Thats Life: Family

In the beginning...

Genesis 1:26–28 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

“God gave mankind the commission to bear the Trinitarian image of God—“Us” refers to the triune God (Father, Son, and Spirit)—as He created humanity (body, soul, and spirit) to mirror Him. Then He established them in the divine institution called family (father, mother, child) to reproduce His image.”

Excerpt From: Tony Evans. “Kingdom Disciples.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kingdom-disciples/id1206186915?mt=11

The intended purpose of family is to represent God and his kingdom here on earth. Sin alienated us from the Lord until the Redeemer came.

The Kingdom Family

“A kingdom disciple is one who surrenders every area of life to the lordship of Jesus Christ.”

Excerpt From: Tony Evans. “Kingdom Disciples.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kingdom-disciples/id1206186915?mt=11

Let them rule

Genesis 1:26 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

We are able to do that because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and because of the Holy Spirit, our helper, who has filled and empowered those who followers of Jesus.

“As families surrender their lives to Christ—jointly in their husband/wife and parent/child relationships toward each other and in their choices as individuals within the family unit—they can operate under divine authority, bringing honor to God.”

Parent/child

“family’s mission is to replicate the image of God by reflecting His Son, Jesus Christ, in history and carrying out God the Father’s divinely mandated dominion to “let them rule”

“Personal and familial happiness is to be a benefit of a strong family, but it’s not the mission.”

“Personal and familial happiness is to be a benefit of a strong family, but it’s not the mission.”

We are able to do that because of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and because of the Holy Spirit, our helper, who has filled and empowered those who followers of Jesus.“Personal and familial happiness is to be a benefit of a strong family, but it’s not the mission.”

“Personal and familial happiness is to be a benefit of a strong family, but it’s not the mission.”

The problem today is we have transposed the benefit with the goal. Happiness is never God’s first concern. Happiness and satisfaction are to be a natural outgrowth of filling God’s concern, advancing his kingdom.

“Family was established to be God’s foundational representative institution in society and provides the framework to collectively carry out the plan of God in history.”

The Dominion of the Family

God grants authority to rule on His behalf as owner. But what he does not do is force us to rule. He says “Let them rule.”

Satan tries to subvert our God-given authority by having us either (1) relinquish our rule by handing over to him through deceiving us into believing he has authority, or (2) rule poorly based on our own judgments and distorted world views.

It isn’t until we rule with surrender to the comprehensive rule of God that we will become the rulers he intended.

The Lord God: Master and Ruler

In we move from general to specific creation of humanity, beginning with Adam.

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Genesis 2:7

LORD God references the covenant name of God, which is Yahweh which literally translates into “master, and absolute ruler.” When the Lord introduces Himself to us RELATIONALLY through scripture, He uses the term Lord God. In all other references in these chapters that are not linked with man, God refers to himself as Elohim, meaning creator.

Understanding the Purpose of a Blessing

God is establishing the absolute and authoritative nature of His relationship with mankind through the revelation of His character and name.

God’s Description of Marriage

We know this because look what Satan did in Genesis chapter 3.

The Spiritual Connection in Marriage

Genesis 3:1 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

Did God actually say? Satan removed the name LORD. He sought to strip God of his relationship with man as absolute ruler and authority by ignoring His name that noted His relational position. Satan kept the idea of religion (God) while eliminating the order of authority (under God).

Religion without God is no threat to Satan.

Life with the idea of God vs Life under God

Ritual that is not predicated on an authoritative nature of relationship between God and mankind is simply legalism and is the fastest track away from God’s purposes of dominion that any other.

Satans Continued Efforts to Dismantle Families

God’s Divine Use of the Family

Authority is the key component to living as a kingdom disciple and experiencing the manifold abundance Christ came to offer you.

How do I know if I’m living under God’s Lordship?

When making decisions do you rely on scripture to guided your response, even when you do not agree with it?

Are you seeking His Kingdom first?

Is your personal happiness more important than submitting to the Lordship of Jesus?