Articles
How God Revealed His Authority for Us Today
How has God revealed to us His authority or will for men to obey? GOD THE FATHER HAS DELIVERED HIS AUTHORITY THROUGH:
1. JESUS CHRIST. All authority and power in heaven and earth has been given unto Jesus Christ from the Father (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:22-23). God has spoken today to us by His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).
2. The HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus told His disciples that He would send a Comforter, "which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" and "when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me" (John 14:26; 15:26). God the Holy Spirit was sent by God the Son to deliver God the Father's Word.
3. HIS HOLY APOSTLES. "For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me" and "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (John 17:8, 18). The apostles were "holy men of God" and "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:21). The apostle John wrote, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us" (I John 4:6). The apostle Paul also said, "the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (I Corinthians 14:37). The Holy Spirit, through the apostles, delivered unto men the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the Authority or Will of the Father.
4. THE GOSPEL. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory...But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God...Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (I Corinthians 2:7-13). Paul again says, "by revelation he made known unto me the mystery...Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" (Ephesians 3:3-4). And this mystery that was revealed from heaven is "the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Father's Will or Authority for men to follow today. Are you following God's authority?
