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God’s purpose in providing the Law through Moses for the Jewish people was to produce righteousness in the individual. The first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah (Hebrew) or the Pentateuch (English), contained 113 rules and regulations, including the Ten Commandments. 

For a Jew obeying, from the heart, the rules and regulations of the Law was the path to being in a right relationship with God or put another way to be found righteous in the Lord. Unfortunately, the only thing the Law proved was that it was impossible to keep all the Law all the time. The only thing the Law showed was the need for a Savior; in Hebrew, the savior is called Messiah, and in Greek, the savior is called Christ.

Through Jesus Christ, the Lord provided a “better Covenant based upon better promises” (Hebrews 8:6). Now, as New Covenant Believers, our righteousness does not come from what we do as the Law required, but our righteousness is because of what Jesus did for us, (Romans 4:22-24).

Jesus came to fulfill the Law in that His righteousness was now imputed or credited to the individual who would put their faith in Him. No longer did a person have to work at being righteous as in the Old Testament; now, a Christian’s righteousness is a gift of Grace wrapped up in faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Believer’s Authority in the Old Testament

In my last post, Believer’s Authority in the Old Testament, I tried to make several points. The first point was that God doesn’t change; Hebrews 13:8 states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Clearly, the miracles and wonders of the Old Testament or Covenant are still available today. 

The second point was that in the Old Testament, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, would only fall upon Prophets, Priests, and Kings. The Holy Spirit in those days would come upon a person and sometimes be removed from a person. In a sense, it was temporary, available until the purposes of God were completed. 

The third point was to distinguish the difference between Authority and Power. In the natural, if a person has authority, it means that they have a legal right to do something, but it may not mean that they have the power or ability to do it. So, having authority alone is not enough to accomplish what you want; you also need the power to go with authority. 

The Believer’s Authority and Power in the early Church.

Christians do not live under the Covenant of the Law found in the Old Testament Bible; Jesus fulfilled the Law and therefore made the Law of Moses obsolete.

In Jeremiah 31:31–34, a New Covenant is prophesized, and then Hebrews 8:7 & 13 state the following. 

• “7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” In other words, the Old Covenant was not enough to produce righteousness.
• “13 In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” The New Covenant replaced the Old Covenant. 

I have met people trying to keep the Old and New Covenants. Here is what Jesus said in Matthew 9:16, “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. 17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Jesus said it is impossible to maintain the works of the Law and the gift of Grace at the same time. Every person who comes to Jesus must choose to follow Him and not the Law of Moses.

The Book of Acts, the New Covenant Church

The Book of Acts in the Bible gives a very clear account of the beginning of the Church, and it is clear the early church was filled with the authority and power of the Holy Spirit. We know that miracles, signs, and wonders were common in the early church. So, why was the early church so different from the Jewish temple and synagogues? The difference was that the Holy Spirit lived in the Believer and not just on the Believer. The coming of the Holy Spirit to live in the Believer was not a temporary event, and it wasn’t just something needed at the beginning of the church. The Holy Spirit is the One who enables us to live the Christian life, and it still comes with authority and power. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus and distinguishes Christianity from all other religions then and now!

Our Authority. 

The word authority in the New Testament is defined as follows; Exousia, Gk.; delegated influence or authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength. (Used 72 times in the New Testament)

Simply put, authority means that we have the right and privilege to do something. The source of our Authority is in the fact that our citizenship is heaven, and we are ambassadors for Christ on earth.

• Philippians 3:20, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,”
• 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God?”

Can you see that our authority comes from the Lord as ambassadors and citizens of heaven? In the natural, when a head of state sends an ambassador to another country, that ambassador represents the one who sent him; that is authority. In essence, the ambassador speaks and acts for the one who sent him. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ and represent Him on earth with authority.

