Holy Boldness

of inheritance but only by default. And that was all he could offer Jesus. Ownership by default is not ownership at all. His promise was an illu sion. Jesus saw right through it and dismissed him. ‘ Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “’You shall worship the Lord, your God, and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10 “…him only shall you serve…” One does not gain access to anything, let alone one’s inheritance, by seeking one’s own interest. We inherit when we serve God’s interests. “The earth is the Lord’s and its fullness.” ( Psalm 24:1) Everything belongs to God and He gives posses sion of all things to those who have a right to it by conforming to His ways and purposes. This alone is the path to deeper and greater realities and into full sonship and authority. Yes, we have salvation by faith. But the full inheritance is accessed by conformity to His will through the grace of God. This is not salvation by works. This is authority through transformation. There are lots of people who have mistaken ideas about authority. They say that they have all authority because Christ has it. Indeed, the Lord gives authority for certain tasks. But even that is evaluated. But only to the extent that a person abides in Christ does he have the abiding authority of Christ. No one who refuses to submit to Jesus has authority to operate under the power of His name. Anyone who says differently is under an illusion. Technique will never secure the reality. It takes “truth in the inward parts”. (Psalm 51:6) Jesus saw through everything that Satan threw at him because he had an inward plumb line that could not be drawn into deception. The temptations of Jesus are the same ones thrown at all of us. The devil is not creative but he is crafty and he studies us and knows our weaknesses. He knows the kind of things that work on us. He knows the lies we believe. He knows the idols we worship and have yet to surrender. He knows what matters to us. He knows where he can find leverage against us. Therefore, we must be equipped as Jesus was equipped in resisting. One of the most significant ways to avoid and overcome Satan’s assault is through the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord simplifies

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