Bound, Captive and Free

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures…I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.” (Martin Luther, before the Diet of Worms, 1521).

Recently after reading this powerful summary of Martin Luther’s speech, I was moved to write my own declaration of faith regarding the new things I’ve discovered in the Word and have been learning to walk in.

To preface, nothing in my declaration is new. They’ve been there all along. I’ve read them multiple times. But I’ve had a two-fold problem.

First, I haven’t believed all that was written regarding of the Good News of Jesus. I’ve wanted to, and even longed to. But a lot of it seemed too good to be true. Or accepting all of it just made me nervous. Second, I wasn’t taught that when Jesus said something, He meant what He said and He said what He meant. That God has been, and will always be bound by His Word. And neither time, or seasons, or man’s traditions, or logical theologies, will ever change His mind or His Word (Hebrews 13:8; Luke 21:33).

However, during the past three years, I’ve been exposed to friends, pastors, and teachers that, like Martin Luther, after hearing the Word for themselves, believed, received, and embraced the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is what has happened to me. I am like the man in the parable in Matthew 13:44, who found treasure buried in a field. I have sold all, bought that field, and have been digging, discovering, enjoying, and proclaiming the entirety of our salvation that Jesus purchased. The panoramas and freedom are inexplicable. I am grateful.

Therefore, I too “am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted [below] and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant,” that healing in every facet of our humanity is the revealed will of God. Every born again believer has been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and is fully vested with the same authority Jesus Christ operated in while on earth. Every believer baptized in/with the Holy Spirit is empowered to exercise their God-given authority - working with the Lord and confirming His Word with signs, wonders, and miracles.

I invite you to take some time to sit with Holy Spirit with each of these references - and their context. Let the Word of God speak for itself. Renew your mind. Let Him transform your whole being. Allow Him to reveal all that Christ Jesus restored to mankind, and desires we walk in now. He loves us and the world so very, very much!

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick…So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere (Luke 9:1,2,6).

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it (John 14:12-14).”

“If you abide by in Me, and My words abide in you ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples (John 15:7,8).”

…“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:7,8).”

…“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).”

…“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow this who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark16:15-18).”

So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen (Mark16:19,20).”

According to the Written Word, and the Word who became flesh (John 1:14), we have been commanded and authorized through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, to preach and teach all the Good News. We are to advance God’s eternal kingdom on earth - now - exactly as Christ did; so that the Lord Jesus and Father are revealed and glorified in us and through us. The Scriptural evidence is overwhelmingly clear.

© 2025 Tawna Wilkinson