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"If I Be A Man of God": Why It Worked for Elijah But Not for You Or Your Pastor || E.W KENYON — Transcript

by E.W Kenyon Hidden Truths · 5,211 words · 879 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00When Elijah stood before the captains of
0:0250 and said, "If I be a man of God, let
0:05fire come down." The sky answered. The
0:07fire fell. And he didn't just do it
0:10once. He did it twice in a row to prove
0:12to the entire kingdom that the fire
0:15falling wasn't a fluke, a coincidence,
0:17or a stroke of luck. In fact, if the
0:19third captain hadn't fallen on his knees
0:22and begged for mercy, Elijah would have
0:24repeated it a third time without
0:26hesitation. He wasn't gambling on a
0:28miracle. He was executing a fixed,
0:30predictable spiritual law. Yet today,
0:34pastors stand behind
0:35multi-million-dollar pulpits screaming
0:38that exact same phrase. Believers make
0:40those exact same declarations over their
0:42cancer diagnoses and their collapsing
0:45bank accounts, and absolutely nothing
0:47happens. We treat prayer like a lottery.
0:50We say the words, cross our fingers, and
0:52hope something sticks. The sky stays
0:55silent. The crisis continues. Why did
0:58the exact same configuration of words
1:00shift the physical laws of the earth for
1:02a flawed man in the Old Testament, but
1:05acts as nothing more than empty
1:06religious theater in your mouth or the
1:08mouth of your pastor today? The modern
1:11church has taught you that the breakdown
1:13is a volume issue, a fasting issue, or a
1:16personal holiness issue. They've turned
1:18prayer into an emotional performance
1:20where whoever yells the loudest or cries
1:22the hardest wins the miracle. If it
1:25fails, they tell you it wasn't God's
1:27will or you just didn't have enough
1:29faith. But the realm of the spirit
1:31respond to human panic, and it certainly
1:34does not respond to titles. The spirit
1:36realm is a legal environment. Elijah
1:39wasn't using a magic verbal formula on
1:41that mountain. He was acting as a
1:43legally authorized agent executing a
1:46pre-existing contract with absolute
1:49legal certainty. The text actually
1:51blueprints a precise judicial process of
1:54spiritual authority. If your unrenewed
1:57mind is treating the Bible like a book
1:59of magic spells, it is time to dismantle
2:02the performance and address the baseline
2:04legal difference between copying a
2:06prophet's vocabulary and executing a
2:09son's rights.
2:10You are watching E.W. Kenyon Hidden
2:13Truths. If these insights are providing
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2:35description and the pinned comment
2:37below.
2:38Let us open the scriptures and examine
2:40how this authority operates.
2:42There is something in the account of
2:44Elijah that religious tradition has made
2:46people overlook. We remember the fire,
2:49but we often forget the man who stood
2:51before it. We remember his authority
2:53before Ahab, but we forget that the same
2:56prophet who confronted an entire nation
2:58also experienced fear, exhaustion, and
3:01discouragement. This matters because if
3:04you misunderstand the man, you will
3:06misunderstand the authority. Look at
3:08what James writes. Elias was a man
3:11subject to like passions as we are, and
3:14he prayed earnestly that it might not
3:16rain, and it rained not on the earth by
3:18the space of 3 years and 6 months. James
3:22chapter 5 verse 17.
3:24Do not rush past those words. James
3:27deliberately brings Elijah down from the
3:29pedestal on which religious imagination
3:32has placed him. He does not introduce
3:34him as a supernatural species of human
3:36being. He does not say Elijah possessed
3:39a special human nature that ordinary
3:41people could never have. He says, he was
3:44a man subject to like passions as we
3:47are. The expression points to shared
3:49human experience. Elijah was not exempt
3:52from the limitations, emotions, and
3:54vulnerabilities associated with human
3:56life. He was not a man who had ceased to
3:59feel because he had become a prophet.
