Authority Lost

Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority and chose to act independently of God.  The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents human ability to decide the difference between good and evil.  They thought they were gaining freedom, but they were really just replacing the authority of God with the authority of the tempter.  Sin destroyed their relationship with God, but that was not the only consequence.  Their mistake caused a huge shift in authority.

When Adam and Eve submitted to the devil, all the authority that God had given to them passed into his hands (Rom 6:20).  To understand why, we need to understand an important principle.

When we agree with someone,
we give them influence in our lives.
When we submit to another person,
we give them authority over our lives.

By agreeing with the deceiver's lies about God, Adam and Eve gave him influence (Gen 3:6).  When they submitted to his advice, they gave him authority over their lives.  This authority shift placed them under the authority of the powers of evil, which changed everything.  They moved from the Kingdom of God to the kingdom of darkness (Col 1:13).

This big shift dramatically altered the authority situation on the earth.  God had given authority to humans.  The representatives of humanity gave control of their lives to the devil.  This gave the forces of evil authority over the earth.  From that day forward, humans have only had limited authority on earth because the spiritual powers of wickedness stole the authority that God had given to them. 

Corrupted Institutional Authority

When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them dominion (authority) over the earth. This was not just personal authority over their own lives; it was an institutional authority. To establish dominion over the earth, they would have had to establish institutions. God had already established the family. They would also need to establish schools to teach their children. Universities would be needed to develop and expand knowledge of the earth. To produce the food and clothing and other things needed to support life on the earth and to exercise dominion, they would need tools and equipment. Business institutions would be needed to develop and own this capital equipment (They would not have needed civil government if they had not sinned). They would exercise authority over the earth through these institutions. This challenge is often referred to as the cultural mandate.

When Adam and Eve sinned, it changed all the potential and future authority that would be exercised by the institutions that they and their descendants would establish in the future. Instead of being exercised according to God's will, it would be exercised according to the will of those who held positions of authority in these institutions. The effect of sin was that these people would be slaves of unrighteousness (Rom 6:20). Their authority would serve unrighteousness.

The fall did not just affect the relationship between God and man. It changed the shape of authority in all the institutions on the earth. All the authority they would exercise in the future passed out of God's will. It passed from the Kingdom of God to the Kingdom of darkness. This kingdom has a spiritual and an institutional dimension. The fall was primarily a transition of authority in each of these areas.

When Satan was tempting Jesus, he showed him all the "kingdoms of the world" and said,

I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has been given to me (Luke 4:6).
Satan is usually a liar, but because he was boasting, he was partially speaking the truth. Note what he said had been given to him: "all authority of the kingdoms of the world". This is why the history of the earth has been dominated by evil. Most of the authority in the institutions of the world has been given to the spiritual powers of evil and has not been taken back.

Jesus solved the Authority Problem

God had a solution to the corruption of authority on earth: Jesus. His death, resurrection and ascension totally changed the "authority" situation in heaven and on earth. The church has not fully understood this truth. Consequently, we have not fully understood the great commission that Jesus gave to the church. He began by saying,

All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me (Matt 28:18).

There goes that "authority" word again. We need to understand the implications of Jesus' statement. Why did all this authority have to be transferred back to him? The statement implies that he had it and then lost it. This is true. After the creation, Jesus had authority over all creation, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. When they created Adam, they gave authority (dominion) over the earth to him. Jesus no longer had it. It belonged to the one created in his image. When Adam sinned, he passed authority on the earth to Satan. That is why Jesus had to get it back.

A major purpose of the cross was to take back the authority over the earth, which Satan had stolen. The basis for Satan's authority was human sin. Jesus' death destroyed that authority because his death and his blood dealt with sin, removing the basis for Satan's authority.

When his ministry on earth was complete, Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the father, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion. The father placed everything under his feet (Eph 1:20-22). This is why Jesus was able to say that all authority in heaven had been given to him.

Jesus did not say that he had some authority.  He said that all authority had been given to him.  That is a massive authority shift.

