In Christs Name

Living in the Power of His Name

Phillip G. Kayser

Phillip G. Kayser In Christs Name Living in the Power of His Name Copyright 2009, 2007 Phillip G. Kayser All Rights Reserved. Published By Biblical Blueprints 13110 Birch Dr STE 148 #370 Omaha, NE 68164-4160 (402) 934-4619 www.biblicalblueprints.org Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Published by Thomas Nelson. 1994, 1982, 1980, 1979 Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission.

In Christs Name
Living in the Power of His Name
Phillip G. Kayser

Biblical Blueprints Omaha, NE

Contents:
Introduction ...................................................................................1 We are called to do everything in His name. ............................1 What does it mean to do everything in His name? ..................2 We need faith to live in Christs name.......................................5 We need the daily empowering of the Spirit. ............................6 We are totally dependent upon Gods grace.............................7 We can have great power and confidence. ................................8 We must be seeking Gods will, not ours...................................9 We must ground our prayers in Scripture..............................10

Introduction 1

Introduction
Christians frequently fail to realize the profound significance of Christs name in all that we do. Our whole life must be characterized by living through His name.

We are called to do everything in His name

In the New Testament we are commanded to pray in His name (John 16:26), gather in His name (Matt. 18:20), cast out demons in His name (Mark 9:38), work miracles in His name (Mark 9:39) and preach remission of sins in His name (Luke 24:47). We are justified in His name (1Cor. 6:11), plead with people in His name (1Cor. 1:10), give a cup of cold water in His name (Matt. 10:42), trust in His name (Matt. 12:21) and receive a little child in His name (Matt. 18:5). In fact, Colossians 3:17 says, And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. This is how the apostles lived. For example, in Acts 3:16 Peter says, And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong. Christs name brought healing. The phrase through faith in his name is an explanatory phrase, and if you take it out, the sentence would read And his name has made this man strong. What was the means of Christs name bringing healing? It was faith in His name. A brief study of Christs name shows that everything absolutely everything flows through Christs name. In Acts 3:6 Peter says, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Praying in His name doesnt simply mean tacking a little phrase at the end of your prayer.

2 In Christs Name

What does it mean to do everything in His name?

Acts 4:7 helps us to understand the meaning of the phrase, in His name. The enemies of Christ captured Peter and John and as they were about to interrogate them, they ask, By what power or by what name have you done this? To do something in someones name means to do something by someones authority or with their authorization. So when police arrest someone in the name of the law, it is with the authorization of the law. Or when someone comes in the name of the king, he is representing the king and has been authorized by the king to come. The action of that officer was the action of the king. When you sign your name to a credit card, you are authorizing a deduction. Let me give you a parable to help you to understand this. Let's say that you were a criminal who had daily broken the law for years and years. Sometimes you broke the law deliberately, and sometimes it was unknowingly. But you were a hardened criminal. I think that is a fair picture of us because the Bible says that all of us sin daily in this manner (Psalm 40:12). Imagine that you were eventually caught and thrown into jail. While there you noticed all kinds of people in a similar predicament. And they were all making excuses. Some thought that the fault was with the law - that the laws were too hard to keep, and they yelled curses at God. Others blamed the system, or blamed their parents or rationalized that they werent so bad. Some even thought of themselves as victims. But you are sitting there with your head in your hands knowing full well that you are deserving of hell. But to your surprise, Jesus comes into the jail room and calls you by name. And you are surprised that He even knew you. You are even more surprised that He starts telling you about all your sins - even sins you had long forgotten about. He knows everything about your life. And yet, He tells you that He is willing to be your attorney. And he tells you that every case that

What does it mean to do everything in His name? 3

He has taken on, he has gotten the person off the hook. Well, for the first time you get your hopes up and say, Sure, I'd like to be your client, but I can't afford it. And he says, Don't worry about it, you can charge it all to my account. Well, you are downright thrilled. And you say, Yes. But Jesus jolts you into reality when he says, I insist that you declare yourself guilty before the court of every crime we have talked about. And confused, you begin to protest, saying, But they will throw the books at me. I can't admit to those sins. What would my neighbors think of me? What would my mother think of me? Jesus says, Well, then. I won't be your attorney. You're going to have to trust me, and the first step of trust is to admit guilt to everything. Your pride hurts; you are nervous; but you finally say, OK. Jesus says, Here's what I plan to do. I plan to go into the courtroom myself wearing your name. The court will declare you guilty. I will then go and be judged as specified by the law on behalf of you and all the other clients I have taken on. When you get into the courtroom and they accuse you of these crimes, admit to them, but say, I already died. Just look in the books. And they look in the books, and sure enough. It says, In 30 AD Phil Kayser died and paid the penalty for every crime that he has committed. And because the law does not allow for double jeopardy, you will go out a free man. The law will not be able to touch you. Well, you are thrilled. You are willing for Jesus to be your substitute. But Jesus gives one more shocker. There's one catch, He says. From that time on, as far as the law is concerned, it means that you no longer exist. Since you died with me in 30 AD, you no longer have a separate ID apart from me. Dead people can't purchase things. Why? They dont have any legal rights. They dont exist. Dead people have no authority to enter into contracts, or to marry, to start a business or to do anything else. You'll have to do everything in my name. The moment you try to do things in your own strength and in your own name your spiritual checks will bounce, your spiritual credit card