4:01Consider what happened after the
4:03confrontation on Mount Carmel. The fire
4:06had fallen, the prophets of Bale had
4:08been defeated, and the people had
4:10witnessed the answer of God. Yet, when
4:12Jezebel threatened Elijah, the prophet
4:15ran for his life. First Kings 19:3 tells
4:18us that when he saw what was happening,
4:21he arose and went for his life. Think
4:23about that. The man who had stood before
4:26Ahab without trembling was now running
4:29from the threat of a woman. The man who
4:31had witnessed fire descend from heaven
4:33reached a point where he wanted to die.
4:36He went into the wilderness, sat under a
4:39juniper tree, and asked God to take his
4:41life. That is not the picture of a man
4:44who possessed an uninterrupted emotional
4:46strength. His experience exposes the
4:49difference between spiritual assignment
4:51and human temperament. Being used by God
4:54did not mean Elijah was incapable of
4:56fear. Having witnessed extraordinary
4:59manifestations of divine power did not
5:01mean he could never become exhausted.
5:04And this is precisely where the
5:06religious disqualification myth begins
5:08to collapse. When Elijah stood before
5:11Ahab, he did not introduce himself by
5:14presenting a record of his personal
5:15achievements. He did not tell the king
5:18how many days he had fasted, how many
5:20hours he had prayed, or how much
5:22spiritual discipline he had accumulated.
5:25He made a declaration concerning the God
5:27whom he served and the authority under
5:30which he stood. Listen to his words.
5:33And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the
5:35inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab,
5:38"As the Lord God of Israel liveth,
5:41before whom I stand, there shall not be
5:43dew nor rain these years, but according
5:46to my word." First Kings 17:1.
5:50There is a statement in that verse that
5:52deserves more attention than it usually
5:54receives. "Before whom I stand." Elijah
5:58was not merely announcing his personal
6:00opinion about the weather. He was
6:02identifying the God before whom he
6:05stood. His declaration was connected to
6:07his prophetic responsibility in Israel.
6:10He was confronting a king whose kingdom
6:12had turned toward the worship of Baal, a
6:15false god associated with fertility and
6:18rain.
6:19People have been made to believe that
6:20the reason Elijah could command such
6:22extraordinary events was that he had
6:25reached a level of personal perfection
6:27they could never attain. They imagined
6:30that somewhere between ordinary
6:31believers and Elijah, there is a special
6:34class of people whose human weaknesses
6:36have disappeared. But James does not
6:39permit that conclusion. He directs
6:41attention to the prayer of a man whose
6:43humanity was not fundamentally different
6:46from ours. Notice something else. James
6:49does not say Elijah's emotions produced
6:52the drought. He does not attribute the
6:54closing of the heavens to his
6:55personality. He directs attention to his
6:58prayer. Then James 5:18 says, "And he
7:02prayed again, and the heaven gave rain,
7:05and the earth brought forth her fruit."
7:08There is a movement here that deserves
7:09attention. The same prophet associated
7:12with the withholding of rain was
7:14associated with its return. The heavens
7:17that had been shut were opened again.
7:20James is not presenting Elijah's
7:22vocabulary as a formula for controlling
7:24weather. He is demonstrating the
7:26significance of prayer through the life
7:28of a human being who depended on God.
7:31Now, we must ask a more important
7:33question. If Elijah's humanity did not
7:36prevent him from fulfilling his
7:38prophetic assignment, why do we keep
7:40making human perfection the foundation
7:42of spiritual authority?
