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In the previous post (Part 1 of Inherited Authority to rule!), we saw:
- The prelude of why God came to earth in the form of a Man for a very specific reason;
- That God made man to have dominion, i.e., execute authority and rule on earth;
- That the enemy is out to deceive and mislead mankind to believe he has no power and authority; and
- God went to every extent to ensure that man would take up his inheritance and rule.
The Undone Plan: Adam's Surrender of Dominion
God's original and perfect plan was for Adam to rule and take dominion on the earth. What did Adam do? He gave up this very perfect position by not trusting God and submitting to the enemy, believing he so do to become. This was not merely an act of disobedience; it was a profound abdication of authority from humanity to the adversary. When Adam chose to believe the serpent's lie over God's truth, he effectively abdicated his God-given rule over the earth to the deceiver. This is precisely why Satan is powerfully referred to in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as the "god of this age" and in John 12:31, 14:30, and 16:11 as the "prince of this world." He gained this dominion because humanity, through Adam, willingly subjected itself to his influence. This illegitimate, yet consequential exchange of authority is dramatically depicted in Luke 4:5-6, where Satan boldly claims to Jesus during the temptation in the wilderness: "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendour; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.'" The authority over the earth, initially entrusted to man, was now under Satan's control due to Adam's catastrophic fall.
But God will not go against His own Word. If He said that man would have dominion on earth, then that’s how it should be. God said it and He will not turn on His Word! Isaiah 55:11: "So shall my word (Jesus) be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: has he said, and shall he not do it? or has he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"
God's inherent faithfulness and the unchangeable nature of His Word mean His original purpose for humanity to rule the earth remained absolutely steadfast. He had decreed dominion for man, and His Word would not return to Him unfulfilled. However, for humanity's dominion to be rightfully reclaimed and perfectly restored, it absolutely had to be accomplished by a man – a perfect man – who could legally take back what was lost from the usurper. This profound necessity leads us directly to the fundamental question.
Why Did God Come as a Man? The Necessity of the Perfect Mediator
There is a long answer to this question. When you read the Old Covenant in your Bible, you see that God did indeed come as God at first, choosing to reveal Himself directly to His people, Israel. But the chosen ones at the time were overwhelmed by His awesome, holy presence. They preferred not to engage with the God of Love directly, nor to cultivate a direct, intimate relationship with Him in that raw, unmediated way. Instead, they asked one of their own, Moses, to intercede on their behalf. They opted for a system based on laws and mediation, even saying to Moses: "Go you near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak you unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto you; and we will hear it, and do it." (Deuteronomy 5:27). This established a pattern of mediation through prophets and priests, creating a system that constantly pointed to the future need for a perfect, ultimate Mediator who could truly bridge the infinite gap between a holy God and sinful humanity. This foreshadowed the coming of God as man, in human flesh - Yah’shua.
He Was Looking for One Man: Humanity's Incapacity to Redeem
God declared that He searched all the earth and found no man able to stand in the gap, no one worthy to accomplish such a colossal task of redemption and restoration. Psalm 49:7-9 powerfully laments the utter incapacity of any mere human to redeem himself or his brother: "No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them – the price of a soul is too high; it can never be paid, that they should live on forever and not see decay." This sobering truth is echoed in Romans 3:23, which starkly declares, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 6:23, which clarifies, "For the wages of sin is death..." No human being, born into sin's dominion and under its curse, could ever pay the infinite penalty for humanity's rebellion or legally reclaim the dominion lost by Adam. The solution had to be both spiritual and legal, requiring a perfect, sinless sacrifice and a perfect human representative.
So, God Himself manifested in human flesh because He would not turn on His own Word regarding man's dominion. For that dominion to be rightfully restored to man, a perfect man had to accomplish the task. But this man also had to be fully God, because only God is utterly without sin (Hebrews 4:15), and only an infinite, divine being could bear the infinite price for the sin of the world and offer Himself as the spotless Lamb (2 Corinthians 5:21; John 1:29).
Enters Yah’shua, Jesus Christ, God with us!