All authority includes authority in heaven.  Jesus had been given all authority in the spiritual realms.  God had placed thousands of millions of angels under his authority.  The spiritual forces of evil continued to reject his authority, but all the other angels were delighted to do his will.

Jesus was also given all authority on earth.  As a man, he was entitled to the authority over the earth that God had given humans.  He had lived a perfect life with no sin, so he had not lost any authority to the powers of evil.  He was the only human on earth who retained the authority that God had given to humans.  More than that, by obeying God and allowing them to crucify him, Jesus had defeated the powers of evil and destroyed their authority on earth.

What has happened to Jesus Authority?

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth. This raises a question. If Jesus has all authority on heaven and earth, why is there still so much evil in the world? The answer is that the spiritual powers of evil cheat and do not play by the rules. They take advantage of the goodness of God.

At that moment, as he stood on the mountain in Galilee, all authority in both the spiritual and the physical realms had been given to Jesus.  He was king of heaven and earth.  He could have declared his will and commanded that everyone in the world do it.  He could have issued decrees and called on millions of angels to enforce them.  That would have brought everyone into line, but it would be Imposed Authority.

The cross and resurrection gave Jesus authority to impose his Kingdom on the earth.  What Jesus did next is even more amazing.  God had given him all this authority, but he did not retain the authority on earth that he had earned on the cross for himself.  Instead, he gave it back to humans, just as his father had done in the beginning.  He knew that humans had abused the authority that God had entrusted to them and surrendered it to the spiritual forces of evil.  He knew that many would get it wrong again, and the powers of evil would abuse their power again.  However, he understood God’s original plan, so he gave authority back to the people on earth.

The possibility of using the angels to enforce obedience to his will was anathema to Jesus.  He wants people to obey his will because they love him and trust him.  He prefers Free Authority to Imposed Authority.  Jesus was a very different type of king, so his kingdom is different from other kingdoms.  His kingdom is based on love, not power.  Although the angels could force people to obey him, it would be an ugly sullen obedience.  He wanted people to do his will because they loved him.

Jesus gave the authority that he had won back from the spiritual powers of evil back to the people on earth. Unfortunately, most did not submit to him, so the powers of evil were able to trick them into submitting to them again. Although defeated, they sneaked back in and grabbed back the authority they had lost.

When Jesus restored authority on earth to humans, many rejected the gospel so they did not understand what had happened.  They refused to trust Jesus, so they did not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  They quickly sinned and fell under the powers of evil again.  They lost their authority as soon as Jesus had given it back to them.  This has given the powers of evil authority to continue working on the earth despite their massive defeat by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Most people who received the authority that Jesus offered immediately lost it again by continuing to sin.  Their authority passed back to the powers of evil by default.

Since the ascension, the spiritual powers of evil have had no legitimate authority in heaven or on earth. They have been thrown out of heaven and they have no place there (Rev 12:8), but they have been able to continue to exercise authority on earth as illegal squatters. The legal basis for their authority on earth has been removed, but they continue to exercise it, because people who have rejected Jesus continue to submit to them, often without realising.

Although they were defeated by the cross and lost the legal right to authority on earth, the spiritual powers of evil will not give up until their stolen authority is forced from them.

Who will take this authority off him? God will not do it because he gave authority over the earth to humans. Humans gave Satan the authority, so humans must take it back. Jesus established the legal basis for it to be taken back. Humans now have to take back the authority that Jesus has legally won for him.

Authority Situation

Jesus’ ministry changed the authority situation on earth.

This explains spiritual warfare. It is not just a personal thing where the spiritual powers of evil try to make life difficult for us. It is a battle for the earth, which belongs to Jesus, but which the powers of evil refuse to give up. Humans, in the church, as the body of Christ, must force them to give it up. The great commission is the key to achieving this goal.

Recovery Strategy

Jesus gave humans authority on earth and embarked on a different strategy.  He outlined a three-step plan to his disciples.  The first step is to go into the world to preach the gospel of Jesus.

Go and make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19).

The gospel is good news for the world.  When people hear what Jesus has done, many will freely choose to become his disciple.  They will accept him as Lord and choose to obey him.