Recall in Matthew 16 when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?” And Peter responded by saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Listen to what Jesus said to Peter and all who were listening in Matthew 16:17, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 

This statement shows that Peter had a personal revelation of who Jesus was. The Lord spoke to Peter in his heart and showed him the truth of Jesus; He was the Savior, God in the flesh! However, Jesus goes on to say, Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Some like to think that Jesus was building the church upon Peter, but if that were the case, then Jesus would have said, “you are Peter and on you I will build my church.” Instead, Jesus says, “on this rock”; the rock Jesus was speaking of was the Rock of personal revelation and faith in Jesus. It’s interesting to note that the name Peter (Petros Gk.) means “little rock,” and rock (Petra Gk.) means massive rock. Again, confirming that Peter is not the rock of the church, but Jesus is the rock! 1 Corinthians 10:4, “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Keys of the Kingdom

Matthew 16:19, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Jesus is saying as my representative I give you authority (keys) to ask for anything that is allowed (loosed) in Heaven and to resist or defeat (bind) anything not permitted in Heaven. 

Binding and loosing is not permission to do whatever you think or want but is permission to follow the pattern of the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember, Jesus came preaching the “good news of the kingdom.” Part of the good news is that we have the authority and power to resist and bind all the works of the enemy, the devil. We also have the authority and power in the Holy Spirit to loose the power found in the Gospel of salvation.

Our Promised Power. 

The word power is defined as dynamis, Gk.; force; miraculous power, ability, abundance, strength, (wonderful) work. (Used 119 times). Dynamis is the root of the word dynamite.

The source of our power as Christians is in the Holy Spirit, the Person of God living in the Believer. Jesus Himself promised the Holy Spirit in Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. That word “endued” literally means to be “clothed” in the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we use terms like being filled or led, or guided by the Holy Spirit to describe one who is moving in the Spirit of God. 

We see the fulfillment of the promise in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”The word “power” in this verse is the word dynamis, which is explosive or miracle-working power!

Jesus said He has all authority in heaven and on earth; He has imparted that authority through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we have spiritual authority.

Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

That is the Great Commission, and as ambassadors of Christ, this is our responsibility. The great news is that Jesus didn’t expect us to do it all in our own strength; He gave us the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to accomplish what He called us to do.

A final thought – You have not because you ask not.

James 4:1-3 teaches us a principle: “you have not because you ask not.” As Believers, we often turn to our own strength and abilities or look to other people instead of asking the Lord to empower us with His Holy Spirit. 

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

John 16:24, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

When we ask the Lord with the right motives, then the Lord will move on our behalf. The key is to ask for Him instead of things. Luke 11:13, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Remember, when you came to Jesus, you surrendered your life to Him, believing that He could do a better job with your life. Moving in the authority and power of the Holy Spirit also requires surrendering. More about that in the next episode. 

Authority and Power

In the natural, if a person has authority, it means that they have a legal right to do something, but it may not mean they have the power to do it. The key to authority is that it means you have a legal right or it is allowable. However, having authority alone is not enough to accomplish what needs to be accomplished, and you also need power to go with the authority. For example, a person may have the right or authority to build a home on their own property, but if they don’t have the resources or equipment to build a house, they are powerless to build it. 

When king Saul was pursuing the future king David in the book of 1 Samuel, Saul was using his authority as king to hunt and destroy David. However, Saul did not have the power to destroy David because the Lord was on David’s side.

Throughout the ages, God has given authority to men and women to act as His agents or ambassadors to accomplish His will. However, when God gives authority, He also provides power, which comes through the Holy Spirit of God!

Old Testament View of the Holy Spirit

In Old Testament times, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit would fall upon a person for a time for a particular purpose; in other words, the Holy Spirit would come and go. The Spirit of God would fall upon prophets, priests, and kings. Today as believers in Jesus Christ, we must embrace the truth that the Holy Spirit lives in us and He will never leave us nor forsake us; therefore, the Holy Spirit’s authority is always available to us. Here is a key truth, spiritual authority is available to fulfill the will and purposes of God. Spiritual authority is not available to us for our own wishes to do what we want. We are the vessels, but the power and authority are the Lord’s! Before we go further, we need to visit the doctrine of the Trinity.

Triune Nature of God

As Christians, we believe that we serve one God in three separate persons. I like to think of it as God the Father who initiates all things, Jesus Christ, the Word of God in the flesh, who came to earth to die for our sins and give us eternal life, and the Holy Spirit, who is often neglected, as the agent of change. The Holy Spirit makes things happen in the supernatural realm. The Holy Spirit is the power that crosses from the spiritual to the natural realm and makes things happen.  

