“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28 NKJV)
“Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19 NKJV)
“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 NLT)
This is what I have learned…
…In the beginning the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were living in complete harmony and perfection in the Kingdom of Heaven. As with any Kingdom, expansion was a primary focus. Therefore we have the historical account of the original creation in which God expanded the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth.
The pinnacle event of this expansion was the creation of Adam and Eve, the Heavenly Father’s first earthly children. They were given the privilege, and responsibility, to take dominion. They were to rule the Earth as the Father rules Heaven. They were also charged with the responsibility to live productively, fill the Earth, and subdue all opposition, as Satan (the fallen angel Lucifer) and his followers (one third of the angels) inhabited the planet. Adam and Eve, created in the image and likeness of their Father, in a state of sinless perfection, had at their disposal all of Heaven’s resources, along with an uninhibited relationship with their Father, to exercise dominion over the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. They had been given the Earth, and the Father had delegated authority to them to take control of everything, and everyone, on the planet.
Sadly, when the first challenge to their position arose they submitted to the serpent’s temptation. They rebelled against their Father and delivered their Kingdom to Satan who became the illegitimate ruler of the World. With this transfer of power and authority came the disconnection of Adam and his descendants from their Heavenly Father. While still created in the image and likeness of God, from this point forward Adam’s descendants (of which I am one) have been born into sin. As with every human ever born, as an illegitimate child of Satan, I was born in desperate need of being adopted back into the family of God. But let’s not get ahead of “His-Story.” Fast forward. from the Garden…
…When the time was right, Jesus (as the second Adam) came to reconnect humanity to the Heavenly Father. Through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus made a way for those who receive His free gift of salvation, to be reconciled to the Father. When I accepted this gift I was enabled to fully experience the abundant life designed from the beginning of creation. I was justified (made just as though I had never sinned) and given the very righteousness of God Himself.
As the mirror image of the Father, Jesus, in whom the godhead dwells bodily, only did what the Father does and said what the Father says. Living as a man, having freely set aside the independent use of his deity, in complete submission to his Father’s will, and in total dependence on the Holy Spirit, Jesus showed me what it looks like for a man to live in this fallen world free from the bondage and devastation of sin.
When I see Jesus I see the Father. When I hear Jesus I hear the Father. Jesus clearly taught me my Heavenly Father’s will for my life on this side of Heaven when he taught me to pray, “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Whatever I will possess and experience in Heaven I should expect to possess and experience on Earth. However, unlike in Heaven, I must battle and overcome opposition in order to experience the fullness of God’s will for me here on Earth. I have the privilege and responsibility to fight the good fight of faith by taking the Kingdom by force.
Jesus also came to destroy the works of the devil. If something is not present in Heaven I have the right and responsibility to remove it from Earth. If it kills, steals, or destroys it does not exist in Heaven, and has no place of acceptance in my life today. Jesus’ Father gave Him all of the resources of Heaven in order to proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
In his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus purchased for me a complete redemption including forgiveness of sin, healing of sickness and disease, deliverance from captivity and oppression, and release from the curse of poverty. I have been freed from the curse of the law, and given back the “Blessing” of Abraham.
Just before ascending to Heaven, Jesus declared the transfer of all of Heaven’s resources to His disciples (that includes me) in order that we could represent him well by bringing Heaven’s solutions to all of Earth’s problems. I have been commissioned to expand the Kingdom of Heaven throughout the world making disciples of the Nations, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons. I am to proclaim the Gospel to the poor, free those in bondage, and set captives free.
When Jesus ascended back to his Heavenly home He sent the Holy Spirit. The Spirit lives within me, as a born again, Spirit filled, new creation (species that never existed before), so that I am able to speak, live, and act as just like Jesus. In fact, He commanded me to do the works that He did, and clearly stated that by the power of the Holy Spirit I would do even greater works than He did. As I follow Jesus I am His ambassador, called out to carry the Glorious Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the world; filling the Earth with God’s Glory, and kicking down the Gates of Hell.
As the Bride of Christ I am preparing for His soon coming return when I will be caught up to meet Him in the air; a bride without spot or wrinkle. As the world gets darker, the Church (that includes me) gets brighter experiencing the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the history of mankind! Every need of mankind is met in the Gospel. The good news of the Kingdom, proclaimed and experienced to the fullest degree, will cause the masses to come to the light of Jesus.
It is time for me to go and make disciples while shining so bright that the nations come to me as I declare, and experience, the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Will you join me?
There you have it…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 84: “This is what I have learned from “His-Story.”