Requisites for spiritual authority Spiritual authority is not what many people think it is. Perhaps, most think it means the authority to tell others what to do. No. It is actually the authority which only Jesus possesses, but He chooses men (like we see in the NT) thru whom He expresses the authority of His Word and Truth. And this can be in a very small or a very big way, in varying measures and capacities. At the most basic level every true disciple of Jesus, whether male or female, is a vessel thru whom He expresses the authority of His Word and Truth. In the body of Christ, God ordained certain men to be elders in every Assembly, and they are, together, being in one mind and one accord with the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit, the vessels whom Jesus maintains order thru. Without such godly elders there would be confusion, arguments and fragmentation in the Assembly. We see the basic requisites for spiritual authority in 1 Timothy 3. Then, for these elders to grow in spiritual authority there has to be a gradual increase in their capacity to love. What will limit the Lord Jesus exercising His spiritual authority thru them (authority to do do His works) will be their capacity to love people with the true love of God – in Spirit and Truth. Essentially, spiritual authority is the authority to love people with the love of Christ, and to love His truth. That’s the essence of His authority. So if we don’t understand this then we are the limiting factor, not God. We mean sacrificial love, laboring in deep intercession for them, and laying down our lives for them, and not the “talk is cheap” version of modern love. "By this perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." 1 John 3:16-19 The metaphor of the new wine poured into the new wine skin is applicable here. The wine skin is the limiting factor, not the wine. ~ ianvincent.wordpress/
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 03:03:22 +0000
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