The Holy Spirit takes what God the father says through the son Jesus Christ and makes it happen. What is important to understand is that the Holy Spirit it’s the one who makes the supernatural available to us. He is our connection to the supernatural realm of God, but here’s the important thing He is a person! He is not simply a force or power or energy, He is a person; he is God. Just as Jesus is God, the Holy Spirit is God, three persons in one. To reject the Holy Spirit is to reject God. 

The triune nature of God is a difficult concept for us as human beings to understand. We live in a place of time and space; however, God lives outside of time and space, he is a creator of all things, and nothing that was created or will be created exists outside of his will. The Trinity is a truth that the human mind can’t understand fully, which is why the Lord has given us a measure of faith to believe. Faith or trust is not needed if we understand; faith is needed when we don’t understand and still put our faith in God. We may not fully understand the Three in One concept of God, but we believe it.

There are at least three characteristics that God has; God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. 

1. Omniscient means God knows everything. There is nothing that He does not know. He is not like us; God does not learn; he simply knows. Past, present, and future it is all the same to Him.
2. Omnipresent means that God can be everywhere at the same time, and he hears all our prayers, worship, and praise and knows the motives and intentions of our hearts.
3. Omnipotent means that He is all-powerful. Nothing or no one can stand against Him. Satan, the greatest enemy of our Lord, is but a flea to God. God does not strain or stress, and nothing is too difficult for our Lord.

As you search the scriptures, you will see that Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit share in all these attributes. This is why we believe in one God in three persons.

In the Beginning, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

At the very beginning of Genesis, we know that God created the heavens and earth. An important point that we must see is in verse two “the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep.” It is clear that the Holy Spirit was present with God the Father, and we know God spoke the Word and created everything by His Word. Then in John chapter one, we see that the Word became flesh. John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” I say all of this to make the point that Jesus and the Holy Spirit existed with God from the beginning.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon or rested upon.

In Old Testament times, the spirit of the Lord would fall upon or rest upon specific individuals, prophets, priests, and kings. The Lord chose these individuals to work through for the sake of His people Israel. the Lord would take ordinary people and place his spirit upon them so that they became extraordinary people. We can see many wonderous works of God through the lives of many biblical characters. 

Here is a list of 14 Old Testament individuals that God used by placing His Spirit upon them:

1. Moses in Exodus 3:12, the burning bush experience where he received from the Lord the commission to be an instrument to set the people of Israel free from Egyptian bondage.
2. The 70 Elders chosen by Moses to help with the administration of God’s people.
3. The Judge Othniel in Judges 3:20
4. The Judge Gideon in Judges 6:34
5. The Judge Jephthah in Judges 11:29
6. The Judge Samson in Judges 13:25
7. King Saul in 1 Samuel 10:6 
8. King David in 1 Samuel 16:13
9. Joshua in Numbers 27:18 and Deuteronomy 34:9
10. The prophet Elijah in 2 Chronicles 20:14
11. The prophet Elisha in 2 Kings 2:15
12. The priest Jahaziel in Chronicles 20:14
13. The prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 24:20
14. The prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 11:5

The examples I have chosen show the Spirit of God falling upon individuals. However, there is a particular case of the Spirit of God being removed from an individual because of disobedience. We see this when the “Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul” in Samuel 16:14. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. 

Faith

All these Biblical characters who were filled with the Spirit of God, or we could say were anointed by God, had to act by faith. Faith that the Lord would do what He promised and work through them to do the mighty works of God. They may have experienced fear and doubt at times, but when they had to act, they did not waver in unbelief. David, who was anointed to become king, was filled with the Spirit, yet the Psalms clearly show that David experienced times of despair and hopelessness; however, David never quit or gave up. Listen to Daniel 11:32, “… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” The lesson here is that when we become discouraged or defeated, we turn to our God and draw strength from our relationship with Him and hold on tightly to the promises of God. God never, never fails!

