Thursday, July 15, 2004

Hopeful Gospel

As the apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians, he qualifies his prayer with an explanation about what God has done in Jesus Christ. Namely, that we are to hope in Christ because God has exalted Him to His right hand in the heavenly places. Then he says something very interesting. He says that Christ is far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also that which is to come: and has put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.(Eph. 1:20-22).

We often read our systematic right over scripture. What is interesting about this is that even when we have adopted a new systematic, the old one often still does the driving. The scripture tells us that Jesus is far above powers and authorities, not only in this world. We read it that Jesus is far above principalities in the other world, in heaven. But that is not the emphasis. The emphasis is that He has been raised above all authority here and that it even extends to heaven. We want to say that He has authority in heaven and He might have some here, if men, governments, churches would just let Him.

We misread the Lord’s Prayer in a similar fashion. Jesus told us to pray that His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We often read that His will is to be done in heaven as it is in heaven. But that is not what He said. Jesus is King of earth and even heaven. May we take encouragement in this as we pursue the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

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