The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Christian and the Day of Atonement, #17

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: (Colossians 1:13)

Keep walking in righteousness, remembering that God already has delivered you from the power of darkness.

If you are bound tightly and "hopelessly" in the realms of darkness, why don't you try laughing at Satan and at the forces that bind you. Jesus possesses far more authority and power than is necessary to set you absolutely free in your spirit, in your soul, and in your body.

If you have not as yet realized that Christ possesses all authority and power in Heaven and on the earth, please be assured that such is the case. All that remains for the accomplishment of your deliverance is the exercise of your faith in Christ according to God's Word. If you just can't seem to bring enough faith to bear on your problem, ask Jesus to give you some of His faith.

Christian judgment. If you are in confusion, confess your confusion to a mature Christian of your own gender. As the two of you pray together, any working of Satan will be brought to the light and shown for what it is. The gender lines can be crossed if the person praying with you is your husband or wife. Otherwise, pray with someone of the same gender as yourself that Satan not take advantage of your emotional vulnerability.

The Church, the Body of Christ, has been designated by the Lord as the instrument He will use to judge angelic and human sin (I Corinthians 6:1-3). Whenever two or more Christians assemble and pray concerning sin, the authority of Divine judgment is present. The Spirit of Christ will discern the origin of the action in question and forgive and remove all evil associated with it.

The blood of Jesus is the basis for the legality of all Divine forgiveness and cleansing, the written Word of God is the Law, and the Spirit of God is the Power who executes the sentence whether to life or to death.

There is, in the spirit realm, weighty significance attached to the judgments and decisions of Spirit-filled saints as to the righteousness or sinfulness of a motive or deed. Whatever Christians, who are walking in the Spirit, bind on the earth is bound in the heavens. Whatever Christians loose on the earth is loosed in the heavens. Sins are forgiven, and sins are retained, according to the prayers of Spirit-filled saints.

Christian elders, when they are acting in the Holy Spirit, possess the authority to remit and to retain sins (John 20:22,23).

Wary attitude toward "voices." Let us suppose a "voice" tells you that you are a prophet. You cannot from the Scriptures judge this statement as being from a righteous source or from an unclean source. It could be from God. However, it tends to exalt you. Therefore there is a possibility that it is not from the Lord.

Put such a word "on the shelf." Ask the Lord Jesus to prove it. Do not accept or reject it. If it is the Lord, sooner or later other people will testify that you are a prophet because they know you are godly and are speaking from the mouth of the Lord. You are not required to make any claims for yourself. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" is a folk saying that applies in this case. Your godly life and your prophetic word will speak for themselves.

To be continued.