Through Faith (Part 4)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Thursday July 9, 2009

Great faith is found where there is an understanding of Jesus' authority:

Matthew 8:5-10 (NIV)
5. When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6. "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering." 7. Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him." 8. The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, `Do this,' and he does it." 10. When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

The centurion understood that Jesus has authority over disease and infirmity, and that understanding fed his faith. He understood that all a man in authority has to do is speak in order for his will to be carried out. The result was the immediate healing of his servant:

Matthew 8:13 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Notice that Jesus said it would be done JUST AS THE CENTURION BELIEVED IT WOULD! That means if the centurion believed his servant would remain sick, the servant would have remained sick! But the centurion took Jesus at His Word and went back home; KNOWING his servant was healed because Jesus said it would be done just as he believed!

According to Jesus, the centurion had GREAT FAITH! That makes him an example for us of how to have great faith in God. We can believe God's Word-- the Bible-- just as if it was Jesus speaking directly to us, and react to it the same way the centurion did, and get the same results!

We all, as believers, are people with a position of authority as well! We are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father:

Ephesians 2:6 (NIV)
And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus

We are seated WITH CHRIST in the Heavenly realms! In order to know where WE are seated in the Heavenly realms, we must look at where Christ is seated:

Ephesians 1:19b-21 (NIV)
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20. which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21. far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Our position of authority as believers is with Christ; FAR ABOVE ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY, POWER AND DOMINION, AND EVERY TITLE THAT CAN BE GIVEN! When the church realizes the immensity of our authority, the rest of the world will sit up and take notice! We will speak like Jesus did, and have no doubt of the result, because we understand our own position of authority, just as the centurion recognized Jesus' position of authority!

The centurion's story happened before Jesus died and arose, and nobody was born again yet, so nobody but Jesus had the authority of Jesus. But now that we are born again and seated with Christ, we can also exercise the authority God has given us by simply taking God's Word as the truth it is and speaking in line with it! That's great faith!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your Word. Help me by faith and confession to see the supernatural move of Your Spirit in my life. Help me remember to always trust Your Word and keep my words in line with what You say even when circumstances don't seem to agree with You.
In Jesus' Name, Amen

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