When we read about the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, we see the names of the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, and Joseph. Then we see the faith of Moses, Joshua, and Rahab; some of the names of the Judges of Israel are also included, and then, of course, David. However, Hebrews 11 doesn’t stop with the well-known names found in the Bible. Hebrews 11 states that there were countless numbers of people who suffered persecution and even death because they believed that the Lord had anointed them to be used to fulfill His purpose. Again, I want to remind you that the Lord uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

All those whom the Lord fills with the Spirit and follow through by faith receive the crown. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

As new covenant Believers, Jesus has granted us authority and power to represent Him. Because of the New Covenant or Testament, we have better promises made to us than all of the Old Covenant or Testament characters in the Bible. Jesus promised us a helper, which is the Holy Spirit who comes in power. As New Covenant Believers, we have authority as a result of the new birth or being born-again. As born-again Believers, we have spiritual authority, but have we learned to release the Holy Spirit’s power resident in us? That is the subject of my next episode: The Believer’s Spiritual Authority and Power.

A Better Covenant, based upon better promises. 

Let me close with a couple of scriptures from the book of Hebrews that reinforce the truth that we have a better covenant than the Old Testament believers.

• Hebrews 7:22, “by so much more Jesus has become a guarantee of a better covenant.”
• Hebrews 8:6, “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, since He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.so much more Jesus has become a guarantee of a better covenant.”

The Book of Hebrews was written based on the superiority of Christ over the Law of Moses. Christ is better than the angels, for they worship Him. He is better than Moses, for He created him. He is better than the Hebrew priesthood, for Jesus’ sacrifice was once for all time. Jesus is better than the law, for He mediates a better covenant. In short, there is more to be gained in Christ than to be lost in Judaism. Pressing on in Christ and His Holy Spirit produces tested faith, self-discipline, and a visible love seen in good works. We can’t do any of this without the power of the Holy Spirit leading us.

Motivational Teaching

In the area of discipleship or learning how to live as a Christian many teachers and leaders focus on the “practices that lead to successful living.” I call this motivational teaching. According to the dictionary, Motivational Teaching is “Designed to promote the desire or willingness to do or achieve something.” For example, someone may teach that if you do this, then God will bless you, but if you do this, then God can’t bless you. While there may be truth to these statements, and it may be appropriate for new Believers, there is more to being a Jesus follower than do’s and don’ts! 

Living under rules of behavior often leads to fear of doing something wrong, and fear is the ground on which the Devil operates. The Old Testament is filled with examples of rules and regulations known as the Law or the Law of Moses, and as the Apostle Paul put it, the Law leads to death, whereas Grace leads to life. To grow as a Christian, we must be brought into a relationship with Jesus that is based upon love and not fear. Understanding and living in what Jesus purchased on the Cross for us is to understand our relationship with Him by Grace, the gift of God.

Milk or Meat?

That leads us to the question, is motivational teaching bad? Of course not; motivational teaching is necessary for a new Christian. However, to mature as a Christian, the motivation must come from the inside of a person and not the outside. For example, a newborn baby relies totally upon its mother to give milk, but as the child matures, the child learns to find food on their own. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Let us examine these verses of scripture. 

The writer of Hebrews chastises the Jewish converts to Christianity for not growing in maturity. He describes them as needing “milk and not solid food!” I think the meaning is clear; the people were being motivated by the leaders at the time to follow the rules to behave as Christians. To be fair, remember that these are newly converted Jews; they were used to “following the rules.” This kind of motivation tends to make people depend on leaders or others instead of on Jesus and His Holy Spirit. Believers who need milk will often try to imitate the Christian lifestyle. Again, let me be clear this is perfectly normal and proper for a “babe in Christ.” A babe needs to be taken care of, guided, and directed, but at some point, they need to learn how to be motivated by the Christ living in them, to become independently strong in Christ!

Righteousness

Verse 13 states, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. Righteousness is both a gift and an essential characteristic of a Believer. Righteousness can be defined as being right in God’s eyes. Spiritually we are righteous before the Father as a gift of Grace by believing and trusting in Jesus. However, you know as well as I do that our thoughts and actions don’t always align with what God wants or expects. Spiritual righteousness is instantaneous. Working it out so that we also act righteously is a work that is continually in progress. 

So, on the one hand, as an immature Believer, there are many misunderstandings and habits that are not in line with God’s purpose for us. Now I am being taught from the Bible a whole new way of life, and I need rules and direction to help with those areas that are not part of my customary behavior, and being taught by others how to live is what I need. 