7:45And if his emotional strength was not
7:46the source of the fire on Carmel, why
7:49have we turned spiritual authority into
7:51a competition of personalities, titles,
7:54fasting records, and religious
7:56appearances? The issue is deeper than
7:59whether a person can shout, fast for 40
8:01days, or stand behind an impressive
8:04pulpit. None of those things by
8:06themselves establishes delegated
8:08authority. There is a distinction
8:11between the person carrying an
8:12assignment and the authority behind that
8:15assignment. Until you understand that
8:17distinction, you will continue looking
8:19at Elijah and trying to reproduce his
8:22outward appearance instead of
8:23understanding the principle governing
8:25his actions. Elijah's courage was not
8:28his authorization. His personality was
8:31not his covenant. His reputation was not
8:34the source of the authority he
8:35exercised. And this brings us to the
8:38question that must be answered before
8:40anyone attempts to use Elijah's words
8:43today. Who was Elijah representing when
8:46he stood before the king? And what gave
8:48his words their authority? That is where
8:51the matter of agency begins. When Elijah
8:54stood before Ahab, he did not introduce
8:57himself by presenting a record of his
8:59personal achievements. He did not tell
9:01the king how many days he had fasted,
9:03how many hours he had prayed, or how
9:05much spiritual discipline he had
9:07accumulated. He made a declaration
9:09concerning the God whom he served and
9:12the authority under which he stood.
9:14Listen to his words. And Elijah the
9:17Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of
9:19Gilead, said unto Ahab, "As the Lord God
9:23of Israel liveth, before whom I stand,
9:26there shall not be dew nor rain these
9:28years, but according to my word."
9:31First Kings 17:1.
9:34There is a statement in that verse that
9:36deserves more attention than it usually
9:38receives. "Before whom I stand."
9:42Elijah was not merely announcing his
9:44personal opinion about the weather. He
9:46was identifying the God before whom he
9:48stood. His declaration was connected to
9:52his prophetic responsibility in Israel.
9:54He was confronting a king whose kingdom
9:57had turned toward the worship of Baal, a
9:59false god associated with fertility and
10:02rain. The issue was not Elijah's ability
10:05to speak forcefully. The issue was the
10:07authority behind his announcement. This
10:10is where many people misunderstand
10:12spiritual authority. They assume that
10:14authority comes from the prominence of
10:16the person exercising it. They look at
10:19the title, the office, the reputation,
10:22the ministry size, or the number of
10:23people who follow someone.
10:26But a title and an authorization are not
10:28the same thing.
10:30A man may carry the title of pastor and
10:33still misunderstand the authority
10:35available to him in Christ. Another
10:37believer may have no public platform, no
10:40congregation, and no religious
10:42recognition, yet understand what it
10:44means to stand on the authority of the
10:47name of Jesus.
10:49The question is not how impressive the
10:51representative appears. The question is
10:53whether he is acting under the authority
10:56entrusted to him.
10:57Consider the relationship between a
10:59principal and an agent.
11:01In ordinary legal and commercial
11:03transactions, an agent may be authorized
11:06to conduct business on behalf of another
11:08person. The agent does not become the
11:10principal. He does not acquire ownership
11:13of the principal's entire estate simply
11:15because he has been authorized to act.
11:18His authority remains subject to the
11:20authorization's limits.
11:22This gives us a useful way to understand
11:25delegated authority.
11:27E.W. Kenyon devoted considerable
11:29attention to the believer's right to use
11:31the name of Jesus.
11:33In The Wonderful Name of Jesus, he
11:35develops the significance of that name
11:38as something far greater than a
11:39religious expression added to the end of
11:41a prayer.
11:43The name represents the authority of the
11:45one who has entrusted it to his people.
11:48Think about what that means.
11:50When a believer approaches a situation
11:52in the name of Jesus, the foundation of
11:55that approach is not a claim that the
11:57believer possesses independent power. It
12:00is an appeal to the authority of Christ.
12:03The believer is not presenting personal
12:05greatness. He is acting in recognition
12:07of the authority belonging to Jesus.
12:10Jesus himself said,
12:12"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
12:15that will I do, that the Father may be
12:18glorified in the Son."
12:20John 14:13.
12:23The name is not an ornament. Jesus
12:26connected it with his own authority and
12:28the Father's glory.
12:30But notice what this does not mean. It
12:32does not mean that attaching the words
12:34in Jesus' name to any personal desire
12:37automatically obligates God to perform
12:39it. The name is not a blank check for
12:42human ambition. It is not permission to
12:45make declarations contrary to the
12:47character, purposes, and revealed word
12:50of God.
