Many people who quote scripture, most do it as by rote.  As if they are quoting a law or statute or a rule of some formal entity or organization.  Or as if a quote from Shakespeare.

Unattached, impersonal and as such ineffective.  And even if with great display of emotion, they simply do not “own” it.

Nor do they hold it forth as the word of life.

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.  Philippians 2:16-18

The proof is in the pudding…no power of God in their life.

O, sure, they may see some provisions, some answers to prayer, some blessings, but not the power to effectuate miracles. or to do the same works that Jesus did as he instructed us to do in John 14:12.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12

Sin is another great hindrance and robs the believer of boldness, confidence and of power to perform miracles.

And of closeness with God.

As kryptonite weakened the fictional character of Superman, so likewise sin weakens the believer and robs him of power to effectuate the works that Jesus did.

Not that Jesus’ delegated power has diminished in any way, even to the sinning, carnal believer.

But this comes by self condemnation and that is why it is such a powerful weaponized tool of the enemy.

He will entice you and draw you away from the source of your strength by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, to create a distance between you and God and once you bite, he will turn around and condemn you to your face for it and accuse you to the Father.

He is shrewd and his tactics are age old and do not change.  Ruthless is he, set out to devour and to destroy you at all cost.  He cannot afford having another Jesus running around destroying his works.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  1 John 2:16

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Acts 10:38

It is a process.  It does not overtake one who does not allow for it.

1. 1. First you are tempted by lusts and desires of this world and allow yourself to be enticed and led away,
   2. Then when you allow these desires and lusts to conceive, they give birth to sin.
   3. Finally, when sin is finished and perfected, it brings forth death.

In other words: the thoughts of lust and desire comes and you allow yourself to dwell on them.  That is the temptation.   Then you say to your self: “Let me just check it out for a bit.” and you give in to your lust of the flesh and of the eyes while you say “It’s okay. I think I can handle it.” which is the pride of life, allowing your lust to conceive (procreate) and it brings forth (gives birth to) sin.  Finally when sin is finished, it brings forth death.

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust (desires) (being led away), and enticed. Then (afterward) when lust (desire) hath conceived, it bringeth forth (gives birth to) sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.  James 1:14-15

It is just like pregnancy.  First the temptation entices you and draws you in.  Then you give in and commit the act allowing conception.  Then once perfected it brings forth a child.

This can be good or bad.  Within the bounds of holy matrimony, this is wonderful and even welcome.  But outside of this, it is not according to God’s law for man and woman and brings forth much trouble.

With sin, this is not good for anyone, believer or unbeliever and worse for the believer who knows better.

This will cause the believer to automatically distance himself and withdraw from God.  Like Adam and Eve, who withdrew from God’s proximity and hid themselves from His presence, because they feared, that they were naked.

Well, had they not been naked all this time already?  So what changed?  Not their nakedness but through sin, their eyes were opened and they received a newfound awareness of their nakedness before God.

What caused their eyes to be opened to the awareness of their nakedness?

Their sin.

They knew they had sinned by disobeying God’s command.

They were naked of their integrity.

Like King David when he had numbered the people against God’s command, his heart smote him.

And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.  2 Samuel 24:10

Why talk about these two items together?  Because they are connected.

The sinner does not want to draw close to God for fear of condemnation.

His sin has caused his eyes to be opened to the sinful nakedness of his integrity before a holy God.

He is all of a sudden acutely aware that all his righteousness are as filthy rags before His God and he is stripped naked before Him.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.  Isaiah 64:6

But yet, that is where redemption lies.  And with redemption comes a cleansing of the conscious.

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 1 John 3:20-21

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Psalms 103:10

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Psalms 103:12 (KJV)

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  John 5:24

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.  Hebrews 8:12

I, {even} I, {am} he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.  Isaiah 43:25

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.  Psalms 32:5

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us {our} sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9

Blessed {is he whose} transgression {is} forgiven, {whose} sin {is} covered.  Psalms 32:1

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  Revelation 12:10-11

When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.  John 8:10-11

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.  Hebrews 10:22

God shares His power with believers through expecting us to stretch forth his hand for healing and signs and wonders to occur in the name and authority of Jesus and through the dynamic ability of the Holy Spirit.

in the stretching forth of Your hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the Name of Your holy child Jesus.” Acts 4:30 (LSV)

He does His operation by the Holy Spirit dwelling and abiding in us.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11

Angels cannot heal.  They do not preach the gospel either.  These are our privileges as his ministers and kings and priest unto our God.

As Matthew exclaimed that all marveled and glorified God who had given such power unto men.

But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. Matthew 9:8

The word translated “power” is really the Greek word “exousia” which literally means “authority”.

Now He has given this authority to you.

behold, I give to you the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means will hurt you; Luke 10:19 (LSV)

The more you exercise this authority, the stronger you will become and the more exploits you will do for Him in Jesus name.

Franciscus M. Dartee

Grow in Faith | Walk in Power

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