However, if I practice doing something I am not accustomed to because I am being taught what is right and wrong; what is a conscious effort eventually becomes a sub-conscious effort. I no longer must think about what is right or wrong; I will do what is right because of an internal motivator, the Holy Spirit. You see, every Believer needs the “Helper” the Holy Spirit. There is no victory in this life based solely on human effort or discipline. When we partner with the Holy Spirit and learn to be led by Him, we will fulfill the call and purpose of God in our lives. That call and purpose are to become more like Jesus every day!

Exercising our Faith

Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” Some think that years as a Christian determine maturity in Christ, but that is not necessarily so. I’ve known many Christians that have been Christians for 25 years and have not grown in Christ. As someone once said, “It’s not how long you’ve been on the road, but how far you’ve traveled on the road!” 

Having senses exercised to discern both good and evil is a spiritual gift every mature Believer has because of the Holy Spirit. The key word here is “exercises” to discern both good and evil. Walking in the righteousness of God is a process of trial and error. When we begin, we need guidelines. As Christians, we have the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and faithful teachers. As we continue to grow in faith, the Word makes more and more sense to us. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2, “13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”

Our faith continues to grow because of the Word of God. Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” I should point out that the word in the “word of God” is the Greek word rhema. Rhema is the spoken word of God, so we have the written word of God and the spoken word of God. What is the difference? The written word is the Bible, and the spoken word is when the Holy Spirit speaks to you concerning the written word! The Bible is a spiritual book and can only be understood by those who have the Holy Spirit. As Believers, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Getting Back to Milk or Meat. 

We saw Paul chastising the newly converted Christians in the book of Hebrews, and now he has something to say to the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 3:1, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.” Paul chastises the Corinthian Christians for not growing in maturity. They were still carnal or worldly. Remember, it’s not how long you’ve been a Christian but how much you’ve grown that is important.

We Need Milk and Meat.

One way to look at this subject of motivation is the following: “we start in the flesh and end up in the spirit.” As new Christians, we are still very carnal. The word carnal simply means that we are relying on our own worldly logic, intellect, or habits. We don’t always realize that what we are doing is wrong or evil. Our salvation experience is real, but we are still very natural-minded. We start by being motivated by biblical teaching, preaching, and Bible study. We consciously practice what we learn, then what we practice becomes our natural response. This is the meaning of Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” In the beginning, we must consciously choose good over evil, God’s view or the world’s view, but in time the good becomes our default or first choice. All of this is because righteous habits and the truth of God replace our old habits and lies that we have believed.

The Apostle John makes it clear that it is the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. 

• John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
• John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

What Does a Mature Christian Look Like”

As a mature Christian, you have learned to trust the Holy Spirit to discern truth when you hear it or read it and, therefore, to be led by the Spirit and not the flesh. A new Believer does not need anyone to act like the Holy Spirit in their lives, approving or condemning their actions. There is only one Holy Spirit, and a human being cannot take His place. The Holy Spirit is more than able to complete what He has started. Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;.”

A mature Christian is not measured by age, gender, position, or title. The measure of a mature Christian is found in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.” These are the characteristics of the Holy Spirit living in the Believer. All these attributes are already present in the Believer. The Believer must learn to walk in it. This takes trust or faith, boldness at times, and sensitivity or awareness of God at work in you. 

Every Believer has the potential to fulfill the call of God upon their lives because every Believer has Spiritual Authority. Spiritual Authority has been given us by the Lord Jesus Christ to become mature disciples and to resist anything or anyone who would try to undermine our relationship with the Lord.

We will be sharing about the Spiritual Authority of the Believer the next time.  Don’t miss it!

The book of Revelation is the last book of the New Testament and is largely prophetic in nature, and most of it describes the “End Times.” Theologians call this subject “End Times,” Eschatology. Eschatology is defined as: “the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind.”

Prophecy is always forward-looking; true prophecy is the revelation of God’s will, which He will perform. Prophecy is always easier to understand looking back on an event than before the fulfillment of the prophecy. Jesus would often say to His disciples, “But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them, and these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you” (John 16:4). 

I say all this to remind you that the Book of Revelation is primarily prophetic in nature and very difficult to understand because it speaks of future times and events. However, one thing is sure, Jesus is at the center of the Book of Revelation and the “End Times.” How Jesus is described helps us to see how awesome and powerful He is. Isn’t it wonderful to know that the same Jesus lives in us and through us by the Holy Spirit? 

