Readings for today: Matthew 10, 14, Mark 6:7-56, Luke 9:1-17, John 6
“Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.” (Matthew 10:1 CSB)
The gospel is not an idea. It’s not a human philosophy. It’s not a moral code. It is quite literally the power and authority of God. So when we talk about believing the gospel and receiving the gospel and laying hold of the gospel, we are talking about being filled with the literal power and authority of God. And why does God grant us such power and authority? It’s given so that we might fulfill the creation mandate and exercise dominion over all He has made. Jesus gave this power and authority to His disciples. And away they went, proclaiming the good news, casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead. These signs and wonders served to authenticate the message they were preaching.
I have seen this in action in our world today. In fact, I am in a place right now where such signs and wonders are common. Turns out Jesus is still granting His power and authority to His disciples! It’s one of the major reasons the church in Africa is growing at such an exponential rate. The church planters we support are filled with power as they go forth. They cast out demons. They heal disease. They raise the dead. They survive beatings, stonings, stabbing, shootings, and miraculously recover. I have personally interviewed hundreds of them over the years and have heard their testimonies. I have personally witnessed miracles of healing and resurrection and deliverance from demonic oppression and possession. To see the power of God in action is awe-inspiring to say the least. It brings me to my knees.
How can we access such power? It’s not complicated. We simply keep the first and greatest commandment. We commit to loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The more we love God, the more we will serve God. The more we serve God, the more He will equip us for that service. The more we sacrifice for God, the more He will provide for us. The more we relinquish to God, the more He is able to use us. The secret to the power of the disciples in the early church or the disciples in the modern-day African church is their whole-hearted devotion to Christ. They do not try to live a double life. They do not try to have their cake and eat it too. They understand that holding onto the things of this world while laying hold of the world to come will only pull them apart. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot live with a foot in both Kingdoms. You either give yourself fully over to Christ and die to self or you hold onto “Self” and lose your grip on Christ. There is no neutral ground.
So that brings up a really hard question we all have to face...if we are not experiencing the power and presence of Christ in our lives then it’s highly likely we have allowed some other “love” to gain a foothold. It could be a relationship we can’t live without. A lifestyle we refuse to relinquish. A preferred future we can’t let go of. A dream we won’t let die. It could be a sin we’ve allowed to enslave us. A lie we believe. How does one discern? How do we know? Engage in some healthy, prayerful self-reflection. Look at the life of Christ. What about Him do you find unattractive or unrealistic? Is there anything about what He teaches or how He lived that you find yourself resisting? When you hear His words and see His love, do you find yourself dis-believing on some level? Do you trust the lies of your own heart over the truth Jesus preaches?
This is where the rubber meets the road in the Christian life. Following Jesus is a lifelong struggle to crucify the flesh with all its sinful desires and allow the Holy Spirit to align us more with Christ. It is a long obedience in the same direction. A marathon not a sprint. It forces us to constantly grapple with our greatest enemy...Self. But here’s the good news! The more the “Self” dies, the more the power of God manifests itself in our lives. The more the power of God manifests itself, the more the “Self” dies. This is the promise of the gospel and it lies within reach of every single person who calls on the name of the Lord!
Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 15, Mark 7, 8:1-10