4 In Christs Name

wont process, and you will be frustrated. It can't be done. In fact, the spiritual police will come after you, because you are a crook. Your only safety is in your being dead as far as the law is concerned. From here on in, you are both legally and experientially dependant upon Me [Jesus] for money, for love, for strength and for everything. If you dont do it in My name, you are doing it in your own name and strength, and the law will come after you and render you powerless. You now have a bank account in heaven (Eph. 1:3), and I have already blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. When you pray for something at that bank, sign it in My name, or you wont get a dime.

We need faith to live in Christs name 5

We need faith to live in Christs name

Are you beginning to catch the significance of why Christs name is repeated so frequently? Without it we can do nothing. To come in His name is to come in His power, His authorization and in His authority. And it takes faith to do that. What is encouraging is that God provides even the faith to be able to come in His name. For example, in Acts 4 Peter said that Jesus not only provided the healing and the forgiveness, but (amazingly) He provided even the faith and repentance. Acts 3:16 says, And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. He speaks of the faith which comes through Him [through Jesus]. Faith is not something that we can provide. Paul said, I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. Thats why we come in His name. We cant provide anything. We cant pay the attorneys fees. We cant even make the phone call to ask the attorney to come. He came to us. We love Him because He first loved us. So this verse says that faith is a gift of God. It comes through Jesus. Thats why Acts 18:27 speaks of those who believed through grace. It takes grace to bring a person to the place of faith.

6 In Christs Name

We need the daily empowering of the Spirit.

But this means that we need the Holy Spirit in order to do everything in Christs name. Our pride keeps us independent and makes God resist us (James 4:6; 1Pet. 5:5). Only the Spirit can break down the resistance of our will and bring us to the place where we do everything to Gods glory (1Cor. 10:31) and in the name of Christ (Col. 3:17). We need the Spirit because the Father has commanded us to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) in everything we do. He has called us to sing in the Spirit (1Cor. 14:15), to worship...in the Spirit (Phil. 3:3) and to rejoice in the Holy Spirit (1Thes. 1:6; Rom. 14:17). We must pray in the Spirit (Jude 20; Eph. 6:18) since we do not know what we should pray for as we ought (Rom. 8:26). We are also called to love in the Spirit (Col. 1:18), be led by the Spirit (Matt. 4:1; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18), be moved by the Spirit (Luke 2:27), be compelled by the Spirit (Acts 20:22 NIV) and to have our mind controlled by the Spirit (Rom. 8:6). Every part of our existence should be controlled by the Spirit (Rom. 8:6,9) so that we might live in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25; Rom. 8:13). We need to be taught by the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 2:13), to speak by the Spirit since no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 12:3). It is the Spirit who washes us and sanctifies us (1Cor. 6:11). In sum, it is the Spirit who gives us the faith (2Cor. 4:13) needed to be able to write the check of faith, to seek those things which are above (Col. 3:2) and to do so in a way that influences everything we do on earth (Col. 3:5-4:6).

We are totally dependent upon Gods grace. 7

We are totally dependent upon Gods grace.

No wonder Paul stands in amazement at Gods grace in Romans 11 and says, For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever (Rom. 11:36)! This doctrine is a humbling doctrine because it leaves nothing in which we can boast. It makes us realize the truth of Christs statement, without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5). Pride and self-sufficiency must be crucified if we are to receive anything of spiritual power. Prayerlessness is pride because it is a denial that everything must come through Christs name.

8 In Christs Name

We can have great power and confidence.

This is also an exhilarating doctrine because our insufficiency is left out of the equation, and it enables us to say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). If our identity is in Christ, then we have His resources, His authority and His power. When we pray, we should pray with a heightened sense of authority because we are already sitting on the heavenly throne with Christ (Eph. 2:6) and by faith we can wield His rod of iron against the nations (Rev. 2:26-27). When we come in His name, we have His power and authority over all demons (Luke 9:1). When we have needs for kingdom service, we can come boldly to the throne of grace because all things are ours (1Cor. 3:21-22). Far from lacking resources, the entire universe is at our disposal when we are doing Gods will. This does not give us room for boasting. Instead, Paul says, Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come all are yours. And you are Christs and Christ is Gods. Consciously doing everything in Christs name gives us a faith to achieve the impossible. Christs promise is that if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7). When we consciously live in Christs name we have a power and a confidence to step out into the realm of the supernatural because God the Father has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We do not have to convince a reluctant God to bless us. The whole Trinity delights in teaching us to live by His supernatural power and resources. As Charles Spurgeon worded it, God the Holy Ghost writes our prayers, God the Son presents our prayers, and God the Father accepts our prayers. And with the whole Trinity to help us in it, what cannot prayer perform? Our problem is that we trust ourselves too much, and we do not trust Gods provision enough.

