“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.” (Jer. 15:16)
When we come to know the Lord, we discover His words. We discover them to be spirit and life (Jn. 6:63). One of the passages in the Scriptures that has impacted my walk in a great way is about the faith of the centurion (Lu. 7:1-10). What Jesus said about this man’s faith caught my attention: “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” (Vs. 9). Like a seed, this word was planted in my heart and I meditated upon it to receive understanding. (Matt. 13:23). Like a fruitful tree, it has grown in my life and has found expression in many ways. In my last article, I described the practice of exercising authority in worship services. In another article (Faith is Contagious), I described how we can exercise authority over nature. Even when challenged by demonic forces, I have found the authority of the Lord rising from within me. I have discovered that it does not depend on me, but it comes from the Spirit of God within me.
As much as I would love to impart to you the same understanding that I have received on the authority of faith, I also know that it must come to you by revelation. If what I share in this article bears witness with your spirit, then I encourage you to meditate on it until you receive spiritual understanding. You may have already heard the things I say, but you must be careful not to become dull of hearing. The understanding must go deeper than your mind; it must be a matter of the heart. Then from your heart will come the same kind of faith. I am saying all this because great faith is not complicated. It comes from the simple realization that all authority is from God (Rom. 1:1). Then, if God has all authority, we as His creation must come under that authority. It is one thing to assert this with our minds; it is quite something else to humble ourselves before Him in all circumstances. What we know with our minds is not always expressed in our walk. That is why we must grow in grace. Even as I teach this important concept, I realize myself how much more of its truth must continue to grow in me.
What can we learn from the centurion about faith? First, his faith was genuine, it had actions (Jas. 2:17). The elders said of him, “he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue” (Vs. 5). Like the centurion in Acts Chapter 10, he believed in God and believed the reports about Jesus (Vs. 3). He must have heard about Jesus healing the sick and casting out devils. Jesus had been to Capernaum before and the people had been astonished at His ministry, “For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Lu. 4:36). God recognizes the faith of a person even before they hear the gospel, but when the message is preached, all are required to repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15).
Secondly, he understood delegated authority. “I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. (Vs. 8). When he said, “I also” he was confessing that Jesus had authority from God, just like he had authority from Rome. He understood that this authority was administered by commands, which could be supported by force when necessary. It does not take faith to recognize earthly authority, but the eyes of faith are required to recognize spiritual authority. Believing that Jesus was from God, he had confidence to request healing on the behalf of his servant.
More important than having this understanding was his humility. Even though he was a military officer, he did not think himself worthy to have Jesus enter his home. How different his response was compared to Naaman, the Syrian commander, who was healed from leprosy in the days of Elisha (2Ki. 5:1-14). Naaman went to the home of Elisha and was offended that the prophet did not even come out to meet him but sent word through a servant. If it were not for the faith of his servants, and the mercy of God, Naaman would not have been healed. The centurion, on the other hand, was not offended that God had chosen the Jews as His people. He knew, that as a Gentile, he could not receive the Lord into his home without offending the people he wanted to serve. Yet, he had enough faith to believe that the Lord was bigger than circumstances and that He could heal his servant by just speaking the word.
Because of his humility, the centurion understood how to be “under authority” while also being “in authority” (vs. 8). He did not view authority as a source of personal power, but as an opportunity for service. As a leader, he understood his responsibility before God for the good of those in his care. As Paul explained, “For he (the person in authority) is God’s minister to you for good.” (Rom. 13:4). When you view authority as a responsibility, you can apply your faith to obtain grace. Solomon was the wisest ruler on earth because he did this. When God asked what he should give him, Solomon did not ask anything for himself, but he asked for wisdom and knowledge to rule God’s people justly. (2Chron. 1:7-12).
Our position of authority in a family, church, employment, or community can be used as an opportunity for intercession. Because the servant was in his care, the centurion had confidence to ask for healing on his behalf, without the servant having to ask himself. In Naaman’s case, the servants could implore him to believe, but he had to do the asking. The right of intercession depends upon our position. What is so wonderful in the plan of God is that as Christians, we have been made “a royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe. 2:5). We can intercede on the behalf of others as God’s priestly representatives under Christ our High Priest (1Tim. 2:1-4). As New Testament priests, we can apply the blood of Jesus to people and circumstances. The more we understand our spiritual authority, and the more we walk in love, the greater will be our intercession.
If the secret of great faith is to see ourselves as “under authority” while accepting whatever authority has been delegated to us, then we fulfill those responsibilities as faithful servants rather than rulers. “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1Cor. 4:1,2). Then in humility, we will grow as we do all things by faith in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17).
Highway in the Wilderness 