The second step is to baptise everyone who accepts the gospel.

Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19).

Baptism is important because it is the process by which believers are filled with the Holy Spirit.  When Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit came down on him.  The same thing happened on the day of Pentecost.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized... and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

Once people repent and believe the gospel, they can receive the Holy Spirit.  He can then teach them what Jesus is saying and doing.  We learn Jesus’ will by listening to the Holy Spirit., so we can know his will in every situation by walking in the Spirit.

The third step in Jesus’ strategy is teaching Christians to obey his commands.

Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matt 28:20).

Every person who accepts the gospel should be taught to listen to the Holy Spirit and freely obey his voice.  By obeying the voice of the Spirit, they can do the will of Jesus, so his Kingdom comes.

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth.  He rejected the opportunity to impose his will on the people of the earth.  Instead, he restored authority to humans and set them free to accept or reject his will.  He set in place a better strategy, in which people choose to do his will by listening to the Holy Spirit and freely obeying him.  That strategy would take longer, but it will produce a beautiful kingdom.

The Great Commission

This great commission has two parts

  1. Go and make disciples of all nations
  2. Teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded.

The first part is simple. If people continue in sin and do not know or accept what Jesus has done, then they remain under the power of the evil ones. Preaching the gospel is the key. As people repent and believe, they are transferred from being under his authority to being under the authority of Jesus.

The second part of the commission is more challenging. It talks about obeying Jesus' commands. That means surrendering to his authority (that word again). The church must teach Christians to live under the authority of Jesus (discipleship). They must allow him to be Lord of their personal lives. If they do not live in obedience to Jesus, they will continue to sin, and the powers of evil will be able to take back authority in their lives. Therefore the discipling of new Christians is really important.

However, the second part of the great commission requires much more than this. Disciples must also be taught to obey Jesus wherever they exercise authority in the institutions of the world. All Christians holding authority in the institutions of the world must be taught to do what Jesus commanded. They must be taught to acknowledge his authority.

The salvation of Jesus extends everywhere that sin has gone. One of the worst effects of sin was on the authority in the institutions of the world. It should have been exercised in obedience to God, but it passed to the evil one. The challenge of the great commission is to take all that authority back into obedience to Jesus. We do this by teaching Christians in their institutions to exercise their authority in obedience to Jesus. As this happens, the part of the institution where the Christian exercises authority becomes part of the Kingdom of God.

The church has not taken this latter part of the great commission very seriously. It has concentrated on the first part of the commission: winning people for Jesus. The institutions, which have authority in the world, have mostly been ignored. The only institutions to be brought into obedience to Jesus are the family and the church. There has been some interest in schools. However, all the other institutions like business, universities, and civil government have been seen as being outside the scope of the great commission. As a result, the institutions with the greatest authority have remained as part of the world system, which does not acknowledge the authority of Jesus. However, they don't remain neutral.

Wherever there is a power vacuum, the spiritual powers of evil move in. They exercise their authority by force (Imposed Authority). If his followers don't take back the authority that belongs to Jesus, the spiritual powers of evil will hold it by default. If we don't establish the Kingdom of God, they will hang onto his authority.

Holy Spirit Will Establish the Kingdom

When Jesus’ life was ebbing away on the cross, he cried out and declared that his work on earth was complete.  He had done everything that he needed to do on earth.  He had completed his part in God’s strategy to resolve the authority problem created when Adam and Eve sinned.  He had established a process for restoring the damage done on earth by the powers of evil who had stolen authority away from humans.

The first thing that Jesus did when he had ascended out of the earth was to send the Holy Spirit into the world to work through the people who would follow him.

Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear (Acts 2:33).

Pentecost transferred responsibility for God’s work on earth from Jesus to the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had finished his part in God’s strategy.  The work of the Holy Spirit was just beginning.  He would make Jesus’ victory a reality on earth.

This change in roles was essential.  The humanness that enabled Jesus to win a victory on the cross makes it impossible for him to implement his victory on earth.  To put evil back in its place, he would have to operate everywhere on earth all the time, but he cannot do that because he is confined to a human body.