12:51An authorized representative must
12:53understand the authority he carries and
12:56the limits of the commission under which
12:57he operates.
12:59This is why copying Elijah's sentence
13:01without understanding his assignment is
13:03a serious mistake.
13:05Elijah's words were not a general
13:07instruction to every prophet, pastor, or
13:10believer to threaten the heavens
13:12whenever a crisis appears. He was
13:14functioning within a particular
13:16prophetic commission in a particular
13:18covenant situation.
13:20The new covenant believer must
13:22understand his own authorization through
13:24Christ rather than imitate every outward
13:27action of an Old Testament prophet.
13:30Look at another statement from Jesus.
13:32"And in that day ye shall ask me
13:35nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
13:38whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my
13:41name, he will give it you." John 16:23.
13:46Jesus was preparing his disciples for a
13:48new relationship with the Father through
13:51his finished work and the coming reality
13:53of the new covenant.
13:55The believer's access is not established
13:57by personal religious importance. It is
14:00established through Christ.
14:02This changes the way you approach
14:04prayer.
14:05You do not have to convince God that you
14:07deserve to be heard by reciting your
14:10spiritual
14:12You do not have to build a case around
14:14your personal perfection.
14:16Neither should you approach him as
14:17though your failures have erased the
14:19provision of Christ.
14:21Your confidence must rest on what Jesus
14:24has accomplished.
14:25Hebrews 4:16 says,
14:28"Let us therefore come boldly unto the
14:30throne of grace, that we may obtain
14:33mercy and find grace to help in time of
14:36need."
14:37Notice the instruction, come boldly. Not
14:41because you have become independent of
14:43Christ, but because Christ has opened
14:45the way.
14:46This is a very different foundation from
14:49religious performance.
14:51The person who understands the name of
14:53Jesus does not need to manufacture an
14:56atmosphere of authority before praying.
14:58He does not need to convince himself
15:00that his voice has become powerful
15:02enough to move heaven.
15:04He needs to understand the word, the
15:07authority of Christ, and the
15:08responsibility of representing him.
15:11And here is where we must return to
15:13Elijah.
15:15His authority cannot be separated from
15:17the assignment God gave him.
15:19His announcement to Ahab was not an
15:21isolated display of personal power.
15:24Something had already been established
15:26in Israel's covenant relationship with
15:28God.
15:29Elijah did not create the covenant. He
15:32did not invent the consequences of
15:34Israel's rebellion. He stood in the
15:37middle of a situation in which the
15:38nation's conduct had brought God's
15:41previously declared covenant warning
15:43into view.
15:45That detail changes the entire
15:47investigation, because if we want to
15:49understand why Elijah could announce
15:52that the heavens would be shut, we must
15:54stop examining his personality and start
15:57examining the written covenant that
15:59governed Israel.
16:01There was a provision in that covenant
16:03concerning exactly what was happening in
16:05the days of Ahab, and it had been
16:07written long before Elijah ever stood
16:09before the king.
16:11The covenant warning we have examined
16:13explains the drought during Ahab's
16:15reign.
16:16The fire that consumed the captains of
16:1850 did not happen on Mount Carmel. It
16:21happened during the reign of Ahaziah,
16:23Ahab's son, and the circumstances
16:26surrounding it reveal something we must
16:28not overlook.
16:30Turn with me to 2 Kings 1.
16:33Ahaziah had suffered an injury after
16:35falling through the lattice of his upper
16:37chamber. Instead of seeking the Lord God
16:40of Israel, he sent messengers to inquire
16:43of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether
16:46he would recover.
16:47This was not an innocent search for
16:49information. The king of Israel was
16:52turning to a foreign god for an answer
16:54concerning his own life. He was treating
16:57the god of Israel as though he had no
16:59authority over the affairs of the
17:01nation. But the Lord intervened. God
17:04sent Elijah to intercept the king's
17:06messengers with a question,
17:09"Is it not because there is not a god in
17:11Israel that you go to inquire of
17:13Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?"
