Part 1 / Section 6

THE POWER OF AUTHORITY

As the gentiles were allowed to be grafted onto the tree because of the disobedience of God's called people, so also, God is now raising up, those that have been called lay people, for the purpose of exhorting Gods' call to obedience, not only to the sheep in the field, but especially to the "called" shepherd of the flocks.

For God is shouting forth, Set my people free...that they may worship Me in spirit and in truth. As I called Moses upon my mountain and spoke with him, prepare my people, get them ready, I also called You. As with My people, after Moses proclaimed My message unto them, they answered, we will do all that our God has spoken. So you also spoke when I called unto you. As they became disobedient to My Word, so you also have become disobedient to My Word.

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ: until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming: but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16.

When Simon Peter, Matthew 16:16, acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God: Jesus answered and said, "Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." And Jesus continued saying. "and you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church: and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." Now remember, "upon this rock" did not mean upon Peter, but upon this divine revelation and profession of faith in Christ. Peter had received within him , divine spiritual power. This spiritual power came from, "My Father who is in heaven". This power produced Faith, to know, to acknowledge, to be able to confess and profess, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. It was as if Jesus was saying, you are the first, Peter. You are the first, and as others so receive this same divine spiritual power, that is, faith to know who I AM and to believe in Me, this will be My church. And upon this divine spiritual power, this Faith in who I AM and why I AM, I will build My church. Those that believe in Me and on Me will be standing on a solid foundation and the gates of Hades shall not overpower them. Those that believe ON Me know WHO I AM. Yet, those who also believe IN Me are obedient, not only to ME but My Father in heaven, and know WHY I AM . Those that know WHO I AM and WHY I AM posses the divine spiritual power from My Father who is in heaven, and are standing on a solid foundation.

Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His," and "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness." 2 Timothy 2:19.

You that have this spiritual power: you are My church.

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19

With this power, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.

Thus, Jesus, speaking to His church is telling them two things; first that He is giving them the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He is giving them His authority to use the power that they possess. By His authority, they now have the keys to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And, with this power, by His authority, He secondly, commands them to bind and loose. Whatever they bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever is loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Another way of stating what Jesus told them is this: Whatever you allow to happen or not to happen on earth, will be reflected in heaven.

Remember, Jesus said that He would build His church upon this 'rock', this faith, being knowledge of Him, obedience to Him and authority through him.

This power and authority through Jesus Christ is most necessary, for as it is stated in Ephesians 6:10,12. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This area of binding and loosing and of receiving and having the power to bind and to loose, had been, for a long time, not very clear to me. I had read many different books, views, opinions, and or articles on the subject. Through these, I had acquired a basis to develop insight and perspective, yet still had an emptiness and knew there was more to it than what I had thus obtained. In addition, the more I continued studying the WORD, and the more the WORD would continue revealing things to me, something continued churning inside of me, an unsettling feeling.

The majority of all the data that I had viewed seemed to agree and concur of what binding and loosing was all about. They all seemed to view binding and loosing in a negative / positive manner. All accepting the fact that we struggle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness. Their reasoning were twofold; being that a true believer or true member of the church has spiritual power, if they would use Jesus' authority which He had given to them, then all they need to do is to take charge and command the spirit of wickedness or (1) bind that spirit, to flee or to stop and cease from whatever it was doing, then (2) loose, or request with the same power and authority, that heavenly angels would come in to help, guard and protect. I conceive this form of binding / loosing, in and by itself, and I stress, in and by itself, as in a negative / positive manner. For example, spiritual wickedness is a negative. One must deal with the negative by putting a stop to it or by binding it , thus handling the negative. Then, for additional help and protection they are to call out and request a positive, that is loose or let come to them powerful good angels.

This is true and scriptural, for in Matthew 12:29 Jesus is speaking. "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house."

It also must be recognized that it is heaven that initiates all binding and loosing. It is only that which is done in the will of God that is fulfilled. One can bind and loose all day long, but, unless one is reconciled to God, spiritually, in the will of God, heaven will not honor these requests, for again, only heaven initiates all binding and loosing.

One day as I was studying God's word, I could see most plainly what Jesus meant when He said," I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". Matthew 16:19. He was not speaking negative / positive but He was speaking positive / positive. Remember, His context at this time was concerning the building of His church.

The main emphasis was that the members of His church have power, spiritual power. With them having this power He had given them the authority to use the power. The power of His church is its' Faith, being its firm foundation, upon which divine revelation and reconciliation with God the Father, is commanded to produce a maturing growth. When all its members are in one accord, the firm foundation is in a positive / positive position. To be otherwise, the church would be in a negative position. In order to bind and loose, which is a positive position, the church must be in a positive position, thus positive / positive.

