to God."
The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul in 2Corinthians 5:18 (Amplified) saying, "But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself (received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself) and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation (that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him)." Jesus has now reconciled us to Himself, but there are many who haven't received the Gift of reconciliation to Him.
We've been taught that we're not fully forgiven or cleansed and that we need to do works, in order to be reconciled to God. Jesus said that we're to "believe on the One Whom God has sent." Jesus was sent to preach and demonstrate God's Kingdom on earth. We've been faithful to preach the salvation message and lead others to being born-again, but we haven't truly been faithful to establish God's Kingdom here on earth. John writes in Revelations 11:15 (Amplified), "The seventh angel then blew his trumpet, and there were mighty voices in Heaven shouting, The dominion, Kingdom, sovereignty, rule of the world has now come into the possession and become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ (the Messiah) and He shall reign forever and ever (for the eternities of the eternities)."
Jesus came to establish a new Kingdom and rule and to displace the kingdom satan had set up. Jesus came to set the captives free. Matthew 4:8-9 (Amplified) tells us, "Again, the devil took [Jesus] up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory, splendor, magnificence, pre-eminence and excellence of them. And he said to Him, You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me."
The Kingdom of God is to be preached to all who will hear. Then through the Holy Spirit, those people will take back the people who are held captive by satan's kingdom, that satan stole from Adam in the Garden of Eden, through deception. Jesus sent His disciples out to preach and demonstrate the Kingdom of God, in Luke 10:8-9 (Amplified) saying, "Whenever you go into a town and they receive and accept and welcome you, eat what is set before you. And heal the sick in it and say to them, The Kingdom of God has come close to you."
The Kingdom of God was being glimpsed through the authority and command of Jesus, by those who believed in Him. These people weren't born-again yet, but they were obedient to His Word and the Kingdom had come close to them. Through Jesus, we now have the Holy Spirit abiding in our new creation spirits. The same thing that Jesus told His followers that God required of them, is the very same thing He requires of us now. Jesus didn't just preach, but He demonstrated the new authority of the Kingdom of God, in power and signs and wonders.
Jesus prayed in John 17:18 (Amplified). "Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." Jesus gave the purpose for His being sent here, in Luke 4:18-19 (Amplified) where He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me (the Anointed One, the Messiah) to preach the Good News (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed, who are down trodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity. To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord, the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound."
This is what and how the Father sent Jesus into the world. And, just like God sent Jesus, He has sent us. Jesus said in John 10:37-38 (Amplified), "If I am not doing the works (performing the deeds) of My Father, then do not believe Me (do not adhere to Me and trust Me and rely on Me). But if I do them, even though you do not believe Me or have faith in Me, at least believe the works and have faith in what I do, in order that you may know and understand clearly, that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father, One with Him."
We are not the Messiah, but we have the Messiah living inside of us. Jesus brought the Message of the Kingdom not only in Word, but in deed also. Jesus didn't only teach and preach deliverance, but He demonstrated it by signs and wonders. Jesus told the Father, "Just as You have sent Me into the world, I have also sent them." Most of us haven't considered these things, in this light, but it is nonetheless Truth. The effects of Jesus' Words in John 14:12 (Amplified) to the people of His day, must have had the same effect that it has on us today. Thus, He said, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father."
Today, when the Truth of this Word and the demonstration of God's Kingdom operates like it was intended, then we will truly see the deliverance of the nations, being manifested. Before His Ascension to the Father, Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8 (Amplified), "But you shall receive power, ability, efficiency, and might, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth." This is the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer in John 17. Just like the Father sent Him (with the same ability, anointing and purpose), Jesus has sent us.
In Luke 10:9 (Amplified), Jesus says, "Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and physical and mental strength and ability overall the power that the enemy possesses, and nothing shall in any way harm you." This authority and power comes by the Holy Spirit, but it's not just authority. It's the ability and power to back it up even to the physical and mental ability to renew our minds by God' Word, becoming Kingdom minded. No King will send his army forth to conquer an enemy's territory, without first equipping them with everything necessary to overcome that enemy.
Again, let's read Mark 16:15-20 (Amplified) where Jesus tells His followers, "Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the Good News (the Gospel) to every creature of the whole human race. He who believes (who adheres to and trust in and relies on) the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth, and is baptized will be saved from the penalty of eternal death, but he who does not believe (who does not adhere to, and trust in, and rely on) the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth will be condemned. And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My Name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new languages, they will pick up serpents, and even if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well. So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into Heaven and He sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord kept working with them and confirming the Message by the attesting signs and miracles that closely accompanied it. Amen (so be it)."
Just as Jesus was sent by the Father, He sends us. Jesus said in Verse 17, "These attesting signs will accompany those who believe." Paul writes in Romans 1:17 (Amplified), "For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith, and leading to faith, disclosed through the way of faith, that arouses to more faith, as it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith." We are to be growing our faith, in order to proclaim the Kingdom of God, in power and authority in His Name. We're supposed to demonstrate God's Kingdom and power and set the captives free.
No comments:
Post a Comment