What is Our Place?

I have been working on a new topic. It is the importance of using the authority that God has given us. Let's start by looking in Genesis.

26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 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." Gen 1:26-28 (NKJV)

The book of Genesis is so vitally important to study because it sets the stage of how God created everything and our position in that creation. Here in verses 26 through 28 we can see that mankind was created in the image of God. And in that image we are to have dominion over all the earth. Yes, God created everything but then gave Adam authority over His creation. And once God had done that, once He decided to give mankind authority or dominion over the earth to mankind, we were free to do what we pleased with it. Let's take another look at scripture.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's; But the earth He has given to the children of men. Psalms 115:16 (NKJV)

And we all know what Adam did with his authority. God had given Adam the keys to the planet earth. And Adam handed the keys over to satan. "When did he do that?", one might ask. Adam gave his authority over this earth to satan when he listened and obeyed satan's words about the tree of knowledge, instead of listening to God's words. By heeding satan's lies, Adam forfeited his dominion. God says that He will never break His word. So once He gave man dominion, man was free to do whatever he pleased with it. God doesn't rule directly over the earth. That is why in order to take back the authority that man gave to satan, God became a man. As God, He didn't have the authority to change the earth, but as a man, satan was in big trouble. So let's take a look at what Jesus accomplished.

18 And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead).

Rev 1:18 (AMP)

Praise God! Jesus was fully man, just as He was fully God, and therefore able to take back the keys that Adam had surrendered. Yet, He only operated here on this earth as a man. He operated as a sinless man, who walked in the gifts of the spirit. And now He has given us, His children the keys back. He has delivered us from living a life under the authority of satan, and if we will take the keys He died to give us, we will have victory in this life. However, it is still a choice.

I can see Jesus with His arm outstretched, the keys of authority, dominion, victory, peace, freedom, and eternal life in His hands. Yes, He has gone to battle for you. He has won the victory for you. This is what it means to be more than a conqueror. Let's take those keys that Jesus won for us, and walk in the abundant life that He wants us to have. In the next few entries I will be taking those keys and unlocking some of the wonderful treasures in God's word, so we can walk in the dominion that He wants us to have.