God has given all authority to Jesus. This daily devotional looks at how we are to use that authority to expand His kingdom.
Nuggets
- Jesus has authority and power that were given to Him by God.
- We are called to go in Jesus’ name.
- We are called to help others navigate their Sanctification Road in Jesus’s name.
- We are called to baptize others in Jesus’ name.
- We are called to teach His laws and commandments.
Devotions in the In Jesus’ Name series
We are looking at Wilkinson’s sermon entitled Doing All in the Name of Christ.
Resource
God calls us to expand His kingdom. We do that by teaching others about what Jesus has done.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Jesus’ Authority
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Mt. 28: 18-20 CSB)
Jesus has authority and power that were given to Him by God.
This isn’t a small dose of power and authority. God gave him “… all authority in heaven and on earth …” (Mt. 28: 18 ESV).
Think about it. Jesus emptied Himself of His divine attributes (Phil. 2: 7).
God gave them back and more.
We can’t overlook that small word all. Nothing small about it, is it?
Jesus was given all rightful authority. It exists in Himself. It is a part of Him.
It is Him.
It isn’t because Jesus has the job title of Savior. He has the power and authority because He is God.
That power and authority will be used for our benefit. He will use it to grow the Church.
Then Jesus gives us a commission. He sends us out in His name.
Jesus gives us a specific message to tell. We are to tell others of the sacrifice He made for us. Only in that way, we will gain salvation.
Salvation is the gift of life through the deliverance from condemnation and sin to acceptance and holiness and changes us from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
- Sins are actions by humans that disobey God and break one of His reasonable, holy, and righteous laws and commandments, goes against a purpose He has for us, or follows Satan’s promptings.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
- Sanctified means to be set free from sin.
- Righteous means we are free from sin because we are following God’s moral laws.
- Pure means not being sinful or having the stain of sin.
- Virtues are standards of moral excellence.
- Perfection means we reach a state of maturity because the combination of the spiritual graces form, when all are present, spiritual wholeness or completeness — holy, sanctified, and righteous.
- Holy means to be set apart — because of our devotion to God — to become perfect, and morally pure while possessing all virtues.
- Holiness is the transcendent excellence of His nature that includes elements of purity, dedication, and commitment that lead to being set apart.
- Purity means possessing God’s moral character, having eliminated the stain of sin.
- Spiritual death is the spiritual separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin.
- The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Glossary
Let’s break this down a little more.
Going in Jesus’ Name
“Go therefore …” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB)
We are called to go in Jesus’ name.
There is to be no room for doubt. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (Jas. 1: 6 ESV).
Faith is a gift from God that enhances the conviction that the doctrines revealed in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them, a belief which impacts our lives and distinguishes us from others.
Glossary
I know. We are filled with so many doubts. Sometimes, we doubt God, and sometimes, we doubt ourselves.
Bottom line is we have our marching orders. We are to go into all the world. “… Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16: 15 ESV).
That may mean the whole, wide world. That may mean our world.
Jesus had previously told them not to go certain places. “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans” (Mt. 10: 5 NIV).
Either way, we are to step out in confidence, proclaiming that Jesus has died to save us from our sins.
The emphasis is on we step out. Southerns said it this way. He wrote, “It is not let them come if they will and receive the gospel, but go forth, leave all, and proclaim the gospel, etc.”
Resource
Ooo, baby. How many times in the past has that been SOP? If they are interested in finding God, they will come. Build it, and they will come.
Jesus never wanted us to make them come to us. He was always about us going to them.
Yes, that is hard when we are introverts. It is hard when we see all of these things that are wrong with us. It is hard when we feel unqualified.
We have to ask God to grow us so we can witness for Him.
We have to go in Jesus’ name.
Discipleship in Jesus’ Name
“… and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB)
We are called to help others navigate their Sanctification Road in Jesus’s name.
In making disciples of others, we are to urge them to holiness. “Be holy, because I am holy” (I Pet. 1: 16 CSB).
Dykes advised there is a certain way to do this. He wrote, “… the apostles were to be the representation to other men in other lands of that same spiritual process which had passed upon themselves.”
Resource
Process that. This is saying that the disciples were to model for others what they had experienced. They were to do this while imitating Jesus, Who imitated God.
If we say we can’t make disciples of others, aren’t we saying that we haven’t become disciples ourselves?
- We should be able to talk about our salvation process because we have gone through it. How did we ask Jesus to be our Savior and Lord?
- We should be able to talk about the regeneration process because we have been through it. How are we different than when we were before conversion?
- We should be able to talk about the sanctification process. What trials are we going through so God can refine us, and how are we trusting in Him?
Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal new birth and requickening that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration; gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit; and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
Glossary
Too many times, we let Satan convince us that we can’t help someone else on their journey. Worse yet, he convinces us we shouldn’t.
We have a Savior Who encourages us to tell others about Him. We have the Holy Spirit Who prompts us in how we should do that.
We can do this!
Baptism in Jesus’ Name
“… baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB)
We are called to baptize others in Jesus’ name.
Baptism is the symbol of our conversion experience, providing the physical evidence that we have died and been buried to sin and have risen in a new spiritual life with Jesus. The water symbolizes washing our sins away.
But it is more than just baptism in Jesus’ name. In is “… in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28: 19 CSB).
I can see that. All Three have a part in the salvation experience.
- The Holy Spirit prompts us to accept the gift of salvation.
- We can only be saved through believing in the name of Jesus.
- God forgives us of our sins, allowing us to be saved.
We enter into a covenant with God. It is no longer through Abraham, but through Jesus.
Glossary
Jortin described it this way. He wrote, “Baptism is a religious rite, which was generally practised before our Saviour instituted it; for the Gentiles, in their solemn acts of devotion, made use of sprinkling and ablutions, and the Jews baptized all proselytes to their religion.”
Resource
Yeah, we oftentimes forget that baptisms were a thing before Jesus came along. That was why He went to John to be baptized.
Teaching in Jesus’ Name
“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you …” (Mt. 28: 20 CSB)
We are called to teach His laws and commandments.
We tend to think that Jesus only sends certain people out to proclaim His message. We think “… go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16: 15 ESV) doesn’t pertain to us.
We would be wrong.
Every disciple is called to teach someone about Jesus. He qualifies and equips us for that service.
Hibbs said something that got me thinking. He wrote that disciples are to “… teach, not to sacrifice.”
Resource
Don’t we think that, when Jesus sends us to witness for Him, we will have to give up a lot of things. Maybe we will have to give up family and a job to move somewhere else. We will have to give up our comfort zone because, let’s face it, most of us are not comfortable with witnessing.
Hibbs told us that it is not about sacrificing. It is about walking along the path that God has put us on and interacting with others to show them the Plan of Salvation.
Making the Connections
One day, Jesus will use that power and authority to defeat Satan and those who do not submit to Him. All will see that there are consequences for not choosing Him.
How Do We Apply This?
This is mainly about being obedient to God’s call. He is going to ask us to serve Him. We need to serve Him His way in His name.
Yes, that will mean praying for Jesus to equip us. He will.
It will mean opening up about our mountaintop experiences and our valley experiences. It will be hard but fulfilling when we are in God’s Will.
We need to follow God into whatever area of service He calls us. We have to obediently do it in Jesus’ name.
Father God. Jesus commissioned us to spread His gospel throughout the world. Give us boldness to speak His name to all with whom we come in contact. Amen.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
If you have not admitted that your relationship is not right with God,
have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior,
and have not confessed your sins,
please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
Related Links
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
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