How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us that He would make all of Creation in order to dazzle us. Think about it. Though Creation is practical, it is foremost beautiful. The intricacies and fragrance of a flower, the brilliant colors of a sunset, the majesty of the ocean waves crashing on the shore, the sparkling stars in the night sky, the coos of a newborn baby. This masterpiece God entrusted into our care. He knew full well that we would trash it. Every part of His Creation that He has put under our influence is subject to our destructive ways. We over-consume, pollute, cut down, trample. And as if that weren’t enough, we treat with contempt His most prized Creation – ourselves and our neighbors. Yet God is patient and takes delight in our most minimal efforts to steward well what He has given us (Matthew 25:21).
So the Creator entrusts us with His Creation, but He doesn’t stop there. He bestows on us His love and gives us the choice to receive it or to reject it, reject Him. Can you imagine how many times God has been rejected and in how many ways? He knew before He created us that we would not respond favorably to His love but would separate ourselves from Him by our rebellious ways. And He had a plan (Ephesians 3:11, Colossians 1:26-27). He loved us so much He decided before Creation that He would suffer the consequences of our rebellion for us. He would take on our flesh and walk in our broken world among a broken people. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). Read that last sentence again. Really, the one in bold, read it again. There is no greater love than this.
His sacrifice wasn't just for the purpose of getting us to heaven. That’s the mistake so many of us make. We think Jesus died so that after we are done suffering on earth, we can go be with God. But Jesus died for more than just a ticket to heaven. He came, obeyed, suffered, died, and rose again to give us the authority to bring heaven to earth. That’s what He prayed: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). On earth! As it is in heaven! Read your Bible. In heaven, there is no sickness – that’s why everywhere Jesus went, the sick were healed. In heaven, there are no demons – that’s why they were terrified in Jesus’ presence. In heaven, there is no condemnation – that's why He loved the prostitutes and tax collectors.
He carried the Kingdom inside of Him. So did the disciples. So do you. The Kingdom is the King’s domain, and the King lives inside you (Galatians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 6:19). We are seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and have died to the basic principles of this world (Colossians 2:20). The world is characterized by condemnation, fear, despair, sickness and death, injustice, loneliness, striving. The Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14:17). God is love (1 John 4:16). Jesus came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10). He withholds no good thing from the righteous (Psalm 84:11) - and we are righteous because He dressed us in His own righteousness. We are children of God (1 John 3:1). The One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world, and we were born to overcome the world (1 John 4:4).
It is time to acknowledge God’s extravagant love and start living in the victory that Christ paid for on the cross. It's a promise for the here and now. Start thinking like a victor by writing down who God says you are and what He has promised you. Declare it out loud on a daily basis, and meditate on it throughout the day.
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