The Holy Spirit is the perfect person for this task.  He could not die on the cross because he does not have a human body, but he is better equipped to build the Kingdom because he can be active all over the earth all the time.  This is why Jesus said it was better for him to go away and let the Holy Spirit come.

It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you (John 16:7).

Jesus was glad to leave the earth and send the Holy Spirit, because he knew that he alone could establish his Kingdom.  The Holy Spirit has the ability to transform human hearts and fill them with love for Jesus.  He has the power to bring every rebellious spirit under control.

The Holy Spirit operates freely in both the spiritual and physical realms.  However, he does not have a body, so he needs a group of people to be his arms and legs and voice on earth.  This role belongs to the church.

The church has two roles.  Firstly, it does all the physical tasks that the Holy Spirit cannot do.  Secondly, it gives him permission to act on earth.  This has to come from humans.  The Holy Spirit can build the Kingdom of God, but he needs authority to act on earth and a body to carry him into the world, so he can flow out and touch those in need.

Kingdom Builder

The Holy Spirit is the perfect kingdom builder.  He creates Free Authority by changing hearts to love Jesus.  He exercises all the awesome power of God, so he has the ability to bring the Kingdom to victory.

The Kingdom of God will not be established by Jesus sitting on a throne on earth.  He was exalted to the right hand of God in the spiritual realms and crowned as King of kings and Lord of lords.  He sent the Holy Spirit into the world to establish his Kingdom.  Jesus will not return to enforce his authority on earth, but will remain in heaven until the Holy Spirit has brought all things into submission to him by inspiring people to love and trust him and teaching them how to do his will.

Jesus’ will is done on earth as it is in heaven when people obey the Holy Spirit.  That simple idea is the key to the coming of the Kingdom.  The Holy Spirit is modest, so he does not boast in the scriptures about what he will do, but Christians who know him should understand his role in bringing in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom comes when God’s will is done on earth in the same way as it is done in heaven, so to understand how the Kingdom comes, we need to understand how God’s will is done in heaven.  Psalm 103:19-21 explains how it works.  God rules in heaven and the angels are waiting to do his bidding.  When he speaks, they obey.  They gladly do his will because they love him.

When Jesus came to earth, he followed the same pattern.  Because he loved the Father, he did what he saw him doing.

Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does, the Son also does (John 5:19).

Jesus watched the Father and obeyed his word.  By doing God’s will on earth, as it is done in heaven, Jesus brought the Kingdom close.  It will come to fullness on earth in the same way.

People who are born again into the Kingdom will be keen to do his bidding.

Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching (John 14:23).

The Holy Spirit hears everything that Jesus and the Father say.

He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.  All that belongs to the Father is mine… the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you (John 16:14-15).

The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus’ will to his people.

When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.  He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears (John 16:13).

When a Christian obeys the voice of the Spirit, they do Jesus’ will, so the Kingdom of God has come in their life.  When a community of Christians obeys the leading of the Spirit, the Kingdom of God has come in their midst.  When most of the people on earth believe in Jesus and obey the Spirit, the fullness of the Kingdom has come.

The Holy Spirit can speak to any person at any time, so he can guide everyone on earth to do God’s will.  The Kingdom comes when most people on earth choose to obey the Holy Spirit.  As more and more people live in obedience to the Spirit, God’s will is done and his Kingdom comes on earth.

Holy Spirits Skills

The Holy Spirit has the skills and power needed to establish God’s authority on earth.  Before the Kingdom can come, the following must happen.

The people of the world must hear the gospel of Jesus.
The people of the world must acknowledge their sin.
The people of the world must believe in Jesus.
Christians must be set free from the power of evil.
Christians must know God’s will.
Christians must be empowered to obey the Spirit.
Christians must live in peace with each other.

The Holy Spirit can achieve all these things.

The Holy Spirit has the ability to renew every heart and teach every person to love and obey Jesus.  He just needs a body of people to give him authority to act and carry him into the world.

