Restored to Reign

 

 

 

 

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 

—Galatians 4:1

 

 

As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been “recreated” as a new creation in Him. Jesus has restored us to the untainted innocence that was once ours before Adam ever sinned. We are now heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ, heirs of the kingdom, heirs of salvation, heirs of His promises, and heirs of His grace.

 

Even the newest believer is an heir of God. However, just because you are an heir doesn’t mean you understand what that means. You can be an heir and, as a child of the King, not have a clue about your inheritance. You must grow in the grace of God and learn how to live in the Kingdom.

 

“Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

 

If you tell a young child he is an heir to a great inheritance, it doesn’t mean much to him.  An infant who will be a king one day is like other infants in the kingdom. His future as a royal ruler is settled, but his present is common. This newborn prince needs time to grow. He needs to learn how the kingdom works to be able to rule it one day.

 

It is the same way in the Kingdom of God. While the Gospel has given us authority over the works of the enemy, many Christians never grow into an understanding of what that means. Some remain babies their entire lives. The potential of their new identity in Christ is never realized or released into the world. They are like slaves who have been emancipated and don’t know it.

 

“This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth” (Ephesians 4:13-14).

 

It is time we learn who we are as a new creation. It is time to grow up and step into the position of authority Jesus has given us. It is time to quit just hearing about what is ours in Christ and to be doers of it (James 1:22). We need to know what is true so we will not remain immature and influenced by lies that sound like the truth. Babies, even though they are heirs, will never reign in life. 

 

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

 

You have been restored to reign in life through Jesus Christ. Jesus shed His blood to restore you to a righteous relationship with God. He has placed His crown upon your life. When you know God’s truth in your heart, you don’t have to live as a slave anymore to the lies that keep you from the truths of your inheritance in Him. You can be free of perishing from a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). You can be free to release your faith into the world. You can be free to reign in life as a king with a servant's heart (John 13).

 

Set your face like a flint (Isaiah 50:7) to learn the workings of the Kingdom. Make up your mind right now to grow up into all that Jesus has created you to be.

 

 

 

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