17:162 Kings chapter 1, verse 3.
17:19That question exposed the real issue.
17:22Israel had a god, but its king was
17:25behaving as though the god of the
17:27covenant did not exist.
17:29Elijah was instructed to deliver a
17:31message to Ahaziah.
17:33The king would not come down from the
17:35bed on which he had gone up. He would
17:37surely die.
17:39When the messengers returned earlier
17:41than expected, Ahaziah wanted to know
17:44who had confronted them.
17:46They described a hairy man with a
17:48leather girdle around his loins. The
17:50king immediately recognized the
17:52description as Elijah the Tishbite.
17:55Now, watch what happens next.
17:58Ahaziah did not humble himself before
18:00the message. He sent a captain with 50
18:03men to bring Elijah down.
18:06The captain found Elijah sitting on the
18:08top of a hill and addressed him as the
18:10man of God. Then came the declaration
18:14that forms the center of this teaching.
18:16"Thou man of God, the king hath said,
18:19come down." Second Kings, chapter 1,
18:23verse 9.
18:24Elijah answered, "If I be a man of God,
18:28then let fire come down from heaven and
18:30consume thee and thy 50."
18:33Fire came down from heaven and consumed
18:36the captain and his 50 men.
18:39The king sent another captain with
18:41another 50 men. The second captain
18:43approached Elijah and delivered
18:45essentially the same command. Elijah
18:48answered with the same declaration and
18:50fire came down again.
18:53Two companies were consumed. Then the
18:56third captain arrived, but this man
18:58approached differently. He fell on his
19:01knees before Elijah and pleaded for his
19:03life and the lives of his 50 servants.
19:07And something changed. The angel of the
19:10Lord instructed Elijah to go down with
19:12him and not be afraid of him. Elijah
19:15obeyed, went to the king, and delivered
19:18the judgment of God.
19:20Now, why does this account matter?
19:23Because the words Elijah spoke were not
19:25ordinary declaration of confidence. They
19:28were spoken during a direct
19:30confrontation between a king who had
19:32rejected the God of Israel and the
19:34prophet whom God had commissioned to
19:36deliver his message. The captain was not
19:39simply disagreeing with Elijah's
19:41personal opinion. He had arrived under
19:44the king's command to seize the prophet
19:47who had delivered God's word.
19:49The declaration must therefore be
19:51understood within the entire
19:53confrontation, not extracted from verse
19:5610 and turned into a sentence that
19:58anyone can repeat to produce fire.
20:01There is another detail here that
20:03deserves serious attention.
20:06The first captain came with 50 men. The
20:09second came with 50 men. Both addressed
20:12Elijah as the man of God, yet neither
20:15approached him with humility. Both came
20:18to carry out the king's command. The
20:21third captain also came under the king's
20:24instruction, but when he saw what had
20:26happened to the previous two companies,
20:28he changed his approach. He fell on his
20:31knees and begged Elijah to spare his
20:33life and the lives of his 50 servants.
20:37Read the angel's instruction in 2 Kings
20:39chapter 1 verse 15. And the angel of the
20:43Lord said to Elijah, "Go down with him.
20:46Be not afraid of him." And he arose and
20:49went down with him to the king.
20:52Now, why is this important? Because
20:54Elijah did not independently decide that
20:57the third captain should be spared. The
20:59instruction came from God. The prophet's
21:02actions were taking place under divine
21:05direction.
21:06The entire account demonstrates that
21:08Elijah's words were connected to a
21:10specific assignment and a specific
21:13divine judgment. The fire was not the
21:16product of a verbal technique. It was
21:19not an ability Elijah could activate
21:21whenever someone questioned his
21:22reputation.
21:24This is where the phrase "If I be a man
21:27of God" must be understood correctly.
