John would have us know that:

But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God!

Would you ponder this statement? The same apostle after the resurrection of the Lord would write in 1 John 3:2 –

Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like him, for we will see him as he truly is.

We see a progression of hope that must not be lost to any true believer that ends in becoming like Him. In between these two points, a host of evidence of this power necessarily manifests in the believer’s life. Our objective is to reveal this so that we know if we are living possessors of this power given the assertion of Apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:19 (TPT/TLB) – 

I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power.

Consider the statements of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. Luke 9:1,2 – Jesus summoned together his twelve apostles and imparted to them authority over every demon and the power to heal every disease. Then he commissioned them to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick to demonstrate that the kingdom had arrived. As he sent them out, he gave them these instructions
2. Luke 10: 9,17-20 –  Heal the sick, and tell them all, ‘God’s kingdom has arrived and is now within your reach!’ But when you enter a city and they do not receive you, say to them publicly, ‘We wipe from our feet the very dust of your streets as a testimony before you! Understand this: God’s kingdom came within your reach and yet you have rejected God’s invitation!’” Jesus concluded his instructions to the seventy with these words: “Remember this: Whoever listens to your message is actually listening to me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me, and not only me but the one who sent me.”

When the seventy missionaries returned to Jesus, they were ecstatic with joy, telling him, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we commanded them in your name!” Jesus replied, “While you were ministering, I watched Satan topple until he fell suddenly from heaven like lightning to the ground. Now you understand that I have imparted to you my authority to trample over his kingdom. You will trample upon every demon before you and overcome every power Satan possesses. Absolutely nothing will harm you as you walk in this authority. However, your real source of joy isn’t merely that these spirits submit to your authority, but that your names are written in the journals of heaven and that you belong to God’s kingdom. This is the true source of your authority.

1. Luke 24:49 (TPT) – I will send the fulfillment of the Father’s promise to you, so stay here in the city until you are clothed with the mighty power of heaven.”
2. Acts 1:8 (TPT) – But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be seized with power. You will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces —even to the remotest places on earth!”

These scriptures trigger questions that we each need to answer for ourselves, viz:

1. Are they true?
2. Is my name written in the journals of heaven?
3. Do I belong to God?
4. Do I recognize b and c above are the necessary and sufficient conditions to exercise the imparted authority?
5. What is missing that I am unable to exercise the imparted authority and see the outcome they experienced?

These ought to challenge each of us and prompt us to complete obedience, otherwise our claims to being sons is suspect! Let us examine ourselves if we are still in this faith. Selah.