We are in a place that is better than paradise! Huh? I know right! I bet you’re thinking, look around you, this ain’t paradise. And you’re right, of course. But I’m talking about what we have access to in our spirits. Today, I want to look at 6 ways that God has abundantly restored us to a position that is greater than what Adam had in the Garden. That’s right!
1. Our redemption is eternal.
Adam’s standing with God was good, but it was also precarious. All it took was one sin and the whole thing fell apart. But Hebrews tells us that our redemption is eternal. Hebrews 9:11-12 says this; But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Say that with me; “I have eternal redemption!” Praise God!
Hebrews 10:14 says; For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Notice it does not say ‘perfected until they sin again’. No! It says, perfected forever. Say that with me; “I am perfected forever.” Don’t forget now, we are talking about who we are in our spirits, in Christ, with our position as a born again believer. But it is the real you. It’s the you that will last for eternity. It’s the you that you should be focused on every day.
You cannot make a mistake big enough or bad enough to take you out of God’s family. God is so faithful to always forgive and never reject us. What an amazing God!
2. We’ve received a new nature on the inside.
This is truly incredible! 2 Cor. 5:17 says that we are a brand new creation, something that has never existed before. 2 Peter 1:4 says that we have a divine, eternal nature on the inside, in your spirit. Your spirit has been born again into perfection, into oneness with God Almighty! That leads me to my next point.
3. We have eternal union with God.
Yes, Adam walked with God in the garden. But, once Adam sinned he lost his union with God! Unlike Adam in the garden, we are one with God. John 14:16 tells us that He will abide with us forever. He dwells with you and shall be in you. Let’s read it. ‘And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.’
You see, God’s love isn’t just directed towards you from afar. It’s not just ‘for you’ or ‘too you’. No, God’s love is IN you! You are united with Him. Matthew 28:20b says ‘I am with you always, even unto the end of the world’. He’s not leaving you saint! In fact, not only is God with us, in us and one with us, get this…
4. We have been elevated to divine status.
Now this is where any sacred cows that you might have left after reading this are about to be chased out! Romans 8:16 tells us that we are children of God. Where do your children come from? You! In a very real sense, your children are like you. They are an extension of you. They look like you, sound like you, have many of your characteristics. And all that is purely in the natural. On a spiritual level, this is so much more powerful and complete.
1 Peter 2:9 says ‘But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light’. Wow! This is tremendous. We are citizens of heaven. We are higher than the angels!
This teaching and the last blog, were taken from a two-part series called ‘God’s Super Abundant Grace’ taught to Upstream Home Churches by Pastor Richard Harris. Do you start to see just how abundant God’s grace is toward us?!
5. We’ve been given God’s power and authority.
Did you know we have dominion in heaven and on earth? Yes, Adam had dominion in the garden, but only over the earth. And yet, Matthew 16:19 says ‘And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.’
Luke 10:19 says; Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
The word the King James Version uses there is ‘power’, but the Greek is ‘Exousia’, which means authority. We have authority to bind spirits in heavenly places and exercise authority over them! You see, Jesus paid the price and in Him and through Him, God and mankind can be eternally united. Praise God! You ought to be shouting ‘Hallelujah’, right now!
6. God has promised us glorified bodies.
This is one of my favourite aspects of the New Covenant we enjoy in Christ. We have a natural body right now. But, 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 talks about our resurrection and glorification. Without going into the whole thing, let me just encourage you to go read that passage again. This earth-suit we live in will become a glorified heavenly body. It will still be physical, but it’ll have a glorified nature. Think of Jesus when He was raised from the dead. He could walk through walls, couldn’t he! But He could also still enjoy food and drink. I can hear somebody saying ‘Amen, praise God’ to that one!
1 John 3:2 says; ‘Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.’
It’s hard for us to comprehend isn’t it? Actually, it’s impossible! All the limitations, the suffering and pain, the anxiety, the doubt and unbelief, will all be gone! Hallelujah! It’s going to be truly amazing saints!
And this is what Jesus has done for us. We began this teaching series with Romans 5:17: For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
An abundance of grace. What God’s provided for us in Jesus Christ is so much greater than what even Adam had in his state of perfection and paradise. Our response? There is only one response friend. Worship! Praise and Adoration! Let’s Glorify His Name today.
Watch a clip from Richard's teaching series 'God's Super Abundant Grace'...
