The Name Of Jesus Part 2 | Faith In The Name by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Recap: What Was Established in Part One

In the first session, the following foundations were laid:

• The name Jesus comes from the Hebrew Yeshua, meaning God our salvation. Salvation in Christ brings sevenfold victory — over sin, Satan and demonic forces, death, hell, the grave, the flesh, and the world.
• Jesus came to the earth for three reasons: as an accurate revelation of the misunderstood God, to make the life of God accessible through reconciliation, and as a pattern man — a model of God's idea for the believer.
• At the point of salvation, three gifts are received: the forgiveness of sin, the gift of righteousness, and the life of God.
• Three foundational spiritual forces must be active in a believer's life to walk in dominion: the Holy Spirit, the word of God, and the name of Jesus.

Acts 3:15–16 — "And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know; yea, the faith which is by him hath given this man perfect soundness in the presence of you all."

Philippians 2:9–11 — God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every other name, that at that name every knee should bow — in heaven, in earth, and under the earth — and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Understanding the Full Meaning of a Name

The Greek word for name is onoma. It captures within it a far broader meaning than simple identification. A name encompasses:

1. Identity — a distinctive system for identifying a person
2. Character — when someone is said to have a good name, it is a way of saying they are a person of character
3. Authority — a name captures the scope of authority carried by its bearer
4. Reputation — names become brands; when a name like Harvard or Oxford is spoken, what comes to mind is reputation
5. Prophetic Destiny — the angel instructed Zechariah to name his son John, and shut his mouth until he complied, because the name was tied to the prophetic destiny of the child

Names also reveal an area of specialty and expertise. To call someone "doctor" is immediately to communicate medical knowledge, years of training, and the ability to address medical problems. To call someone an architect reveals competence in structures and construction. The name speaks before the person does.

Names also reveal a track record of consistency and growth. In any military system, the difference between a major, a lieutenant colonel, a colonel, and a general is not merely a rank — it is a visible record of consistency and growth over time. Each name represents a different extent of authority and jurisdiction. When a general enters a room, lower-ranked officers do not need to be coerced into saluting — it is a law. The name above mandates the response of every name below.

This is the meaning of the name that is above every other name. At the name of Jesus, every other name — whether it is called cancer, poverty, failure, HIV, oppression, or death — every name is legally required to bow.

It is a law that has been passed: at the name of Jesus, every knee bows. Every challenge whose name is known is an advantage to the believer — because now there is an opportunity for that named thing to bow before a name that is higher. If sickness has no name, there is no clear target. But once it has a name, it has submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the name that is above every other name.

What It Means to Carry a Name

To carry or to walk in the name of a person means to be a beneficiary of:

• Their reputation
• Their track record
• Their relationships
• Their authority

A diplomatic passport illustrates this principle. When a person carries such a passport, certain protocols at borders do not apply to them. Their luggage cannot be searched beyond a certain point. They do not join the ordinary queue. It is not that they are personally more important than others — it is the name and the office that the document represents that creates this access.

The name of Jesus is the believer's diplomatic credential. It is not earned by personal greatness — it is a gift received by relationship with the bearer. Every time a believer moves in the name of Jesus, they are not moving on the basis of their own credentials. They are moving on the basis of the reputation, the track record, the authority, and the office of the one whose name they carry.

Psalm 118:26 — "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The blessing is not upon the person alone — it is upon the one who comes specifically in that name.

The name of Jesus is an aggregate — a compendium — of God's reputation, God's character, God's power, God's authority, and God's office, invested into the saints in and through Christ.

How Reliable Is the Name?

The reliability of any name depends on the character of its bearer. To know how reliable the name of Jesus is, the character of its bearer must be examined through scripture.

1. He Contains All Treasures

   Colossians 2:3, Colossians 2:9–10

   In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And believers are complete in him — who is the head of all principalities and powers. The bearer of the name that is carried is an embodiment of God himself, who is the head of every ranking power in existence.

2. He Is the Source of Life and Truth

   John 1:4

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   Apostle Joshua Selman

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   In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The word became flesh and dwelt among humanity, full of grace and truth. There is no deception in the name. The bearer does not scam. His word, once given, will be performed. If the name is said to open doors, the name will open doors. If the name is said to dismantle arsenals of darkness, it will deliver as intended.

3. He Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life

   John 14:6

   The bearer of this name declared himself to be the way — meaning, wherever that name is invoked, regardless of how dark or blocked the path appears, the name carries the capacity to open the way. He said he is truth — reality itself, not appearance. He said he is life — the name carries the life of God within it.

4. He Is Exalted Far Above All Powers

   Ephesians 1:18–22

   God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places — far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but in the world to come. God put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things. The power that raised Christ from the dead — that is the power behind the name.

The Position of the Believer in the Name

Ephesians 2:5–6 — Even when dead in sin, God quickened believers together with Christ. He raised them up together, and made them sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

• Quickened — brought back to life, together with Christ
• Raised up — together with Christ
• Seated — together, in heavenly places

This is the spiritual reality of every believer. It is not aspirational — it is a present fact declared in scripture. The believer does not occupy the same plane as the forces that oppose them. There is a disparity of position. What business does an aircraft flying at 40,000 feet above sea level have with an animal moving on the ground below? The shouting of any creature on the earth does not threaten one who is elevated above it.