Now, under the negative / positive manner, one would be led to believe that the only time that the church needs to use its authority is when it is attacked. This might be true and proper, but, the church must not forget that effective results of binding and loosing can only be achieved from a positive position. Additionally, one might believe that the church must use its authority only when a negative comes upon the scene. Thus everything is O.K., until a negative happens, then we the church use a positive. That also leads one to believe that if one believes ON ME, that is a positive. So, if one believes that ON ME is in a positive position, then, everything is O.K. until a negative comes along, in which case the church exercises its power and authority to bind and eliminate the negative, thus bringing back to the positive. Is this not the way many churches minister ? Can the church believe, only, that binding and loosing is used to arrive at a positive position by eliminating a negative situation. NO..NO..NOooooo.

Again, those that believe ON ME and IN ME know WHO I AM and WHY I AM and possess the divine spiritual power from My Father who is in heaven - a very positive position. Thus, Jesus speaks positive / positive.

In the game of football a team has an offense and a defense. Some teams have an offense that is better that its defense. Other teams have a defense that is better than its offense. Now, when these teams go out on the field with a negative position, they attempt to make it positive. So, they are operating in a negative / positive manner. Obviously, when a team is excellent in both offense and defense they are operating in a positive / positive manner. At the same time, the negative / positive manner teams know that they are developing and gaining experience so that some day they will be able to operate in a positive / positive manner. Therefore, even though they are operating in a negative / positive manner, that's O.K. ...So, O.K. becomes positive. So there you have it: negative / positive is the same as positive / negative / positive, and can be equal to positive / positive, in the operating of the world system.

The key phrases that turned the negative / positive into positive / negative / positive, are; they know that they are developing and they know that they are gaining experience. With these two ingredients they are striving for positive / positive.

Oh, as one observes, they can see how this scenario so aptly describes the working of the church today. There are negatives at work today in the churches, and it is allowed. We have allowed ourselves to operate in a state of positive / negative / positive. We know in whom we believe in, and he is able to guard us. No one is fully perfected, all of us have flaws yet we are striving to allow him to change that which we can not change. The reasoning of the world is fully ingrained in the church. The fast paced, just give me the summary aptitude is thriving and from all appearances that's O.K. . For he in whom we believe will guard us while we put up with this condition. Accepting this scripture in an abbreviated manner is, to say the least, a dishonor to God. Yet, with this modern fast paced society, the modern fast paced church hasn't time to develop and expound upon the foundational truths. So, they settle for short choruses and summed up teaching so that everyone would at least have an opportunity to get the idea. Under these conditions one is left to believe that everything will be all right because they know in whom they believe in. In fact, by summarizing, they are inferring that when they say they believe in him, they are meaning that they believe both on him and in him. But, through their actions they are believing on him, only, and that is to say, "they know His name."

In this manner, we have churches that exist and are operating in the same manner as the football team that has a better offense than defense or a better defense than an offense. They go out into the world in a negative manner striving to become positive. All are not expected to be perfect because of our nature, so this fact must be acceptable. If it is acceptable then it is not negative but positive. Hence, a modern day church that operates under the manner of positive / negative / positive. The point is, that many modern churches are maintaining themselves in a manner that is unacceptable to God, yet, they have allowed it for so long that to them it has become acceptable.

Again, those that believe ON ME and IN ME know WHO I AM and WHY I AM and possess the divine spiritual power from My Father who is in heaven. Upon this faith will I build My church. Positive / Positive.

Now, the true believer is commanded by God to use this divine spiritual power, and in addition he has provided his Son who gives the authority that is necessary to assure its enhancement.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and what ever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. I give you the keys to the door of the kingdom of heaven. I give you the authority to either open the door of the kingdom of heaven or to close the door of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the keys are the authority to use power to bind and loose; or to shut and open the door to the kingdom of heaven.

There are two keys, 1. The key of doctrine which is also called the key of knowledge, 2. The key of discipline, which is applying the key of knowledge to particular persons and situations.

The business of the true believer should be to explain to the world the will of God, both as to truth and duty. They are obliged through obedience to study the word and increase in knowledge and truth whereby they are capable to teach and instruct. The common speech at that time signified to prohibit or to permit. The instructing and teaching of the doctrine and knowledge of Jesus Christ, the will of God, both as to truth and duty and what opens and closes the doors to heaven is the use of the authority of binding and loosing.

Christ's ministers have a power to admit into the church those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to him. They also have power to expel and cast out all that are apparently unfit for so holy a communion.

