Sons and Daughters Arising

As I post this blog, we are in the midst of an unprecedented time of history—one where there is a lot of room for uncertainty and doubt. With the constant announcement and advertisement of COVID-19 and its effects, there is definitely potential for our faith to be shaken. However, in the midst of all this I feel there is an even more powerful invitation into the revelation of SONSHIP. When I say “sonship,” I’m speaking of daughters as well (I’m just using the idea and language of Scripture as it relates to us ruling with Christ as the Son).

I feel that the Father is calling us out of the ashes of doubt and cloudiness, into the wonderful perspective of how He sees us as His children. I know that any darkness is an opportunity for the light to break forth and shine (see Isaiah 60:1-2). In other words, darkness should only become a backdrop (not the foreground) for the Son to arise through His people.

As of late, the Lord has had me in Romans 8, where Paul establishes the idea of adoption into the family of God (as sons and daughters) and the idea of being led by the Spirit (this is proof that we are children of God). Instead of writing a whole new post, I thought I would just post an excerpt from my latest book, “Who Do You Say that I Am.” I believe this is a timely word for the body. Check it out…

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18-19 (NASB)

The cosmos spins with eager anticipation for sons and daughters to awaken and take their place. Creation knows that once the children of God arise, the earth finds it’s eternal purpose as a resting place for the Lord. Why you might ask? Why would creation, the work of God’s hands, look to frail men and women to arise into their place as His children? It comes down to the fact that man was called to bring the earth under subjection to the Lord. This was the Lord’s mandate from day one. David says in Psalm 115:16, “He has given us the earth and put us in charge.” As the Lord created it, we were called to help conduct it. 

In Romans 1, Paul lays out the story of mankind’s rebellion and the forfeited mandate of ruling: 

“For even though they (mankind) knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:20-25 (NASB) 

In his opening statement to the Roman believers, Paul is stating that men fell into worship of one another (and animals) – they worshipped the image rather than the source. Instead of being entertained by the glory of the Lord, they became fascinated with the glory of creation. The wonder reserved for Yahweh, became misguided in worship of His design. 

Another word for “image” in the Bible is “idol,” and idols speak of a figure that point us to a greater power. In some parts of the world, the people believe idols are images that release the virtues of the greater power. In other words, they look to the idol to extend healing and the goodness of that represented power. Therefore, idols aren’t inherently bad, it’s the worship (affection) of the idol that can be in error. In fact, we are “God’s idols,” images created to show forth His power and majesty – leading others to pursue the “greater power” (see 1 Peter 2:9 & Psalm 50:2). 

When the Lord commissioned man from the garden, He told him to rule and subdue what He had created. The divine order that He set in motion in the beginning is God to man, and man to creation. Man is called to live in intimacy with God first and foremost, extending that love into the earth. In other words, man is called to be a heavenly conduit, a divinely orchestrated symphony of Christ’s peace-filled rule. We are to hear the song of the Lamb and bring that symphony into the earth. This demands that we come into alignment with the sound of His heart, which is learned in the place of intimacy, worship, and adoration. 

Furthermore, worship manifests our authority in Christ. It keeps our hearts aligned with the Commander in Chief. As we align through worship with our Creator, we can rightly rule and extend His rule into the earth. In other words, it’s all about INTIMACY and AUTHORITY. 

As we worship regularly, we will rule rightly. 

The earth (creation) wants to submit to mankind, for it is the creative design of the Father. It was made with the innate desire to be ruled over and hasn’t rebelled or refused to receive sons and daughters as its leader. Instead, it groans and waits in the eager expectation of burning intensity for us to take our place and be revealed as His children (see Romans 8:19). Creation cries out for the divine order to be restored, where man is in fellowship with God, and rules the earth from that place of intimate communion. 

I know we have preachers who gladly proclaim the burning fires of hell. What if we had preachers who, with greater intensity, declared to the church, the burning intensity of creation for the children of God to take their place. What if we had teachers and divine instructors who awoken the church to heavens’ eager expectation for sons and daughters to arise. Religion trembles at the revelation of sonship. When the (worshipping and adoring) children of God awaken to their identity in the beloved Son, anything contrary to that has to bow its weak knee. 

Jesus declared that if we refuse to lift our voices, creation would cry out (see Luke 19:40). In other words, if we as sons and daughters don’t worship, creation has to step out of its divine order to ensure God gets what is due Him. Creation was designed to inspire worship, and never to receive it. The beautiful creation we see should cause our hearts and eyes to aim upward to the Creator.

With this being said, my prayer is that (in the midst of darkness) sons and daughters would arise in the power of the Spirit and take their place of authority. I pray that we wouldn’t allow outward circumstances to dictate our stance in the Son, Jesus. Instead, I pray that we would begin to manifest the rule and reign of Jesus on earth as it is in heaven!

-RA

This is an excerpt from my book, “Who Do You Say that I Am.” If you are interested in reading more, click here…