The challenge is not that the position is untrue — it is that the position must become a conviction. A seat that is not occupied, or that is occupied without awareness, brings none of its advantages. The believer is raised up, seated in heavenly places. This position forbids an ordinary life. It thoroughly vetoes the limitations of background, of history, of what the enemy has spoken over a family.

The word confess — homologeo — means to repeat as one has heard. Conviction is built by verbalizing truth until it becomes a stronghold in the mind. This is not motivational exercise — it is the mode of operation of faith.

2 Corinthians 4:13 — We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written: I believed, and therefore have I spoken. We also believe, and therefore speak.

The operation of faith follows a sequence: belief comes first. Speaking flows from believing. This is where many believers misplace their effort — they confess and shout and cry without the believing part, and the result is religious noise rather than spiritual power. The name must first be believed, before it is declared.

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How to Exercise Faith in the Name

1. Carry the Consciousness

   The first and most foundational way to engage the name of Jesus by faith is to allow it to become a Consciousness within — a living conviction, not a recited fact.

   Calling the name in ignorance is like practicing idolatry. The name demands the knowledge of its bearer for its power to be released. Faith in the name requires a functional relationship and a functional knowledge of the one who bears it. Paul said: "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded." He did not merely believe — he knew. And from that knowledge came persuasion. From persuasion came boldness.

   This is the first key: labor in the spirit and in the word until the Consciousness of the reputation behind the name, the integrity at the back of it, the authority that it carries — all of it becomes a stronghold in the mind. Until that point, the name is a sound. After that point, it is a force.

   The name does not fail because it bears the reputation of a God who does not fail. The only thing the name cannot do is what God himself cannot do. The name is an extension of God's ability — a delegation of his authority to every legitimate bearer.

   • When there is Consciousness: walking through life is not walking as someone trying to be wise, or trying to be healthy, or trying to be anointed. The reality is finished. Obedience is to manifest what already exists — not to create it.
   • When there is Consciousness: shouting "in Jesus name" as a spiritual expression of fear produces nothing. The name must be inhabited, not panicked into.
   • When there is Consciousness: every situation that arises is met with the awareness that the reputation and the jealousy of the bearer of the name are engaged on the bearer's behalf.

   Colossians 3:17 — "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Whatever is done — in word, in business, in ministry, in life — is done as a carrier of this name, with the understanding that the reputation of Jesus backs what is being done. His integrity, his power, his track record stand as a support system.

2. Make Faith-Filled Declarations

   Once conviction has been implanted, the next step is to make faith-filled declarations. Now the name can work — because speaking is no longer empty. The believing has been done. The spirit of faith is now operating.

   2 Corinthians 4:13 — We believe, and therefore we speak.

   "In the name of Jesus" is not a chant — it is an invocation. Every time the name is spoken, the reputation of the Lord is being placed upon that which is being declared. It is an announcement that the one who stands behind the words is Jesus Christ. It is a calling-in of the guarantor — the one who is responsible for performance.

   When Peter said to the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk," he was not reciting a phrase. He was invoking the presence of the bearer of that name to come and defend what was being spoken, and to perform it consistent with his will.

   The one who takes the glory must also take the shame. A believer who stands before a sick person and declares healing in the name of Jesus is placing the honor and reputation of Jesus upon that declaration. If it happens, Jesus takes the glory. If it does not happen, Jesus takes the responsibility. This is what gives the believer the audacity to take steps that would otherwise seem reckless — the bearer of the name is accountable for the performance of what is declared in his name.

   Colossians 3:17 — This is the believer's operating principle: everything done in word or deed — done in the name of Jesus, as a carrier of his reputation, his character, his authority.

Meditation as the Bridge to Conviction

Joshua 1:8 — "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do after."

Conviction is built through meditation. The word camp — to wait, to stay in position like one waiting on a visitor — describes the posture of meditation in the kingdom. A person stays, dwells upon truth, and waits until light comes. Then, arising from that place of settled light, action is taken. That action becomes circumspect and effective because it flows from a position of conviction, not from religious effort.

In the kingdom, the principle is: run by staying. The depth of inner conviction determines the range and force of outward action. Those who make exploits are those who have stayed long enough for the name to become a living reality within them — not a doctrine they hold but a world they inhabit.

Altar Call

The power in the name is released through relationship with the bearer of the name. The difference between the operations of God and the operations of the demonic is precisely this: in the demonic, relationship is not needed — just obedience to instructions. But when it comes to the name of Jesus, it is impossible to reject the man and receive his name. "As many as received him, to them he gave power to become sons of God, even to them that believed on his name."

The bearer of the name is love. Not just powerful. Not just a God with reputation and a track record. 1 John 4:8 — God is love. He is extending an invitation — not to a system, not to a religion, but to a relationship with himself.