Do you deeply desire to participate with Christ and his wonderful movement—to see the good news preached to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives, to release prisoners from darkness? If this resonates with you, you may be longing for greater spiritual authority—authority to walk as light in the darkness and to be an instrument of change in the lives and atmosphere around you. I believe that we are all invited to do this and to see many wonders in the days ahead as we do.
I don’t consider myself an expert on the topic of spiritual authority. Rather, I’m a learner and a practitioner. One of the things I’ve learned is that in God’s Kingdom, the greater our intimacy with the Lord, the deeper our dependency grows on God, and the greater our spiritual authority becomes. This intimacy-authority connection looks very different from the authority we see modeled in many areas of society. Spiritual authority follows the rules of the upside-down-Kingdom lifestyle, not the rules of this world.
I believe intimacy is the vital invitation from God that enables us to participate in the in-breaking of his Kingdom. Novo and many other missions and expressions of church are receiving this same invitation to go back to the most basic practices and ways of life modeled by Jesus: intimacy with the Father and the ability to join him, with his authority, in what he is doing.
This invitation to deeper intimacy and connection with God is an invitation to not rely solely on the longevity of our Christian walk, the experience we have in ministry, or the status, knowledge, titles, talents and skills we have gained along the way. Of course, God will use many of those things, but intimacy takes the forefront in the story of building his Kingdom.
Let’s walk together through some key moments in the life of Jesus and those around him that highlight places of intimacy and dependence upon God where authority grows.
In humble submission
Spiritual authority is not based on having a position of power. Consider how the King of kings was born in a manger. He came to us as a baby dependent on others, but the Heavens recognized his identity and authority (Luke 2:13–14). Philippians 2 tells us to model our own lives on the humble submission of Jesus: “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion” (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message).
While waiting
Simeon waited faithfully on the promise that he would see the Messiah before his death and he did (Luke 2:25–35). He had the honor of blessing Jesus and his parents. I believe there is a mystery and a connection between waiting for the promise and spiritual authority. Hopeful waiting is not just waiting!
In the wilderness
Many of us are being invited to embrace intimacy and deepen in authority in the wilderness, like John the Baptist and his mission to prepare the way of the Lord (Matthew 3:1–6), or like Jesus when he was taken to the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the enemy (Matthew 4:1–11). During his time in the wilderness, Jesus showed us that we’ll conquer the evil one through dependency on the Spirit. He opened the way for us to fight back with authority against the enemy on behalf of our identity, calling, true sense of security and much more. When we fight these battles during our own wilderness times, our authority grows.
When we step out in faith
Do you remember the friends who brought a paralyzed man to Jesus (Mark 2:1–12)? We have all experienced times when we were invited by Jesus to “open a hole in the roof” and bring others to him to encounter emotional, spiritual, or physical healing. We partner with others and together we celebrate a marvelous healing encounter. As we exercise our faith, which can be as small as a mustard seed, we’ll increase in intimacy and authority no matter the outcome. Those are some of my favorite times.
When we feel small
Consider the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). Sometimes we will be so desperate for our own encounter with Jesus and feel so small that we will climb a tree so he can call us from that place of desperation and great need to have a meal with us. In our desperation and smallness, intimacy and authority grows.
During opposition
We will be invited to participate with Jesus in the midst of opposition, criticism, and skepticism, and I believe it’s part of cultivating authority. Jesus encountered great opposition: His authority was questioned. Many tried to silence him. He was persecuted and misunderstood. In spite of this, he didn’t deviate from his calling and his love for others. Many times he didn’t answer the questions asked of him nor defend himself. His invitation is to love—not just the ones who love us back, but also the ones that don’t, not just to give up our cloak, but also our shirt. Our Lord asks us to clothe ourselves with humility, believing that all those who humble themselves will be exalted in his time.
When the task is too great
Other times Jesus will ask us to do things beyond our resources and capacities. Like feeding a multitude with a few fish and loaves of bread (Mark 6:34–44). Or becoming like a small child in order to be great in his Kingdom (Matthew 18:1–5). Our intimacy and authority will grow in both scenarios—when we are called to do things beyond ourselves, or when we are called to be learners like children, depending on him in challenging circumstances and new beginnings.
Outside of our comfort zone
Leaving the safety of the boat, remaining in the storm, entrusting God with our possessions or lack thereof, placing our hands on the plow and not looking back, and surrendering our reputation and “right” to be recognized are all experiences which bring many unsettling feelings and remind us of our humanity and great need of him. However, in these places we are beckoned to step out of our “safety” toward transformation. It is a call to press on in intimacy with him and to follow him in surrender and obedience, so that new authority can be forged.
In suffering
Some of us will be called to intimacy in the midst of being or feeling alone during times of great darkness and anguish. Jesus will be with us as we wrestle to take the cup, wishing we didn’t have to. He was comforted by his father in the intimacy of the Garden of Gethsemane and we will be comforted even when others are asleep around us because he doesn’t sleep (Matthew 26:36–46).
As you can see, many times both intimacy and authority are formed under difficult circumstances. We will be invited to follow Christ’s path to the cross, though not to the same magnitude and sacrifice. We can be confident that this path will bring resurrection life and many new beginnings. All of our experiences, good and difficult, can increase intimacy with Jesus and are thus an opportunity for growing in spiritual authority. Jesus will collect all of our “yeses” to him. He will remember all of the valleys and the storms we’ve encountered. Those are the testing grounds of our authority.
As I review these stories and find the invitations for intimacy and growth in spiritual authority, I clearly see that none of us can do this by ourselves. It’s impossible. We will not walk perfectly like Jesus; we’ll fail many times. We won’t take the way of the cross always, but that’s not the goal. The “goal” is intimacy with Christ, as we bring our imperfect humanity and keep anticipating being transformed and used by the Spirit. As Jesus calls us to delve deeper and deeper in intimacy with him, we awaken to a new authority released by him.
In light of this, let’s not make authority our final goal. Rather, let’s make intimacy and responding to God’s love the goal, asking the Spirit to help us keep loving him with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to keep loving our neighbor. Love, intimacy, and authority are completely intertwined, so let’s keep responding to God’s love and keep being amazed by him and by how he works in us and through us.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Doralicia Gonzales lives in Málaga, Spain with her husband Randy and their two daughters. Her ministry includes prayer walking and strategic prayer for the land, spiritual direction and mentoring, and walking alongside others who are searching for more of what God has for them with the goal of seeing more Kingdom movement in the region.