‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.’
– Romans 5:6 NIV
When you reread the account of Creation in the book of Genesis in chapter 1, understand God’s intent in creating mankind was for us to rule over and subdue the world He had so graciously placed us in. When you think about the words ‘rule over and subdue,’ what comes to your mind? How would you describe what those words mean? When you consider the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray that included, ‘Thy kingdom come, Thine will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ consider how, or who would be involved in helping God’s will to be done in the earth. From Genesis to Revelation, especially in the acclaimed ‘hall of faith’ of Hebrews 11, we read account after account of how faith enabled and empowered individuals to do the impossible, experience the extraordinary, and perform the miraculous.
Salvation, through faith in Jesus Christ, is not just about securing an eternal reservation in heaven, but it’s also about experiencing the ‘kingdom of heaven’ while we are living on earth. Salvation is an ongoing encounter with the person, presence, and power of God in the earth, whereby I have access to God directly, through prayer, His word, and His Spirit living within me that affords me access to experience His grace in its various forms to live and thrive. Nothing from my past, not even the reality of the condition of my current circumstances, can inhibit, or prohibit God’s grace from bringing forth healing, deliverance, restoration, renewed strength, a revived soul, and reconciliation from a lifestyle of sin that held me hostage to isolation, fear, shame, guilt, grief, and condemnation.
As He traveled the countryside, during His earthly ministry, Jesus would teach about ‘the kingdom of God.’ In Luke’s Gospel alone, there are 13 references to the ‘kingdom of God.’ One such reference, ‘Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.’ – Luke 17:20-21, is Jesus’ reply when asked when to expect the coming of the kingdom of God. Careful inspection of Jesus’ reply specific to the phrase, ‘in your midst,’ suggests that the kingdom of God is near you, currently present with you, in your company, in close proximity to you. I believe Jesus was referring to Himself. Faith in Jesus Christ allows the grace of God (His person, presence, and power) to manifest within me and then through me to live victoriously (rule over and subdue) in areas of my life I was once held captive, victimized, and tormented by. Whether it was something external (circumstance), internal (mental/emotional/habit), or both, grace sets me free to live as God intended in the beginning when He declared I was to be made in His image.
Father, thank you for the privilege of being made in Your image and to experience an intimate, personal relationship with You through faith in Christ that positions me to live, thrive, and be victorious over circumstances and sin.
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