Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(Matthew 28:18 (NIV))
We, as the Body of Christ, should be bold in our faith after reading these words!
We should cling to the truth that our Lord and Savior has absolute and final authority over all of creation. We should never let the threats of the enemy and the world make us lose sight of this fantastic truth. When the world mocks us for proclaiming the name of Jesus, we should stand firm in the power of these words from Matthew.
There is more to the authority that Jesus has. He has allowed us, the Body of Christ, to utilize that authority. Jesus left us with instructions. He left us with a “Therefore.”
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV))
Have you ever thought about the meaning of the word therefore? According to Merriam-Webster, the word therefore means for that reason.
Think about the words from Matthew 28 in this context.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. FOR THAT REASON go and make disciples of all nations.
In essence, since Jesus has been given all authority, He wants us to tell everyone that He has that authority. He wants everyone to know and understand that this authority permits Him to offer salvation, grace and mercy to any who recognize and accept that authority.
To borrow a line from a famous movie from several years ago, “There’s a new sheriff in town” and His name is Jesus. He has the authority to forgive and forget. He has the authority to bind or release. He has the authority to pardon us from our sins or condemn us for our sins.
I have just one more question and it is an important one.
Do you recognize the authority of Jesus?
Copyright 1998 – 2016 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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