Better than Power

Luke 10:20 - Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

There are two unhealthy extremes when it comes to spiritual power. One is to ignore its reality. In II Timothy 3:5, Paul warned that more and more people would deny the power of God as times got worse. Some deny God’s power in ignorance. Some suppress it in fear of excess. Some have seen power abused and try to stay as far away from it as possible. Yet, we miss a great deal when we hold to this extreme.

Jesus sent his followers out with authority and power to heal diseases and cast out demons. They saw real, tangible results as they exercised that power. People were set free from life controlling issues for which there was no other cure. God still works when his people pray in faith. How many issues do people around us face that could be helped by God’s power if we were willing to exercise it?

These seventy-two that Jesus commissioned in Luke 10 were truly excited about the life change God worked through them. Jesus rejoiced with them. However, Jesus also warned them of the other dangerous extreme: obsession with power. When God’s Spirit works through us in mighty ways, we can start to seek miracles for our own glory. We can put our faith in the miracles rather than their Source. We can get focused on the immediate rather than the eternal.

So, Jesus tells us what he told his followers: miracle-working authority and power is good and important, but there is something much more important: Your eternal destiny. This is the main reason Jesus came: to pay the price we all owe through his death on the cross, overcoming death and hell through his resurrection and granting eternal life to all who believe in him. If you have not received Christ yet, simply invite him into your life today. There is nothing better.