Matthew 8: 5-13

Dan & Claire Maudhub

The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Sadly that means that sometimes or often, I don't please God - that's not a great thought. As Christians, we often ask for "more faith" for everyday life and the challenges going on around us, but it can so often seem so hard to access.

There is a parable in the Gospels where a Roman centurion approaches Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant. Jesus agrees to go immediately but the centurion stops Him, saying all that Jesus needs to do is say the word and the servant will be healed. The centurion understood that this is because Jesus was a man under God's authority. He knew that as a Roman leader, under the authority of Caesar, that when he just said the word the instruction would be carried out immediately by those under his own authority. Jesus then makes an incredible statement, saying that He "has never found such great faith in all of Israel". Jesus directly links the understanding of authority to great faith.

Our heavenly Father is the creator of the universe and at the cross gave Jesus all authority. Jesus was saying that if we truly understand that we are under the Father's authority through Jesus, we will understand and operate in great faith. This is a vital and powerful principle of the Kingdom.

To understand faith, you need to understand authority. We so often want to move forward with God and step out in faith, but we don't understand true biblical authority. If we live out every area of our lives under the Lordship of the King of kings then we can have the faith that the Father intended - because He has all authority. God also places authority in our lives, such as church leaders, mentors, parents and spiritual parents. Walking under their authority can release faith in our life, because our submission to them puts us under this Godly line of authority. Great faith and power is then released for our own lives.

The question is - are you a person under authority? Or are you walking as a Christian independently? Is great faith being released in your life? If not, our encouragement today is to seek out Godly men and women that you can place yourself under; people you can serve, learn from and walk with. This will help you to understand how Kingdom authority works and release great faith in your life.