21:30Elijah was not teaching people to
21:32establish their spiritual identity by
21:34threatening others with supernatural
21:36destruction.
21:37He was confronting an attempt to seize
21:40God's messenger after the king had
21:42rejected the message of the Lord.
21:45The declaration was connected to the
21:47authentication of his prophetic office
21:49in that confrontation.
21:51The outcome was God's judgment, not a
21:54demonstration that Elijah possessed an
21:56independent supply of destructive power.
21:59And this brings us back to the mistake
22:01people make when they take this passage
22:03into modern prayer meetings.
22:05A pastor stands before congregation and
22:07declares, "If I be a man of God, let
22:10fire come down."
22:12Another believer repeats those words
22:14against someone who has offended them.
22:16Someone else uses the same expression
22:18against the sickness, a financial
22:20problem, or an enemy.
22:22But where did God commission them to
22:24pronounce the particular judgment they
22:26are demanding.
22:28Where is the instruction in the word
22:30authorizing them to reproduce Elijah's
22:33action in that situation?
22:35The fact that a sentence appears in
22:37scripture does not mean every believer
22:39has been commissioned to reproduce the
22:41action associated with it.
22:44You cannot take the judgment God
22:45executed through an Old Testament
22:47prophet and turn it into a personal
22:50weapon.
22:51You cannot borrow Elijah's vocabulary
22:53and assume you have inherited the
22:55precise assignment he received in that
22:57historical confrontation.
22:59That is not how biblical authority
23:01works.
23:03And notice something else. The three
23:05captains did not determine whether
23:06Elijah was a man of God by the volume of
23:09his voice, his clothing, his reputation,
23:12or the size of his following.
23:14The incident was resolved through God's
23:16intervention.
23:18Elijah did not have to manufacture
23:20evidence of his calling through
23:22religious performance.
23:23There is a difference between having an
23:25assignment from God and trying to prove
23:28that you have one.
23:30The first is a matter of divine
23:31commission. The second can easily become
23:34an exercise in human pride.
23:37Now, we must not make the opposite
23:39mistake and conclude that this account
23:41has nothing to teach new covenant
23:43believers. It has a great deal to teach
23:46us, but we must apply it according to
23:48the revelation given through Jesus
23:50Christ.
23:52The believer's authority is not
23:53established by borrowing Elijah's
23:56threat. It is established through
23:58Christ, his finished work, and the
24:00authority of his name.
24:03Elijah lived and ministered under the
24:05Old Covenant. He was a prophet in a
24:07nation governed by a covenant that
24:09included specific judgments against
24:12idolatry.
24:13The circumstances of 2 Kings 1 belong to
24:16that historical and covenant setting.
24:19The believer today has a different
24:21standing through the new birth.
24:23We are not sent to reproduce every
24:26judgment executed by Old Testament
24:28prophets. We are called to understand
24:31our position in Christ and exercise the
24:33authority he has entrusted to his
24:35people.
24:37This is why the distinction between
24:39Elijah's prophetic commission and the
24:41believer's new creation position must
24:43never be blurred.
24:45Consider what happened at the cross.
24:48Jesus did not merely come to give
24:50believers a new religious vocabulary. He
24:53dealt with sin, reconciled us to God,
24:56and opened the way for a new
24:58relationship with the Father.
25:00The question is no longer whether you
25:02can convince people that you are a man
25:04of God by repeating Elijah's
25:06declaration.
25:07The question is whether you understand
25:10what God has made you in Christ.
25:13That brings us to a revelation that must
25:15change the way you see yourself when you
25:17pray.
25:18Paul writes, "For he hath made him to be
25:21sin for us, who knew no sin, that we
25:25might be made the righteousness of God
25:27in him." Second Corinthians 5:21.
25:32Do not read that as though it were
25:33merely another religious statement about
25:35forgiveness. There is a new covenant
25:38reality here that must be understood.
25:41The righteousness of God in Christ is
25:43not a spiritual reputation you build by
25:46impressing people.
