Credit Card from Heaven

July 19, 2012      Life Discovery Ministries

Jesus' power came from being filled with the Holy Spirit. The source of his authority, however, was his intimacy with the Father.    Dr. Charles Kraft I Give You Authority

We've been studying lately about our authority in Christ, and we have learned that we do not own his power and authority; He grants it to us in order to accomplish his purposes on this earth. This principle is illustrated by way of a story from Charles Kraft in his book, I Give You Authority, where he compares our authority under Christ to a "heavenly credit card." When Dr. Kraft's son went away to college he gave him a credit card. The card had Dr. Kraft's name on it as the one with ultimate responsibility. Under his name appeared the name of his son, authorizing him to use it. His son's name alone carried no authority at the time because he had no credit history. But with Dr. Kraft's name on the card, all the financial backing of his dad was behind him. Now there could have been a little apprehension about misuse of the card, but after all, this was his son--his own flesh and blood. They had a close relationship and his son checked with his dad regularly regarding its use. Kraft had made it clear to his son that he expected him not to misuse the authority he had been given. The card was for certain things: emergencies, books and other school expenses. And so he entrusted the card to his son, whom he trusted. When Jesus came to this earth, it was like he carried a credit card from his Father. Dr. Kraft writes, "As Jesus ministered, his ears were always open to the voice of the Father. Because he listened, he could take authority confidently, knowing he was acting in God's purposes. Jesus' intimacy with the Father enabled him both to maintain his authority and to get God's instructions concerning what the Father wanted him to do each day." Friends, Jesus was a man under authority. He was submitted and given to His Father's desires, perspectives and heart. "I do nothing on my own authority, but I say only what the Father has instructed me to say."  John 8:28 "The Son can do nothing on his own; he does only what he sees his Father doing."  John 5:19 Why do you suppose Jesus spent so much time in his last days on earth making sure we understood this? Because it is a model of how we are to operate today under the authority of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sent his disciples out he gave them dunamis, power, and exousia, authority. "...he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."  Luke 9:1-2 Before he left the earth he said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.....so that the Son may bring glory to the Father."  John 14:12-13 The model for us, as always, is Jesus, who used his power and authority to bring glory to God and demonstrate the love of the Father for his children. Now that's a credit card! Greg