Judicial Authority

Webster’s Dictionary partially defines Judicial like this:

Ju·di·cial

“of or relating to a judgment, the function of judging, the administration of justice,…of, characterized by, or expressing judgment,…arising from a judgment of God.

When we exercise Judicial judgment or authority over the things that God has ordained we are to have authority over, we begin to stand in the rule of Christ.  Let me explain.

Man has taken Judicial authority over the natural world in regards to laws, rules and ordinances, but what has been left undone is Judicial spiritual authority.  That is where the Cross of Christ comes into view.

Jesus paid an extreme penalty to purchase us (ransom us) from Satan.  That ransom was for the restoration of the divine order.  His death on the cross was to repurchase what had already been given to us at the beginning, which was our claim to subdue the earth, not just naturally but spiritually. Satan stole our claim by allowing doubt to enter our minds by questioning God rather than just giving God our willful obedience. Satan's plan was subtle, it was to get us to focus solely upon the natural order (where there is nothing but death) rather than the spiritual order (where there is life).

We must take caution not to interpose our authority over other men and women, that is reserved only for God Himself.  We are called to subdue the earth.

Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

The word “subdue” in Hebrew is kä·vash' which is a verb, it means:

to subject, to subdue, force, keep under,

to bring into bondage, make subservient, violate,

dominate, tread down.

In a natural sense this has been done since the time of Adam, we have ‘tamed the earth’ so to speak and have brought all things into subjection to our will.  We have built cities and nations with our intellect and our wisdom.

There is another aspect of subduing the earth which has not been accomplished and has been thwarted since the time of Adam, and that is exercising our Judicial rule and authority over principalities and powers which have existed since the time of the creation and have illegitimately taken rulership in our stead because we have not exercised our God given mandate to remove these demonic entities from our cities, counties, states and nation.  We have not used our discernment to actively identify, arrest, and cast out these unwanted powers and minions and declared the rule of Christ over our cities, counties, states and nation.  Please understand, I am not speaking of people here, but the influences behind the scenes.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

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.

We have recently seen in the news a marked increase in activity which is negatively targeting Christians and favoring non-Christian groups.  Communities and Cities have been enacting ordinances and laws which threaten the livelihood of most Christians if we choose to stand up for the truth of Christ. The enemy of our faith is angry and knows his time is short.  And he also knows that God is raising up an army of believers who are going to take on this mandate of subduing the earth seriously, and begin using their spiritual gift of discernment to identify the areas of spiritual power within our communities and cities.  In the truest sense we are taking back what is rightfully ours as God’s children and proclaiming the rule of Christ over these areas of power.

Matthew 12:28-30 (NKJV)

28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Who are we then?  We are the Bride of Christ!  But if you have trouble with that analogy then we are also Kings and Priests unto our God according to the book of Revelation.

Revelation 5:9-10 (WEB)

⁹ They sang a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the book,
    and to open its seals:
for you were killed,
    and bought us for God with your blood,
    out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
¹⁰ and made us kings and priests to our God,
    and we will reign on earth.”

You are a Child of God, there is no doubt about it if you believe in Christ Jesus and He resides in your heart.  Only then will this scripture above make sense to you, and only then can you move forward in taking authority and depose entrenched principalities and powers and claim the rule of Christ over your family, community, cities and state.

We have been saved for a greater purpose other than just enjoying the presence of Christ Jesus, which alone would be enough for me.  We are called to reign upon the earth in Christ.  This is exercising our Judicial authority given to us by Christ Jesus Himself and recognizing that there is a spiritual dimension which must be subdued before His return. 

“Jesus is coming again soon”.  I have heard this statement proclaimed ever since I was a young Christian.  But now His return is even closer and more imminent than ever before.  He isn’t coming back to set up His Kingdom as I was erroneously taught, He is coming to receive His Kingdom.  The battle is over.  We have been empowered to speak the victory of His great battle over Satan into every situation and establish the rule of Christ Jesus on the earth.  This time it is to be done spiritually with the gifts of the Holy Spirit we have been given, speaking the life of Christ into every situation we encounter that He may invade the natural world.  This is truly death swallowed up in life.

The key to all of this is the revelation of Christ Jesus Himself, and the penetrating message of the Gospel that everyone who turns to the Lord will be saved.  Those who receive Him will partake of His glorious inheritance. 

I pray that you may know the rule and reign of Christ Jesus in your life today, and that you may know the richness of His beauty.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV)

9 But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Blessings to you.

Stephen Barnett

God is good all the time―all the time God is good!

Raise up the Standard

Words and Music by Kevin Prosch

The Spirit of the Lord God surely is upon us

Because He has anointed us

To preach the good news

To the afflicted

He will send us to bind up

All the brokenhearted

To tell the captives they are free

And to proclaim that this is the year of our Lord

And He will give to us the oil of gladness

And we will become the Priests of the Lord

And Fill us with His love that’s as wide as the ocean

And instead of our shame we will have a double portion

Chorus

When the spirit of the Lord

Raises up the standard

All the people of the earth

Will seek His face

When the spirit of the Lord

Raises up the standard

All the people of the earth

Will fear His name

Is not this the fast that you have chosen

To loose the bands of wickedness

Undo the heavy burden

And let the oppressed go free

Give bread to the hungry and open up our homes

And cover up their nakedness as if it were our own

And take our pointing finger

And the vanities we speak and cast them away

And then our lives will break forth as the morning sun

And the glory of Lord will be our reward

And when the enemy comes in destroying like a flood

The spirit of the Lord will raise up the standard.

©1993 7eventh time music.  All rights reserved. 
The lyrics above are copyrighted by the respective artists and are presented here for educational purposes only and not for profit.