Friday, 25 October 2024
AUTHORITY RESTORED
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous (Romans 5:19).
In Matthew 4:8-9, we read the account where the devil tempted Jesus by offering Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory on the condition that Jesus would bow down and worship him. The devil was not merely offering wealth or power, he was calling for worship, demanding that Jesus acknowledge his authority over the world.
To understand this, let’s examine the same account in Luke 4:5-7, where the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time and says, “...All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:6). The devil claimed that all the power and glory of the world were delivered to him, but how did he get them? Certainly, God didn’t give them to him!
To answer this, let’s read Paul’s apologia in 1 Timothy 2:14: “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Eve was deceived by the devil, but Adam wasn’t. Adam wilfully chose to disobey God and obey Satan. This act of treason against God is what led to the fall of man. Adam’s wilful disobedience resulted in the loss of the dominion God had given him over the earth. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).
By yielding to Satan,Adam effectively handed over his God-given authority to the devil, making Satan the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). Satan became the ruler of the world systems, taking dominion over the earth, a role intended for Adam. But thanks be unto God! Jesus, through His death, burial and resurrection, reclaimed the dominion and delivered it back to us. His vicarious sacrifice and resurrection in our behalf was the ultimate victory through which the power of Satan was broken and the authority of Christ was established forever in and through His Church. Hallelujah!
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank you for the victory I have in Christ Jesus. I rejoice in the knowledge that through His sacrifice, the authority lost by Adam has been restored to us in Christ. I walk in this victory every day, knowing that I’ve been translated into the Kingdom of your LoveSon, enjoying the glorious liberty of the saints in light, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Matthew 4:8-10; Colossians 2:11-15; Romans 5:12-17; Luke 10:19
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 2 Timothy 1:1-18 & Jeremiah 17-18
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Hebrews 12:14-29 & Ezekiel 24