We must be seeking Gods will, not ours. 9

We must be seeking Gods will, not ours.

All of this assumes that we are serving Gods glory and the advancement of Christs kingdom (Matt. 6:33). We started this tract by saying that praying in His name means coming with His authority and authorization. To do everything in Christs name (Col. 3:17) means that everything we do must be authorized by His Word. All other prayers and actions are sin because they are not done to Gods glory (1Cor. 10:31), cannot be justified by the Bible (Is. 8:20) and therefore cannot be done in faith (Rom. 14:23). James tells us, You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:3). 1Corinthians 10:31 says, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. The only way to do everything in Christs name is to abandon our own will and our own agendas. The only things we can claim in prayer are those things already purchased for us (Eph. 1:3). The only prayers God promises to answer are those prayers that are according to His will (1John 5:14). But far from being a limitation to our faith, this grounding of our prayers in Scripture is the only thing that will enable us to have a faith to expect great things from God and to attempt great things for Him. When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then (and only then) will all these things be added to us (Matt. 6:33). Jesus insisted, whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple, (Luke 14:27) and whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it (Matt. 16:25). Ironically only those who are meek before the Lord will inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5); only those who put themselves last will be put first (Mark 10:31); and only those who have given everything to God will find God giving the same things back 100-fold (Mark 10:29-30). When our lives are held captive to Christs Word, we find new liberty, power, resources, joy and success. Doing everything in Christs name/authority (rather than our name/authority) is the only way to find that life more abundant (John 10:10).

10 In Christs Name

We must ground our prayers in Scripture.

But this means that we need to learn how to ground all our prayers and all our actions in the Bible. Praying according to Gods will (1John 5:14) simply means praying Scriptural prayers. It involves claiming Gods promises, pleading Gods attributes, aligning our prayers with Gods commandments and filling our adorations, confessions, thanksgivings and supplications with the text of the Bible. What a way to increase the faith of prayer warriors! Unfortunately too many people lack faith because they seek to found their prayers on Gods secret will (guessing what His decrees might be). However, nowhere are we commanded to discern Gods secret will and to somehow make that secret will be the basis for our prayer life. Indeed, quite the opposite. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Guessing what Gods secret decrees might be would not give us confidence in praying, yet it is precisely confidence that God wants us to have when we are called to pray according to His will. John 5.14 says, Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. If one examines the prayers of Nehemiah, Daniel, Moses and other saints, one will discover that these prayer warriors were confident in prayer because they filled their prayers with the promises of a God who cannot lie, they anchored their prayers in the character of a God who is faithful, and they aligned their desires with Gods revealed desires. It is my prayer that this booklet would stir you up to have a new zeal and authority in prayer and action because you recognize not only that you can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5), but also because you are convinced that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13).

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Col. 3:17

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Aids to BeautificationJewelry, cosmetics, and perfumes Baptism By SprinklingMode of Baptis m Is the Bible a Textbook? BitternessOvercoming this Besetting Sin Church IncorporationJurisdictional Separation of Church and State Church MembershipA Study of the Concept of Church Rolls Communication Principles Critique of Full PreterismEschatology Dressed Up For Church?Appropriate Clothing for Worship Educating Our Children at HomeHomeschooling Ethics of Organ Transplants Feed My LambsChildren and the Lords Table Getting Christians Back into Politics Glory and CoveringsA Study of 1 Corinthians 1:11-16 Government TheftBiblical Call for Limited Government Has God Indeed Said?Textual Criticis m Helping Your Children Overcome Anger How to Put Away Lying In Christs NameDoing everything as Unto the Lord In Defense of LibertyA treatise on just opposition to tyranny In God We TrustDefending the national motto of America InerrancyDealing with Objection s Is the Death Penalty Just ? Leader DevelopmentA Fathers Mentoring Checklist Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of HappinessChurch and State Math and the Bible Ministerial EducationThe Bible's Normative Patte r n The Flaw of Natural Law Predestined to BelieveAn exposition of Acts 13.48 Prayers for Spiritual Warf a r e Problem of Evil Public AssemblyA Call to Attend Public Worship Ransom PaidThe Biblical Answer to Universalis m ROSESThe 5 Points of Christian Reconstruction Ruins of AthensThe Curse of the Athenian Model of Education SabbathA Defense of Honoring the Lords Day Seeing History With New EyesA Guide to Presenting Providential History Seven Biblical Principles that Call for Infant Baptism Universal SuffrageVoting in the Church and Society What is Truth?Reasoning from the Right Starting Poin t Worldview Reading List Why Study Theology? A Call to study yourself approved

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In Christs Name
Living in the Power of His Name
Phillip G. Kayser hristians frequently fail to realize the profound significance of Christs name in all that we do. Our whole life must be characterized by living through His name.
Phillip Kayser is the Senior Pastor of Dominion Covenant Church in Omaha, NE. He holds a M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary (California) and a Ph.D. from Whitefield Theological Seminary (Florida). He and his wife Kathy have 5 children.

Biblical Blueprints
Living By Gods Design
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