Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put-on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. (Col 3:12–25)
For many years, I held a deep fascination with healing evangelists. I would eagerly devour any book I could find on the great healing evangelists of the past, such as Smith Wigglesworth, Jack Cole, Amy Semple McPherson, AA Allen, Catherine Coleman, and many others. However, with the advent of YouTube, my fascination with healing evangelists and their services was taken to new heights. I was elated to discover old recordings in black-and-white from some of these services in the 1950s, which allowed me to witness firsthand the incredible healing power these men and women seemed to possess in the name of the Lord Jesus.
As I watched spellbound, I saw how they commanded sickness and demons to disappear and witnessed the miraculous healings that occurred in the name of Jesus. I do not wish to comment on these individuals or their ministries' character or effectiveness. But point out I was always deeply impressed by how they used the phrase "in the name of Jesus," recognizing its power and authority.
My fascination with healing evangelists taught me about the incredible power and authority of invoking the name of Jesus. While I may not fully understand the methods or motives of these individuals, I am humbled and awed by the power of God that is present when we call upon His name.
In my youth, I became fixated on the phrase "in the name of Jesus." As an immature believer, I learned that this phrase inherently held some power, almost like a magical incantation. I believed a genie-like combination of words would enable me to request what I wanted and shape the world around me to suit my desires. After all, I reasoned, Jesus said that in his name, I could ask for whatever I wanted, and it would be done for me.
As I read through the book of Mark, I convinced myself that this magical phrase "in the name of Jesus" would allow me, as a believer, to cast out demons, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. Various popular preachers over the years only strengthened my belief that I could do even greater things than Jesus with this magical phrase. The possibilities seemed endless.
Looking back on this phase of my life, I realize that I would never have described my thinking this way at the time. However, in retrospect, it is clear that I had a profoundly immature understanding of what it truly meant to use the phrase "in the name of Jesus." Unfortunately, my great revelation never seemed to match up with reality.
As believers, we are united with Christ through our faith in Him. This union with Christ means we share in His authority as His representatives on earth. In Ephesians 2:6, Paul writes that God "raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." This passage reveals that we have been given a position of authority through our union with Christ.
However, it is important to note that this delegated authority is not something that we exercise independently of who Jesus is. Rather, our authority remains submitted to the head, who is Christ. In Colossians 2:10, Paul writes that believers are "complete in him [Christ], who is the head of all rule and authority." This passage emphasizes that Christ is the ultimate authority, and our authority is derived from Him.
Furthermore, our exercise of authority is always subject to the will and purposes of Christ. In John 15:5, Jesus says, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." This statement reminds us that our authority is not independent of Christ but is contingent upon our abiding in Him and submitting to His will.
Using the name of Jesus is not a magical formula that guarantees us everything we want. Instead, it is a recognition of Jesus’s power and authority. We have been granted access to this power as we unite ourselves with Christ, but it is not a power that we can wield independently of Him. Our authority is to be exercised in submission to Christ and by His will as we seek to advance His kingdom and bring glory to His name.
The phrase "in the name of the Lord Jesus" in Colossians, chapter 3 carries a similar weight of authority to the phrases "in the name of the law" or "in the name of the king." It is a recognition that, as Christians, we are not acting on our authority or for our purposes but on behalf of Christ.
Jesus Himself declared in Matthew 28:18-20 that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. This supreme authority extends to His followers, who are called to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything He has commanded.
In Luke 9:1-2, Jesus gave His disciples power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. This authority given to believers is limited to the furtherance of Christ's kingdom and the spreading His message.
Therefore, when we do something "in the name of the Lord Jesus," we acknowledge His authority over our lives and seek to honour Him in all that we do. It is a call to live in submission to Christ and to seek His will above our own. We must align our lives with the teachings and example of Jesus, seeking to bring our thoughts, words, and actions under the authority of Christ. Our authority in the name of Jesus is not to shape our reality but to advance His kingdom and bring glory to His name.
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