Authority

To understand the Kingdom is to understand authority. God invited Adam and Eve to live under His authority through simple surrender and obedience and then He would give them His own authority to rule on the Earth (Genesis 1:28). What was the goal of Satan’s deception in the fall of man?

It was NOT just to get men to sin: it was to cause them to leave life under God’s authority and thus forfeit to him, Satan, the authority God had given them. When the first couple sinned by throwing off God’s rule and choosing independence, Satan gained authority over the Earth and another kingdom was established, the kingdom of darkness (see Luke 4:5-8; 1 John 5:19; Colossians 1:13).

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they disowned God’s rule and decided to live under their own rule. The sin in Eden was a sin of revolt - revolt against God and His Kingdom, and by this act of rebellion, the entire human race threw off God’s rule and was born into a rebellious nature serving self instead of God; relying on self instead of God. The Kingdom was lost!

Reflection Questions:

• Did you know that you have a strategic purpose in bringing forth the Kingdom in your sphere of influence?
• What would it look like to help others find the joy of His purposes rather than the weariness in their rebellion?