25:47It is grounded in what God has
25:49accomplished through Jesus.
25:52And if you have been made the
25:53righteousness of God in him, you must
25:56stop approaching the Father as though
25:58you were trying to earn the right to
26:00stand in his presence.
26:02Elijah's declaration was tied to his
26:04prophetic commission. Your confidence
26:07under the new covenant must be tied to
26:09your union with Christ. That is the
26:12advantage we must now examine. Elijah
26:15did not make fire fall because he
26:17discovered a powerful sentence. His
26:20declaration belonged to a particular
26:22divine assignment. The believer's
26:25authority is not found in copying
26:27Elijah's words, but in understanding the
26:30standing and authority given through
26:33Jesus Christ.
26:34This brings us to a truth that must
26:37govern the way we approach God.
26:39Our confidence is not supposed to rest
26:42on how well we have performed, how long
26:45we have fasted, or how impressive our
26:47spiritual reputation appears. It rests
26:51on what God accomplished through his
26:53son.
26:54Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he
26:58hath made him to be sin for us who knew
27:01no sin, that we might be made the
27:03righteousness of God in him."
27:06Look carefully at the exchange. Christ,
27:09who knew no sin, was made sin for us, so
27:12that we might become the righteousness
27:15of God in him.
27:16Your righteousness is not something you
27:19manufacture through religious effort. It
27:22is received through your union with
27:24Christ. This does not mean your conduct
27:27no longer matters. It means your conduct
27:30is not the foundation of your acceptance
27:32before God.
27:34You are not trying to earn a place that
27:36Christ has already opened for you. You
27:39are learning to live in agreement with
27:41the standing he has given you.
27:44We must also understand the difference
27:46between Elijah's covenant setting and
27:48the believer's position in the new
27:50covenant. Elijah was genuinely a prophet
27:53of God. Abraham was also counted
27:56righteous through faith, as Romans 4:3
27:59tells us.
28:00The Old Testament believers were not
28:02strangers to God, but through Jesus
28:05Christ, something decisive has been
28:07accomplished. The sacrifice for sin has
28:10been offered once for all.
28:13Hebrews 10:12 says, "But this man, after
28:17he had offered one sacrifice for sins
28:19forever, sat down on the right hand of
28:22God."
28:24The believer does not approach God
28:26through repeated animal sacrifices or
28:29through an attempt to establish personal
28:31worthiness. Christ has dealt with sin
28:34through his finished sacrifice.
28:36That is why Hebrews 10:19 to 22 speaks
28:40of having boldness to enter the holiest
28:43by the blood of Jesus.
28:45Your access is through his blood. Your
28:48confidence is in his finished work.
28:51This is also why the new creation must
28:54become more than a phrase you repeat.
28:57Second Corinthians 5:17 declares,
29:00"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he
29:02is a new creature. Old things are passed
29:05away. Behold, all things are become
29:08new."
29:10You have received a new life in Christ.
29:13Your spirit has been recreated, but your
29:15mind still needs renewal, and your
29:18conduct must be brought into agreement
29:20with the word.
29:22Being a new creation does not mean every
29:24thought, habit, or reaction
29:26automatically changes overnight. It
29:29means you now have a new spiritual
29:32identity from which to live.
29:34E.W. Kenyon's teaching in The Hidden Man
29:38draws attention to the recreated human
29:40spirit and the importance of feeding and
29:43developing the inner man through the
29:45word.
29:46This is not a substitute for scripture.
29:49It helps us consider what scripture says
29:51about the new life we have received in
29:54Christ.
29:55Do not allow your outward circumstances
29:57to become the authority by which you
29:59define your spiritual identity.
30:02When you fail, do not hide from God as
30:05though your failure has erased what
30:07Christ accomplished. 1 John 1:9 says,
30:10"If we confess our sins, he is faithful
30:13and just to forgive us our sins and to
30:16cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
30:19Confession is not pretending that sin
30:22doesn't matter. It is agreeing with God,
30:25receiving his forgiveness, and turning
30:27away from what is wrong. Your confidence
30:30is not an excuse for careless living. It
30:33is the ground from which you can come
30:35home. Now, consider how this changes
30:38your prayer life.