Jesus, speaking to the disciples after his resurrection, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you". And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained". John 20:21-23.

The King James version states it as follows; Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

As can be observed, the words forgive and remit have been interchanged. For to forgive ones sins is also to remit ones sins. To remit is to dismiss, and the remission of ones sins is to release or to receive the forgiveness of ones sins. Interestingly enough, to bestow a favor unconditionally as the act of forgiveness is translated to release or to loose. Now, if ones sins are not forgiven or remitted then they are retained. The context and meaning of the words in those days corresponded first, with the remission of the punishment due to sinful conduct; the deliverance of the sinner from the penalty Divinely, and therefore righteously, imposed; secondly, it involved the complete removal of the cause of offense; such remission is based upon the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ. Since only God can forgive sins, (Mark 2:7) human forgiveness is to be strictly similar to Divine forgiveness, (Matt. 6:12). If certain conditions are fulfilled, there is no limitation to Christ's law of forgiveness, (Matt. 18:21-22). The conditions are repentance and confession. (Matt. 18:15-17).

The words forgive or remit are to be understood in a "declarative" sense. The statement proposes that regard should be given to the effects of their ministry of the gospel, with its twofold effects of remission or retention. As only God can forgive sins, the true believer who has divine power is given authority to declare what God does when a man either accepts or rejects His Son through binding and loosing...Positive /Positive.

Two ways the apostles and ministers of Christ remit and retain sin, and both as having authority; (1) By sound doctrine, telling the world that salvation is to be had upon gospel terms, and no other. (2) By strict discipline, applying the general rule of the gospel to particular persons. Whom you admit into communion with you, according to the rules of the gospel, God will admit into communion with Himself; and whom you cast out of communion as impenitent, and obstinate in scandalous and infectious sins, shall be bound over to the righteous judgment of God. Again, whatever you allow to happen or not to happen on earth will be reflected in heaven.

Binding and loosing is the administering of sound doctrine. Binding and loosing is instruction. Binding and loosing is teaching of truth. Binding and loosing is the building and supporting of proven, verified doctrine. Binding and loosing is the nourishment and enhancement of the Christian Faith. Binding and loosing allows one to know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth; which is the Christian Faith. 1 Tim. 3:155...Positive / Positive.

Likewise, when Jesus said that I will build My church He was referring to this faith. Faith that allows one to confess that Jesus is the Son of the living God . Faith that allows one to repent of their sins, from their heart. Faith that allows one to know that as they truly repent and ask God for forgiveness, that He will grant it. My church will grow with people of like heart, like mind and like faith. With like faith and the possessors of divine spiritual power from My Father in heaven, I give you authority to bind together as one. I give you authority to remit. I give you authority to declare My truth. I give you authority to proclaim My Fathers covenant and what is commanded by My Father. I give you authority to apply strict discipline. Bind yourselves together with those of like faith. Teach and instruct the truth. When Jesus was illustrating church discipline, (Matt.18:15-20) in referring to a brother who sins, He says to go and reprove (expose) and if he listens you have won your brother. In other words, you have remitted or forgiven his sin from the punishment due to sinful conduct. Now, if he hadn't listened, Jesus teaches to expose with two or three witnesses. If he still doesn't listen, tell it to the church. If he still doesn't listen, Jesus instructs, "Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer". In other words, let his sin be retained by him and subject to punishment and Divine penalty. Continue to bind yourselves together in like minds and faith, whereas may this one be not of you for he is not like you.

After casting this brother out from amongst you, he discovers the error of his ways and truly repents unto the Father. Surely, you know that God forgave him. Now, he comes back to the church. As true believers with spiritual power you are able to discern or know that he repented from the heart, and he is allowed back into fellowship. As God had already forgiven him under the conditions of repentance and confession, the church is obligated to forgive in strict like manner as Divine forgiveness. The significance of this act by the church is translated thereby to release or loose this brother, for his sin is no longer retained by him. The power that binds us together is allowed to be loosened to enable this brother back into fellowship. Then, through strict discipline, the binding power remains together with instruction and teaching of truth, always in a position of Positive / Positive, and constantly exercising its Power of Authority.

I give you power, that you become My witnesses. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 2 Cor. 10:4. For not only Divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, but for the building up of the body. For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not destroying you, I shall not be put to shame. 2 Cor. 10:8. For the instructions, teachings and exhortations are in accordance with the authority which the Lord gives, for building up and not for tearing down. 2 Cor. 13:10.

If you cannot rebuke with authority, then you are still bound to sin and do not possess that divine power. For authority comes through knowledge; knowledge comes through the word; and acceptance comes through faith.