Beautiful Kingdom

The Holy Spirit will bring in a beautiful Kingdom.  He will work in the hearts of all people to convict them of sin and to testify to Jesus.  He will draw all people to Jesus and give them a new heart.  He will guide them into all truth and teach them how to live.  As the Holy Spirit teaches people to love and obey Jesus, all authority on earth will be brought into submission to him.  The fruits of love, peace, patience, kindness and joy will dramatically change life on earth.

God has decided against using Imposed Authority to establish his Kingdom on the earth.  This decision places huge limits on how he can work in human history.  Many of his followers do not understand this choice and continue to expect him to impose his will on the world.  He cannot just intervene when he chooses, but must wait for people with authority to invite him.

The Kingdom created by the Holy Spirit will be based on Free Authority.  He will establish it by working in the hearts of all people to convict them of sin and teaching them to love and obey Jesus.  There is no need for coercion when the Holy Spirit is free to work.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty (Zech 4:6).

This beautiful kingdom will come as people choose to submit to Jesus and freely obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Kingdom Strategy

Jesus understood God’s plan, so everything he said and did was directed towards accomplishing that purpose.  His tactics were shaped by his understanding of what God was doing.

In contrast, Christians seem to be weak on strategy and tactics. We just react to the world’s agenda, so we often end up fighting battle after battle that we cannot win. The church will not win the struggle by responding to the world’s agenda. We need an approach consistent with God’s big strategy.

Christians should concentrate their energies where they are strong.  A skilful general seizes the initiative and takes the battle to a place where the enemy is weak and his forces are strong.

Holy Spirit Strategy

God has a strategy by which the Holy Spirit can establish his Kingdom on earth.  If we want to work with the Holy Spirit in this work, we must understand what he has planned.  His strategy has several stages.

1. Spiritual Warfare

The battle must be won in the spiritual realms before the victory can be won on earth.  God will not use force against humans, but he will use Imposed Authority against the powers of evil in the spiritual realms.  His angels can push them out of the places of authority they control, if humans give them authority.

Nothing can be accomplished on earth until we have gained a victory through spiritual warfare.  Victory in the spiritual world must be established before we can obtain success in the physical world.  Nothing can be done without spiritual victory. 

2. Preaching the Gospel

The gospel of Jesus is the gateway to the Kingdom of God, so expanding its influence requires evangelism, evangelism and more evangelism.  God will not force people to obey him.  People will only choose to obey him if they have a changed heart, and the only way to get a new heart is to be born again of the Spirit.  Proclaiming the good news in the power of the Spirit with signs and wonders following is urgent.

The gospel is the key to winning hearts for the Lord.  As people turn back to Jesus, they will see the benefits of obedience to him.  When a majority of people accept the benefits of living under God’s wisdom, the Kingdom come.

We have a marvellous gospel.  The fact that we are not alone in the universe, but are created by God who loves us is very good news.  The truth that he is not playing games with us but wants to be our friend is a marvellous message.  Getting this message to the world is our most important task.

The preaching of the gospel must be accompanied by healing the sick and casting out demons.  We must demonstrate the good news in the place where the spiritual dimension intrudes into the physical world through sickness and emotional pain (Matt 10:7-8).  Sickness is a terrible curse on our world.  Terrible pain and suffering are still the reality for many people.

Sickness is Satan’s second-best method for controlling individuals.  Healing the sick is the best way to “soften up” his forces.  Sickness is an issue of power and control.  When a person is healed, the spiritual forces of evil lose some of their power.  The gift of healing gives the church a massive advantage in the struggle for the Kingdom. 

3. Teaching People to Do His Will

When people come to faith in Jesus, they will need to be taught to do his will by listening to the Holy Spirit, including hearing him speak through the scriptures.  They will also need to be taught how to exercise authority in God’s way.  For many, this will be a radical change from their experience of authority in the world.

4. Restoring Authority

When they get the opportunity, Christians should take up authority and exercise it.  As more people come to faith, more authority will come to Christians.  When they receive authority, they should transform Imposed Authority into Free Authority.

