By Dr. Kluane Spake

My dear Christian friend... do you really know who you are? Do you fully know the inheritance that Jesus bought for you? Have you apprehended it? Is it activated in your life?

Let's review God's holy plan. From the beginning God said, "Light be." He spoke about the Light of Himself saturating the wasteland of the earth. He worked a new order of things, calling forth life. Then, on the sixth day! All creation watched the Supreme sovereign of the universe shape a human creature in His image. God wanted to share His most valuable gift of all that He was, and to create a family that lived in His very life and nature. The Lord said that everything He had made was VERY GOOD (Gen. 1:31).

Even the angels asked, "What is a man..." (Psalm 8:3-4). Why is there a new order in creation? Why is he crowned with glory? This glory of the Creator Himself, encircled Adam as his covering.

Briefly, let's say that humans (both male and female) were completely under God's authority. They were not created to be independent and lawless, but totally dependent upon the Word of the Lord God. Adam and Eve were placed in the middle of His creation and commanded to take authority and dominion over the earth. These people were given one of the greatest gifts ever given - the power of choice. As we all know, they misused their choices and consequently relinquished their rule and control to the devil who became the "prince of this world."

The Lord originally intended that a human never be sick, have lack, or be fearful. And God's will doesn't change (Mal. 3:6). However, Adam and Eve lost the nature of God when they fell, didn't they? The intention at creation was for Adam and Eve to dwell with God and rule the earth, but they chose to forfeit their own holy nature, glory, self-esteem, dignity, and worth.

The fall caused humans to become dominated by the carnal nature (also called the self nature, the vanity of their minds, or the flesh). God said, "My Spirit shall not rule in man... in their going astray they are flesh" (Gen. 6:3). The self-life began to rule. Because of the fall, Adam and Eve both lost:

• 1. Character. God intended that humans be like Him in image and likeness.
• 2. Dominion. God designed humans to rule in authority.
• 3. Relationship. God expected humans to relate to Him in intimate fellowship.
• 4. Eternal life with God. God proposed that humans live in eternal life now.

Adam lived for several generations after being expelled from Paradise. He was a contemporary with Methuselah for 243 years, and he lived long enough to repeat the oral history of the creation story until the time of the Flood. Just imagine! There's Adam sitting around for the next 900 years of his life, telling his family what it was like living in Eden and what it felt like to be clothed with God's glory. How did he explain losing it all? Giving away all that authority and dominion? For what?

Remember that the serpent didn't have any authority in the garden. No, Adam and Eve gave up theirs. In that single action, all humanity lost God's inherent holy nature and could no longer fellowship with Him in the cool of the day. Since then, folks have tried everything on their own to regain this relationship. Some lie on beds of nails while others beat themselves with chains and chant long ritualistic prayers. Still, nothing alters the fact that this fallen nature passes from every parent to child bringing humankind to a crisis of identity, endlessly chasing after love, riches, and acceptance. Worthlessness still mars the core concept of the human personality.

Death came. Spiritual death was immediate, and physical death began a 900-year process. Humankind lost their authority. Fallenness became the inheritance of all their children. Romans 3:23 tells us that because of the Fall, all have sinned and "come short of the glory of God." That covering of splendor disappeared and humans were left knowing of their nakedness and hiding from the magnificent presence of the Lord (Gen. 3:10). Humanity received:

• 1. Flesh that lusts against the Spirit (Gal. 5:17).
• 2. The mind of the flesh at enmity against God (Romans 8:7).
• 3. Flesh unable to submit to the law of God (Rom. 8:7).
• 4. Flesh that cares about the things of the flesh (Rom. 8:5).
• 5. The mind of the flesh that is death (Rom. 8:6).
• 6. Starting out in the spirit and ending up in the flesh (Gal. 3:3).
• 7. Flesh that brings envying, strife, and division (1 Cor. 3:3,4).
• 8. Boasting in the spirit of the flesh (2 Cor. 11:18).
• 9. Flesh spotting their garments (Jude 23).

God in His mercy had plans (a process of covenants) to bring humankind back to this original paradise position. The Bible calls these wondrous plans, "mysteries" or "divine secrets." Because the fall of humanity brought eternal death, only another human could get back, restore, redeem, and resurrect everything that was lost. Consequently, God stripped Himself of His deity and came to earth as a human being. In His humanity, the Lord Jesus Christ overcame the enemy and gave us back His authority. Only Jesus could redeem everything lost in the Fall.

Still up to the same old tricks of deception, the "god of this world" tries to influence us to give away our inheritance again. Except now, because of Jesus' precious and Holy blood, you and I no longer have to be victims -- the enemy can NO LONGER RULE! Actualizing Christ's redemptive sacrifice causes us to begin the return to God's intention for us - dominion and authority! He never changed His mind!

The work of the cross gives birth to a whole new race of people equipped with His image and His anointing. Because of holy covenant, we - as ransomed people with human bodies - speak God's will into the earth, and Jesus reveals Himself as omni-present through His body, the glorified church. That's us, with faces shining.

=====================================

If this article has been helpful to you, please go to the bottom of the page and click the "thumbs up" button! Let's learn together and build the 3rd Day Church! Thanx. Your online pastor, Dr. Kluane Spake