YHVH - יהוה - Yahweh Himself, the uncreated, eternal God, chose to manifest as Yah’shua (Jesus) – יהושע – as Man. The very name Immanuel (Greek: Ἐμμανουήλ, Emmanouēl), found in Isaiah 7:14 and directly applied in Matthew 1:23 ("They will call him Immanuel—which means 'God with us'"), perfectly encapsulates His dual nature. This is precisely what Jesus was: fully God and fully man, the unique God-Man absolutely necessary to bridge the gap between a holy God and fallen humanity, and to perfectly fulfill the Father's will and restore His original plan. As 1 Timothy 3:16 so profoundly states: "Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory." He was the one, and only one, found able to do it.
...And Found One: The Absolute Victory of Christ's Finished Work
Now, follow the glorious restoration story revealed in these verses, which powerfully describe the finished work of Christ on the cross, securing our redemption and restoring our lost dominion:
Colossians 2:15: "And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
- Explanation: The Greek word for "spoiled" here is ἀπεκδύομαι (apekdyomai), which vividly means "to strip off, divest oneself of, or put off." Christ stripped the demonic powers and authorities of their weapons, their clothing, their insignia and covering of power – everything that gave them a perceived legal right or authority over humanity. He literally disarmed them! The word for "triumphing" is θριαμβεύω (thriambeuō), which refers to a Roman triumphal procession. In such a procession, a conquering general would parade his defeated enemies, disarmed, humiliated, and often chained, through the streets of Rome, publicly displaying his absolute victory. This signifies an absolute, public, and undeniable triumph. Jesus didn't just defeat them in secret; He made a public spectacle of their utter defeat on the cross itself, triumphing over them right there, for all to see!
Colossians 2:14: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"
- Explanation: The "handwriting of ordinances" is χειρόγραφον (cheirographon) in Greek, which literally means a "handwritten document," a "legal bond," or a "certificate of debt," the “law” itself. In ancient times, this could be a record of charges, a list of requirements (such as a law or ordinance), or a covenant agreement that bound someone. This verse refers to the legal demands of the Mosaic Law and our accumulated sin debt, which stood against us, condemning us and asserting the enemy's legal claims over us. Jesus, through His sacrificial death on the cross, blotted out this legal record, cancelled the debt, and nailed it to His cross. This means our condemnation was paid in full, abolished, and removed from the legal ledger forever. The law's claims against us are eternally satisfied through His perfect obedience and ultimate sacrifice. Romans 10:4 confirms, "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."
Romans 5:21: "That as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."
- Explanation: Just as sin once held tyrannical "reign" (exercised dominion) over humanity, leading to spiritual and physical death, now grace has been powerfully enthroned to "reign" (exercise dominion) through righteousness (us cloaked in His righteousness), leading to abundant and eternal life. This new, divine reign of grace is accomplished solely by Jesus Christ our Lord. It's not a struggle for us to achieve or maintain righteousness; it's a divine gift we receive through faith in His finished work, enabling us to live in a new realm where grace and righteousness rule, ultimately leading to true life and restored dominion. As Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace."
These verses, along with many others, paint a clear and glorious picture of Christ's total, ultimate, and final victory through His finished work:
Hebrews 1:3: "...after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." His work of cleansing us from all sin was perfectly and permanently completed, indicating His work was done.
Hebrews 9:12: "He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." The sacrificial system of the Old Covenant was temporary and incomplete; His was eternal and perfect.
Hebrews 10:10: "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." This singular, perfect sacrifice forever sanctified believers, making continuous sacrifices unnecessary.
Hebrews 10:12, 14: "But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God... For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." His finished work means we are made eternally perfect in God's eyes, not by our merit, but by His grace.
John 19:30: On the cross, Jesus declared, "It is finished." (Greek: Tetelestai, τετέλεστα). This single, powerful word, commonly used in ancient times as an accounting term, meant "paid in full!" The debt was paid, the work was complete, the prophecy was fulfilled, and the victory was secured.
Ephesians 1:7: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace." Our liberation from sin and its consequences is a done deal, fully accomplished through His shedding of blood.
So, How Exactly Did We Get to Regain Power and Authority?
We regained power and authority not through any human effort, religious ritual, or personal merit, but entirely by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. His perfect life, His atoning death, His glorious resurrection, and His triumphant ascension to the right hand of the Father perfectly reclaimed what Adam lost. By being united with Him through faith, His triumph becomes our triumph, and His inherited dominion becomes our shared inheritance. This is not a partial or temporary restoration; it is a full, complete, and eternal restoration made possible by the perfect, finished sacrifice and ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ, the God-Man.
Check out Part 3 of Inherited Authority to rule! as we continue.
You are blessed!