Power, Authority,
Faith, and Grace:
The Combined Forces for Healing
A. Jesus gave power and authority to His disciples to minister deliverance and healing.
Matthew 10:1 – And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease (NKJV).
Luke 9:1 – Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases (NKJV).
1. Dunamis – Force for miracles, energy
2. .Exousia – Sense of ability and power that makes possible, authority
B. Jesus said that those who believe in Him will do the same works that He did.
John 14:12 – “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (NKJV).
1. All born-again, spirit-filled saints of today have the same assignment.
a. First, we preach (proclaim the good news) to all those created by God.
Mark 16:15 – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (NKJV).
b. We cast out demons and the sick recover.
Mark 16:17,18
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they
will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
18 “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (NKJV).
C. Jesus’ disciples had been having success. Then suddenly their lack of faith was exposed.
Mark 9:17-19
17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought
You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18 “And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”
19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me” (NKJV).
D. Mature faith will always access God’s grace – and everything we need is in God’s grace.
Ephesians 2:4-9 (NKJV)
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with
which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:4-9 (The
Mirror)
2:4 None of this could distract from the
extravagant love of God; he continued to love us with the exact same intensity.
2:5 This is how grace rescued us: while we were yet in that state of deadness and indifference in our deviations, we were co-quickened together with Christ! We had nothing to do with it. By grace you are - having been saved! Grace defines us and interprets our salvation.
2:6 We are co-included in his resurrection. We are also co-elevated in his ascension to be equally present in the throne room of the heavenly realm where we are co-seated with him in his executive authority. We are fully represented in Christ Jesus.
2:7 Imagine how God is now able for timeless perpetuity to exhibit the trophy of the wealth of his grace demonstrated in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. Grace exhibits excessive evidence of the success of the cross.
2:8 Your salvation is not a reward for good behavior! It was a grace thing from start to finish; you had no hand in it. Even the gift to believe simply reflects his faith!
2:9 If this could be accomplished through any action of yours then there would be ground for boasting.
Ephesians 2:13-16 (NKJV)
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been
brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Ephesians 2:13-16 (The Mirror)
2:13 But now, wow! Everything has
changed; you have discovered yourselves to be located in Christ. What once
seemed so distant is now so near; his blood reveals your redeemed innocence and
authentic genesis.
2:14 It is in him that we are one and at peace with everyone; he dissolved every definition of division.
2:15 In his incarnation, he rendered the entire Jewish system of ceremonial laws and regulations useless as a measure to justify human life and conduct. In that he died mankind’s death all grounds for tension and hostility were entirely removed. The peace he proclaims reveals one new human race, created and defined in Christ, instead of two groups of people separated by their ethnic identity and differences.
2:16 Both parties are fully represented and equally reconciled to God in one human body through the cross. He reinstated the former harmony; all opposing elements were thus utterly defeated.
Romans 5:1,2 (NKJV)
5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1,2 (The Mirror)
5:1 The conclusion is clear: our
righteousness has absolutely nothing to do with our ability to keep moral laws;
it is the immediate result of what Jesus accomplished on mankind’s behalf. This
gives context to faith and finds expression in unhindered, face to face
friendship with God! Jesus Christ is the head of this union!
5:2 Jesus is God’s face to face grace embrace of the entire human race. So here we are, standing tall in the joyful bliss of our redeemed innocence! We are God’s dream come true! This was God’s idea all along!
This ends the struggle to be in faith, as you
suddenly realize
the overwhelming love of God, which causes faith to come alive.