30:39When sickness confronts you, you do not
30:42need to imitate Elijah's declaration or
30:44turn prayer into a performance. You can
30:47bring your need before God, stand on his
30:50word, and trust him for healing and
30:52strength.
30:54Isaiah 53:5 speaks of the suffering of
30:57Christ and the healing provided through
30:59his work.
31:01Pray with confidence, receive
31:03appropriate medical care, and refuse to
31:05measure God's love by the speed or
31:08manner in which an answer comes.
31:11When financial pressure comes,
31:12Philippians 4:19 reminds us that God
31:16supplies the needs of his people
31:18according to his riches in glory by
31:20Christ Jesus.
31:22Read that promise in its context. Paul
31:25was writing to believers who had
31:27partnered with him in the work of the
31:29gospel.
31:30It is a reason to trust God's provision,
31:33not a formula promising every personal
31:35desire.
31:37When you face spiritual opposition, Mark
31:4016:17 speaks of believers acting in the
31:43name of Jesus.
31:45The authority is not in the sound of
31:47your voice or the repetition of a
31:49religious phrase. It is in Christ and
31:52the authority entrusted to his people.
31:55The name of Jesus is not a magic
31:57expression. It is not separated from the
32:00one whose name you bear.
32:03Kenyon's discussion of the name in The
32:05Wonderful Name of Jesus is useful here.
32:08He presents the name in connection with
32:11the believer's right to act on Christ's
32:13behalf.
32:14The point is not that we can command
32:16anything we please. We must remain
32:19governed by the word and the will of
32:21God.
32:22So, stop measuring authority by volume.
32:25Stop treating prayer as a contest in
32:28which the loudest person wins. Learn
32:31what Christ has accomplished. Know what
32:33the word has promised. Approach the
32:36Father through Jesus. Pray in faith and
32:39let your life reflect the truth you
32:41confess.
32:43Elijah's experience was not an
32:45invitation to copy his exact words. Your
32:48confidence today is not built on
32:50repeating the declaration of an Old
32:52Testament prophet. It is built on the
32:55finished work of Jesus Christ and the
32:57position you have received in him.
33:00Make this declaration.
33:02I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I
33:06am the righteousness of God in him. My
33:09access to the Father rests upon the
33:12blood of Jesus, not my personal
33:14achievements. I refuse to imitate
33:17another man's assignment or depend on
33:19religious performance. I stand on the
33:22word of God, exercise my faith in the
33:25name of Jesus, and live from the reality
33:28of what Christ has accomplished.
33:31My mind is being renewed. My conduct is
33:34being brought into agreement with the
33:35word. And my confidence is established
33:38in Christ. I will not approach God as a
33:41stranger when he has reconciled me to
33:44himself through his son.
33:46If you receive this truth, write in the
33:49comments, I stand in my new creation
33:52authority in Christ.
33:54Share this teaching with someone who
33:56needs to understand the difference
33:58between religious performance and the
34:00authority believers have in Christ.
34:03Subscribe to E.W. Kenyon Hidden Truths.
34:06Give this video a like and turn on the
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34:10We share these teachings regularly and
34:13you do not want to miss the next lesson
34:15as we continue to examine the truths of
34:18God's word.
34:19And if this ministry is helping you grow
34:21in your understanding of scripture, you
34:24may choose to support the work.
34:26Your support helps our team prepare
34:28these teachings, study the scriptures,
34:31produce these videos, and keep this
34:33ministry moving forward, and also make
34:35these teachings available to more
34:37people.
34:38The support link is in the description
34:40and pinned comment.
34:42Remain established in the word, grow in
34:45the reality of who you are in Christ,
34:48and never confuse religious performance
34:50with the finished work of Jesus.
34:53See you in our next video.

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