Ekklesia was defined in part in Part One as a governmental assembly of people who are in communities of contending prayer under the authority of Christ.
So, the questions are these:
- Are we under the authority of Christ?
- Are we a community of contending prayer?
- Are we an assembly of people?
If the answer to each of these questions is yes, can we then be governmental? What does it mean to be governmental?
Governmental is an adjective relating to government; be it the affairs of government or politics, or the state of them. The government is the people involved and the politics or policies is what they enact.
As kings and priests, the Body of Christ is governmental in the personhood of the body. Operating according to, and promoting, the principles of the Kingdom of Heaven is governmental in the policies we promote.
Considering the definition of the Greek word ekklesia, the word is obviously governmental. The real question is, how do we go about being governmental, especially representing the spiritual government in the physical realm? While looking at this Greek word, we need to remain true to the teachings of scripture.
Beginning at the top, Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He also represents the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven. Right from the top we see a governmental structure. Being at the top, and the Creator of all things, seen and unseen, Jesus also has all authority. In fact, the Father gave the Son all authority and the name above all names.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
Matthew 28:18 KJV
All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
Matthew 11:27 KJV
The Father gave all authority to Jesus, and so much so, that one cannot know the Father unless Jesus decides to reveal the Father to the individual.
The first lesson here is that we have no authority except that which comes to us from Jesus Christ, the Son. Thus, Christ is the head, and we are His followers, the body. The body has a voice, but it must be aligned with the head, the mind of Christ. Through faith and faithfulness as we persevere over time, we are becoming more like Christ Jesus through our sanctification, gaining greater position and authority as we walk with the Lord. They, position and authority, are His to give, not ours to take. But give them He will, as we learn to walk with Him, gaining the mind of Christ.
Every believer has some sort or level of authority. It is as we grow that the sort of authority we have may change or increase in different areas and the level increases as we learn to walk in that authority. The most important increase, however, is the depth of our intimacy with Almighty God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Obedience, thanksgiving, love, and humility are the ways we exhibit the intimacy of our relationship with God.
We are to be God’s yes and amen. Amen: A word of biblical Hebrew origin, expressing an affirmative response or agreement. Its basic meaning is “so be it” or “it is so”. It also means “certainty” or “truth”. We affirm the word of God, “truth”, and the will of God, “so be it”. Amen and Amen. We are to be His yes and amen people who come into agreement with Him, His word, and His will.
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7 KJV
God reveals His plans to His people as warnings or as an opportunity for the people to prepare. He gives His people the direction they should go. God would like us to work with Him in the Kingdom. He isn’t looking to take us by surprise or trip us up. From Noah, Abraham, and Moses, to the prophets of today, God makes His intentions known to those who will hear Him, usually through His prophets.
Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.
John 15:15 KJV
Those who are growing in intimacy with God are His friends and He communicates with them, and they hear Him.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:27 KJV
This is not a command, but a promise. Those who believe will hear His voice and they shall follow the Lord and they shall be given eternal life.
The literal meaning of the Hebrew word shema, or sh’ma, is listen, heed, or hear and do. If one truly hears God, the only response is to do it. If one does not do, or obey, did one really hear? This would be a hearing with understanding. It could be considered a declaration of faith. To not do what one has heard from God may amount to disobedience, or sin.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22 KJV
The Kingdom principles we are to live by, or be governed by, come from God, primarily through the written word. He also speaks through His prophets at times. We are to confirm the word, and we are to hear and do it.
Our authority comes from the King of kings and we are responsible to Him to carryout whatever He asks or commands. We are to come into a position of co-laboring with Him as we mature in our relationship with Him. We are to be one with Him. Jesus prayed for us to be one; one with one another and one with Him.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have
given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as
thou hast loved me.
John 17:21-23 KJV
As we become one with Him, we also learn to rule and reign with Him. We hear the Word of God and do it; we gain the mind of Christ. We come into agreement with God and co-labor with Him. We become His yes and amen people. When operating in kingdom principles, we are one with Him; we are of one mind. Our decrees and declarations in faith are governmental. We change the atmosphere with our declarations of the Word of God so the Kingdom of God can manifest in the earth as it is in heaven.