SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

AS I AM LEARNING ABOUT SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY, I SEE THAT WE DO NOT USE IT AS GOD HAD INTENDED US TO. EITHER WE DON'T USE IT OR MANY I HAVE LEARNED USES IT WITH WRONG MOTIVES. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY IS NOT ABOUT POWER OR RULE. IT IS MEASURED BY THE EXTENT OF OUR PERSONAL SACRIFICE NOT BY HOW MANY IT CONTROLS. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY WAS NEVER MEANT FOR US TO RULE OR DOMINATE OTHER PEOPLE. AUTHORITY IS ABOUT SERVING OTHERS. THE GREATEST TIME WE COULD USE IT IS ON OUR SELF TO PUT OUR SELF IN CHECK. WE HAVE THE POWER TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION , AND DENY OUR-SELVES AND SIN. BECAUSE CHRIST'S KINGDOM AUTHORITY IS IN OUR HEARTS. WE HAVE THE POWER TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS HE LOVES US. THIS IS THE GREATEST POWER A BELIEVER CAN HAVE. NOT THE POWER TO RULE OVER OTHERS BUT TO RULE OVER OUR-SELF. MATTHEW 5:38-44 IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY CAME THROUGH MEN WHO SPOKE FOR GOD, HIS SPIRITUAL LEADERS (PROPHETS,PRIEST). MEN NO LONGER NEED TO GO THROUGH MAN TO TO HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD. BECAUSE JESUS RIPPED THE VEIL OF THE TABERNACLE WHEN HIS WAS DYING ON THE CROSS, NOW GOD SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO HIS PEOPLE. THE ROLE AND AUTHORITY MAN ONCE PROVIDED NOW BELONGS TO GOD WHO WORKS IN THE HEART OF EVERY BELIEVER. GOD REMOVED MAN BECAUSE HE WANTED TO HAVE A DIRECT ACCESS TO US, BUT MOSTLY HE WANTED TO CHANGE OUR HEARTS WHICH COULD NEVER HAD HAPPEN WITH MAN AS OUR SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY MAN IS UNABLE TO CHANGE MAN'S HEART. ONLY WHEN WE SUBMIT OUR LIVES TO THE SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN WE KNOW THE TRANSFORMATION GOD WANTS FOR US. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY IS THE AUTHORITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.