[Mt. 28:18; Eph. 1:18-23; 2:1-7; 1Cor. 12:12-14,27]

Matthew 28:18 is another place in the KJV, where “authority” should have been used instead of the word “power.” I thank the Lord for my Greek dictionary.

Matthew 28:18 (KJV) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Power: Gk. Exousia is authority. It should read “…all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

Jesus transferred His authority to the church. He is the head of the church, and believers are His body. The authority has to be activated through His body, which is on earth. Paul illustrates this throughout his letters to the body of Christ.

Christ is seated at the right hand of God – the place of authority – and we are seated with Him. This is happening now – this is how the authority of Jesus’ name operates on the earth.

Ephesians 1:18-23 (KJV) – The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ [the anointed One], when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, [21] Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: [22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

v. 18, “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,”

There was an overwhelming amount of power used by God to raise Jesus from the dead. The devil did not want this to happen, but remember Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he [Jesus] made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. [His death, burial, and resurrection.]”

These are the same demonic powers we deal with today, but thank God, Jesus defeated them.

God wants us to know what happened after the Cross. The church has some understanding of the crucifixion and death of our Lord. And that is awesome – it got us saved. But I believe God wants us to have everything He has provided. Without the total package, it is difficult to realize how powerful the church is. The devil does not want you to know that you have authority over him.

I know what I’m saying flies in the face of traditional “Christianity,” but it’s all over the Bible. We have authority and dominion over the spiritual realm and the earth.

God wants us to know that after the cross, He seated Jesus at His right hand “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” (Eph. 1:21).

Our authority is in Christ Jesus – notice in Ephesians 1:18 that the Holy Spirit prays through Paul that the eyes of your understanding [your spirit] being enlightened [opened to this truth]. You will never understand the authority with only your intellect – you must have spiritual revelation of it. You must receive it by faith.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (KJV) – And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; [2] Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [3] Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. [4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ [the anointed One], (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ [the anointed One] Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The Holy Spirit is saying, “According to the working of the strength of His might when He raised Him from the dead, and you when you were dead.”

When Christ [the anointed One] was raised from the dead, so was His body. From God’s point of view, when Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised from the dead!

In Ephesians 2:5-6 we see that, “Even when we were dead in sins, [He] hath quickened us together with Christ, …And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Notice the head and body were raised together. The authority was conferred upon the head and the body – the head and the body are one. The church seems to recognize that we were raised up with Christ. Why doesn’t the church believe that we were seated together with Him? If one part of this verse is true then the whole verse must be true.

Until now, we have been very limited in doing any works that He did while here on the earth. When we realize that we sit in the same place of authority as Christ – the Body of Christ will do the same works that Jesus did while He was on the earth.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14,27 (KJV) – For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. [14] For the body is not one member, but many…. [27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

First Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” We are one with Christ [the anointed One]. We are Christians [the anointed ones]. We are seated at the right hand of Almighty God. All things are under our feet. Amen.

God bless you my friend,

— Dwight Hammond