The Alpha and Omega

In a vision, the apostle John describes Jesus as the “Alpha and Omega!” We see this term used in the following verses: Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, and 22:13. The word alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and omega is the last letter of the alphabet. In other words, Jesus is the beginning and end of all things. He was in the beginning when the Father created the world, and He will be at the end when the world as we know it will be destroyed and a new heaven and earth is established.

In the Beginning (Alpha)

Several places in the New Testament show that Jesus’ existed before He came to earth. Remember, when Jesus walked the earth, He was God incarnate, which means He took an earthly form. Jesus said, “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). This verse alone should be enough to convince one of the eternal nature, past and future, of Jesus. However, it is just one of many such passages. 

Jesus Himself plainly taught His own existence with the Father even at Creation, look at John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made.” How much more evidence does one need? But for the skeptics, there are the following passages.

• Jesus said that He existed even before Abraham’s birth in John 8:58-59. “Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” That was about 1800 years before Abraham.”
• In Romans 8:3, Romans 8:3, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” You see, Jesus was sent by the Father; therefore, He was with the Father.
• Again, we see in Galatians 4:3, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
• Colossians 1:16-17, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
• Hebrews 1:1-2,” God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.”

These scripture passages are just a few of the many that point to the pre-existence of Jesus Christ, our personal Savior.

And the End (The Omega)

Just as Jesus was at the beginning of creation and our creation, He will also be at the end of all things. I take great comfort in knowing that when I take my last breath, I will see Him face to face. You should also take comfort in that truth found in 2 Corinthians 5:6, “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” Simply put, when we reach our end, we will start anew face-to-face with Jesus. Hearing the words, “Well done good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21 & 23)

            Jesus is also present at the end of time. At the end, there are two judgments described in scripture, the Judgment seat of Christ (also called Bema Judgment) for Believers and the White Throne Judgement for non-believers.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Judgement seat of Christ, the word seat in the original Greek, is “Bema,” which is why some call it the Bema Judgement. In any case, this judgment is reserved for all believers and is not a judgment of condemnation. Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” This judgment is for rewards based on how you lived your life for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:9, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

The Apostle Paul gives an illustration of this judgment in 1 Corinthians 3, beginning in verse 12, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” I hope you can see that this judgment is for blessing and rewards in heaven.

The White Throne Judgment

This is the judgment of wrath poured out on the unbelievers of all times. This will take place at the end of time after the beast, the antichrist, and the devil are cast into the “Lake of Fire and brimstone”, Revelation 20:19. Listen to these verses from Revelation 20:11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

The scriptures clearly speak for themselves, no unbeliever escapes the White Throne Judgment, but we can rest in assurance because we are His, and we will be safe; our names are written in the Book of Life. This truth should also make us aware of our responsibility as Christians to share the Good News of the Gospel wherever and whenever we can.

Other Names of Jesus in Revelation

In Revelation, Jesus is also described by other names, such as the Almighty One (Rev 1:8), which means that there is no authority greater than He and no power greater than Jesus. Jesus is described as the “King of kings” in Rev 17:14 and Rev 19:16. Jesus is also described as the “King of kings” in 1 Timothy 6:15. The meaning is clear there is no one greater than our King, King Jesus! Then in Rev 19:11, Jesus is called “Faithful and true.” Jesus is faithful in that He will never leave us nor forsake us; our salvation is guaranteed. We can trust in His faithfulness because Jesus is the embodiment of truth; he cannot lie.

In Closing 

The writer says in Hebrews 12:1-2, “and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” I hope you can see that we could rephrase this verse as “Jesus is the alpha and omega of our faith,” In other words, Jesus is the foundation of our faith and Him alone. As Believers scriptures tell us that He has given us a “measure of faith” to begin with, and He will complete our faith as we look to Him. Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

When we continually remind ourselves of the fact Jesus is the rock of our foundation in Christianity, we build confidence and faith in Him. This is so important when we face the trials and tribulations of life. Here is some advice instead of being anxious, fearful, or panicking, focus on Jesus and remind yourself that Jesus is greater than the problem you face. Too many times, we focus on the problem or the devil instead of the one who loved you, gave His life for you, and rose again so that He could send His Holy Spirit to you. We serve an awesome God, and you are an awesome person because of Jesus, your King, the Alpha, and Omega!