The Final Authority
The Word of God is the final authority for us all, whether we believe it or not. God’s Word, the written scripture, is the absolute authority on every aspect of the believer’s life and practice. In fact, God’s Word is the final authority for all mankind, as He is a Just and Righteous God.
The Word Is Sure
Our God is an Eternal being. Whatever the Word of God says today, it will say tomorrow and 10,000 years from now. So, you can be completely sure that if you are doing (not just reading and agreeing with) what the Bible says, and are doing it from the motives that the Bible commands, that you are doing the will of God. Whatever the Word says, we should say, and we should never change our stance once we have said it. We read it; we see it; it’s settled; we do it. That’s it! All you have to do is make sure that you know and understand what it says.
Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:89 (NKJV)
The Spirit Realm
Heaven is the unseen or spiritual realm, and the spiritual realm is more real than our natural terrestrial realm. A good majority of people are not aware of the spiritual element that makes them who they are, but we are first spirit beings, with a soul, and housed in a terrestrial body. If the Word of God is settled in heaven, the foundational place for the source of all spirits, it is also settled on the earth.
The Gospel of John opens by declaring that the Lord Jesus is the Word of God:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 (NKJV)
The Lord Jesus, being God, is therefore equally a final authority concerning that which He states, or commands. The Lord Himself tells us that the scripture cannot be broken; it remains fixed and firm. The Word of God is truth.
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ‘? 35 “If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken)
John 10:34–35 (NKJV)
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
John 17:17 (NKJV)
Instructions For Life
Despite the deception of Satan and the fall of man, God has provided His Word that we may know how we are to live. God word is the final authority for the instructions for life. God takes no pleasure in the demise of anyone, but wants everyone to come to truth, and then ultimately to life.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)
The true church, the body of believers who have Christ as their head, are led by the Holy Spirit. True Christianity is a life in the spirit, not a list of dead rules and regulations. The Word of God is equally a living book, not to be regarded simply as a book of history and moral instruction. The final authority is living and active.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
George Mueller
“The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.
If the Holy Spirit guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.”
Answers To Prayer From George Muller’s Narrative
David Watson
“All Word and no Spirit, we dry up;
All Spirit and no Word, we blow up;
Both Word and Spirit, we grow up.”
I Believe In The Church, Eerdmans, 1979
The Name of Jesus
The very nature of God is faithfulness, and you can be sure that God will keep His Word. Jesus Christ confirmed in the Gospels that He and His Father are one. Therefore, the faithful nature of God is the faithful nature of Christ. For this reason, you can put our full confidence and rest in the finished nature of the work of Christ. He was totally victorious in achieving His purposes when He laid His life down for the redemption of mankind.
So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
John 19:30 (NKJV)
The Name of Jesus is the final authority in both the seen and unseen realms. Every created being is subject to the Lord Jesus, and therefore must respond appropriately to the sound of His Name spoken in faith:
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9–11 (NKJV)
Power In His Name
All believers have been given the privilege to declare the Name of Jesus to restore peace and justice to the situations that surround them and others. The Name of Jesus will deliver from any case, any sickness, any bondage, any disease. It doesn’t matter what it is, how it started, or how long it has been there. It’s the same remedy for every situation. Every time!! The Name of Jesus is the remedy.
…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24 (NKJV)
And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Act 3:16 (NKJV)
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”
Matthew 8:16–17 (NKJV)
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:14–15 (NKJV)
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Romans 10:12–13 (NKJV)
Stand Unmovable
The strength of the believer is the ability to stand unmovable on the sure Word of God. Stand on the Word of God, and no matter what, with faith in the God in whom you can trust, you don’t back off.
In practice, this may seem hard initially, and may be even somewhat hypocritical. Everything, both internal and external, will try to come against your good confession with phrases like…
“You’re in denial!”
“You can feel that something is wrong!!”
“Just admit the facts!!!”
…which will scream at you, to try to get you to give up your stance and just agree with the negativity. But if you have already confessed and agreed with the word of God, how can you disagree with it?
The key is to speak only what the Word of God says!
You say what it says, and you don’t back off…no matter what!
Stand, no matter what, and God will know that He can trust you. This is necessary for the Word of God to work for you.
Stand Your Ground
Don’t admit to failure. Stick to your original words that you spoke in alignment with the word of God. The enemy, the devil, does not have the authority to do anything to you. He must get you to agree with him in some way before he can actually do anything. The way he most often does this is via our words. The hardest thing is to keep your mouth shut and not negate what you have already declared.
STAND, and do not be moved.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-Ephesians 6:10–18 (NKJV)