5. Target the Culture

Christians should understand the role of culture and the institutions that shape it.  Culture influences law, more than the law influences culture, so the culture must be changed before laws can be changed.  Christians should also understand that modern culture is very hostile to Christianity, so we will struggle to influence it.  We may need to wait for the destructive consequences of our depraved culture to be exposed and people are ready for change.  Until then, we should focus on building a Christian culture in local communities to be a viable and visible option waiting in the wings.

Modern people look to the state for salvation, so many Christians think we should target government authority first.  This is wrong.  If we try to change the law and government before the culture has changed, we will just be ignored.  The battle for the culture must be won before any battle in the political arena can be successful.  If we do not win the culture, we will lose.  If we lose the cultural battle, even spiritual warfare will not be effective

Civil government will be the last area of authority to give way before the Government of God because it is based on Imposed Authority and resistant to Free Authority.  However, victory falls to those who know what to do when disaster comes.  We must establish an alternative society, ready for when the governments of men collapse. 

6. Restoring Society

Modern society is full of lonely people locked in suburbia.  God has given the church the fellowship that is the answer to their heart cry.  Real Christian community will draw in the lonely and hurting people of the world.  Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13:34).

This was not a touchy-feely statement, but a command to establish strong communities that can be a light to the world.

Paul gives instructions about building strong relationships with other Christians.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honour one another above yourselves.  Share with God's people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.  Live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:10,13,16).

The best antidote to evil is communities of Christians standing together to protect themselves from attack.  Those standing alone will be vulnerable to attacks by evil spiritual and physical power.

During a season of trouble, Christians will have to stop going to church and start being the church where they live.  Communities of love and service will emerge at this time, as Christians are forced into deeper relationships with each other.  They will be forced together to survive.  In many places, this will be the only way that Christians can survive through the worst darkness.

Small groups who trust each other will get ready by buying or renting homes close together, so they can support each other.  The Holy Spirit will flood them with love and power, as they get serious about Jesus’ new commandment.  These Christians will form communities that can transform their neighbourhoods.  When the structures of society begin to fall apart, they will find alternative ways of sustaining life.

Many will see the benefits of belonging to a Christian community and want to join.  Provided they commit to the ethos of love and service, people will be welcome, whether they are Christians or not.  Some people who have lived in a Christian community for a while and understand how it functions will go out and help Christians in other neighbourhoods to get started where they live.  The number of kingdom communities will grow quickly as the new way of living spreads from place to place.

Each of these kingdom communities will be a microcosm of the Kingdom of God.  They will provide everything that modern governments have failed to provide.  The difference is that they will flow out of love and service, without any need for coercion.  A new way of living will spread through society in the same way as yeast spreads through dough.

The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough (Matt 13:33).

The Holy Spirit will mix the Kingdom through society by moving from neighbourhood to neighbourhood to restore society from the ground up.  God’s plan for restoring human society is described more fully in chapter 15.

Harvest

There is great emphasis on "harvest" in the modern church. This is good, but if we just complete the harvest, we have failed. We will not have completed the second part of the commission. Jesus' claim to all authority in heaven and earth will be just empty words. He is counting on his church to make his words a reality. If we don't establish his kingdom on the earth, we will have failed him.

The first part of the great commission is important. People cannot be taught to exercise their authority in obedience to Jesus, if they have not received his salvation. Teaching them to obey Jesus will be a waste of time. Preaching the gospel is really important. However, it must be followed by the second part of the commission. The church must follow up the harvest, by teaching the nations to obey Jesus. This includes teaching them how to exercise their authority in the institutions of the world in obedience to him.

The harvest is not an end in itself. A farmer does not work hard just because he enjoys harvesting. He does the hard work of the harvest to get the grain to make bread or feed his animals. If the grain had no value, then the farmer would not bother completing the harvest. In the same way, the church is not fulfilling its purpose if it completes the harvest, but does not go on to bring all things under the authority of Jesus.

Victory in Battle

When an army is in battle, it is not just enough to conquer territory.

If these things are not done, the conquering army will eventually be forced out. In the same way, a church that does not complete both parts of the great commission will eventually be defeated.

This material is developed further in a book called Government of God.

Next Page

Return to the Kingdom of God.