Do We as Believers, have the authority to forgive sins?

Do We as Believers, have the authority to forgive sins?

Mar 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Mark 2: 10 But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man,
Jesus, God the Son, has the power to forgive sins.

The question is, do we?

Let’s look at His commissioning of the disciples, where they were granted a dispensation of the Holy Spirit, to become apostles (sent ones)

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Joh 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Joh 20:23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Here, we see, disciples, commissioned by Jesus, no become apostles, and granted the authority to forgive sins!

Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Now, instead of Jesus being in only one place at one time, we have ‘little Jesus’, that is redeemed sons and daughters of God, all over the earth, commissioned with Holy Spirit power, authority, and it appears, the ability to forgive sins!

1Co_15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co_15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

In Adam, all are accorded to be under sin, with no authority. In Christ, made to sit together with Him in heavenly places, we have all authority in heaven in earth, subject only to Him.

The question is, in any given situation, are we to render discipline, correction, instruction, or forgiveness?

Therein is wisdom:

1Co_4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

We see quickly, that we are not loose cannons, running around performing our own wills, rather, humble servants, listening intently, daily, to the instructions of the Holy Spirit.

Joh 3:27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

We may be sons and daughters, kings, priests, and Lords unto Him, but He is our Father, and Jesus will ever be our high priest, King of all Kings, and Lord of all Lords!

Jesus only did the will of our heavenly Father, and so should we, we are ambassadors of heaven, that represent heaven’s interests. If there is judgment to be rendered, as we see what our Father is doing, then, and then alone may we execute His judgment…

As we seek to lead people, by the Holy Spirit, we need His wisdom, as to how to do this.

Heard a teaching some years ago, that still sticks with me:
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
In this familiar charismatic verse, we see three levels of spiritual maturity discussed: 1. Sons and daughters 2. Old men (and by implication older women) 3.Servants (doulous).

Seems there are different levels of spiritual or prophetic authority here. Sons and daughters prophesy and see visions. It is assumed that older folks prophesy, and dream dreams. Yet, notice what happens when these servants prophesy: Wonders occur in the heavens, and signs in the earth, blood, fire, vapour of smoke.

Could it be the same with with forgiveness? As a disciple, and leader grows in their gift and calling, God grants more authority, to lead people, as they grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Gal 4:1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

Though, Positionally, we are designed to walk in all authority and dominion, yet God in His wisdom and love for us, and the people we are called to lead, serve, and influence, grants us authority, as we grow in Him, and are able to handle it.

This is my position. That we are continually growing in our gifts and callings, and that as we grow, there will be more actual authority manifest in our lives to see His kingdom come, and His will to be done.

We see this in Daniel chapter 9, where Daniel enters into vicarious, identificational intercession for the nation, and God hears!

Daniel 9:

³ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

⁴ And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

⁵ We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

Daniel takes upon himself, the sin of his nation, proclaiming WE HAVE SINNED!

¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

²⁰ And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God;

Last year, the Lord gave me a Word for the United States of America, that I have had time to meditate upon, and process. It was given during an all night prayer meeting, before the second term of President Obama, and this is what He said:

‘The US recognizes three branches of government, but from my perspective, there are only two: that is the political system (Rom 13:1-5, and 1 Tim 2:1-5), and my church (Five -fold ministry). The political system of this nation, has, in a large measure, failed me, so I am transferring greater governmental authority to my church. Seasoned five-fold ministry gifts shall be called to my feet, and there I will speak to them my decrees, plans, and purposes for this nation. They will come out of this secret place, and will decree these things both privately in prayer, and publically from pulpits, and I will restore this nation with great signs, wonders, and miracles as I perform my Word on their behalf.’

Well, as we see the huge national debt, the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage, the rise of Islam in America, and the treacherous political decisions both along the Mexican border, and against Israel, we must agree with the first portion of this word, that the political system is currently making decisions, that are clearly contrary to the written Word of God. These systems and decisions are doomed to failure, for God Himself opposes them, and there is a very anointed, alive, vibrant church in the land, with many seasoned ministry gifts, well able to declare the decrees of God over the United States. This is where we need to place our focus.

What are Christian leaders saying, and more importantly, what is Jesus saying to us, personally? It may well be that you are one of those, like me, called to His feet for this hour, for cleansing, purging, repositioning, instruction, correction, and ultimately fresh anointing, power, and authority. God has no plan B, He will work through the church, the question is: ‘Which church? Or rather, through which leaders?’

I have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. I have heard and obeyed, and come aside to seek His face for battle strategies from heaven, and they are being given….

How about you?

Let’s pray:
“Father God, help me to truly seek you first, and your kingdom. Use my life to write on the tablets of time, your eternal record. Breath upon me, your secrets, your strategies, your decrees, that I might be used of you, to change this generation, in your name I pray, Lord Jesus, Amen’