Recently I have been doing a little poking into the things of the Spirit, academically speaking of course, by reading books about prophecy and dreams and the like. Previously on Wavey's Thoughts there was a blog containing some of the things I had been thinking about prophecy specifically. 'TotD: Prophecy'. This thought of the Day is a little different, it is inspired by the same genre but I think applies whether or not we believe the Spirit moves in the same ways as He did in the New Testament. So these thoughts are inspired by those thoughts.
The whole point of Jesus' mission on earth was not just so He could save them and take them to Heaven.
This may sound like a controversial statement and I can hear some of you already typing your arguments (which is mad because this isn't published yet!) Just hear me out.
A gospel that says Jesus only came to save is only a fraction of what the Gospel truly is. This misconception of the full Gospel is what leads to what some friends of mine like to call 'mediocre Christianity'. This is the type of Christian that knows the Gospel (of salvation) and knows they are going to Heaven. They are happy in that knowledge and spend the rest of their lives sitting in a chair, complaining over the things they don't like in church, telling one friend about Jesus a decade, and basically wasting the abundant life that Jesus has given them. They are the kind of people that 'wait for the end'; basically. It is, pretty much, Sunday Christianity. Sunday Christians.
Mediocre Christianity drives me insane! But how do you move people, who were told a Gospel where the ultimate was salvation and then one day way off in the future when you die you will get to go to Heaven, from a life of mediocrity to a life that is Spirit-led, world changing and powerful.
While on earth Jesus said, "Greater works than these shall you do," in John 14:12. I believe I have asked this in at least one other blog post, but do we believe it. Do we really believe Jesus' words?
"Living according to a salvation-only gospel means you are operating in a fraction of your inheritance."- Ryan Wyatt.
Yes, our inheritance is to reach Heaven one day; but much more than that God is looking for people who are saved enough, who abide in Him enough, to bring Heaven to Earth now.
The full Gospel is not a gospel of salvation, but the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
"The Devil will never be threatened by people who are just saved enough to get into Heaven. He likes them that way, because they are blissfully unaware of their purpose on Earth."- Goll and Wyatt (not sure which).
Jesus wants to display Himself to the world through us. This means that He wants us to continue to do the work He started. He did not save us to sit and watch the world turn to Hell, knowing we are okay because we get to leave. He saved us to be the change in the world and to announce His Kingdom on this earth.
At the beginning of history God created two people. He gave these people that he created dominion and authority over the earth which He had created for them. Man, however, chose to lay aside this mantel (like what a King has) and in leaving go of the authority of the earth Satan took it up. (see Genesis 1-3) "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one."
(1 John 5:19 ESV)
When we relinquished our God-given authority on this earth Satan took up the mantle and began ruling in 'our' place. It took Jesus' death to shift that power back.
However, we Christians have not realised fully the extent that Jesus' death set things right. Wherever He went Jesus 'fixed' things: forgiving sins, healing, right teaching, right view on society and social order etc. etc. If we are to continue His work we are to be people who 'fix' the Earth.
I led a Bible study in which one of the points was based on these two verses: "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1 John 5:18-19 ESV). If we are out of that power and protected from it, but others are still under the authority of the devil what should we be doing? Using the authority God has given to us to free people from the 'authority' of the Evil One, through love, friendship and discipleship.
We need to realise that Satan is carrying a mantle that no longer belongs to him and we need to take it back. "When we rise up in our true identity, we too(like Jesus), will carry a Kingdom atmosphere with us. No longer so affected by everything around us, we will begin to make a difference." -Wyatt.
Jesus has an inheritance too, and it is not some beat-up, battered and just about saved old Bride it is a vibrant, alive, warrior Church who is demonstrating her unity with His victory on the cross and who is occupying and advancing His Kingdom until He comes.
We have to realise that our citizenship is in Heaven and that all authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Jesus, which He shares with us. Yes the Devil is a powerful entity but we have one who is greater than the one who is in the world. We don't live as if we do though, we don't live to increase the Kingdom of God on Earth. We need to recognise who we are as sons (and daughters) of God and begin to make colonies of the Kingdom on Earth; places where His name is honoured and that spread out. To close I will tell you something of Ancient Rome (I am also reading a book on the history of the Popes, which is where this is from). When Rome took over a new territory, in the name of the Emperor, they would move some key Roman's to this place (like Pilate in Israel) and some army people, some cooks and bakers, some pottery makers etc etc. They were charged with living in this new colony as if it were Rome herself. In this way the Romans created many little Romes and brought many people groups under the control of the Roman Empire in customs and habits as well as in political/military senses. That is what we are to do. We are to live as those of Heaven should, what example do we have? Jesus. He fixed the wrongs of the world and walked in confidence and power. He wants us to all this, and more. Greater works brothers and sisters; I want to be part of that. Do you? I pray I can be and I pray you can be too.
God Bless,
~
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