This post first appeared on theoutpour
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
Every Christian is, by default, a Child of God. Imagine having an all-access pass to a Spiritual Disneyland, owned by your Father. You can go whenever you like, enjoy as many turns on any ride you want, and do all sorts or exciting things. Sounds great. However, there’s a more exciting level, a higher level- one in which instead of an all-access pass, you’re bestowed with Managerial Authority. You no longer just have the right to go into Disneyland whenever you please, but you can order ALL the employees at Disneyland to do your bidding, and they have no option but to obey your every command; to grab you coffee, clean your room, fetch your lunch, etc. This Managerial Authority, is more akin to a Son of God than a Child. These two positions are equally loved by the Father, however, a Son is bestowed with Spiritual Authority, and a Child merely has access to the Kingdom.
The dictionary definition of Authority is;
1 [mass noun] the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience: For example, “He had absolute authority over his subordinates.”
The determinant factor of Sonship in the Kingdom, is Authority. So, yes… Every Child of God is, by default, a member of God’s Kingdom, but this is the basic membership. This is the Spotify equivalent of a Free Trial. There is a Premium Membership that is available, if one so desires, and this Membership comes with certain perks and membership benefits; The right to order Angels, bind principalities, and alter spiritual situations. This Premium Membership is called Sonship, and the cost of purchase is total and utter surrender to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. In order to attain Spiritual authority, we must first be led by the Spirit, and through His leadership and authority, we become an extension of our Father. So, in order to gain authority, we must first surrender.
In the absence of Authority, we operate in the base levels of the Kingdom. We’re still able to assert authority in the Kingdom, but only by using the authoritative Name of Jesus. Now, there’s a clear difference between an Ambassador and a Messenger… a messenger has no imbued power on their own, and is therefore only able to command respect and reverence solely based on who he/she represents. An Ambassador, on the other hand, is an embodiment of power. He/she does not require any external validation of his authority, because his power is recognized, and his leadership, unquestionable.
Jesus, was sent to ensure that we are elevated to Ambassador level. His life on Earth, in Human form, flesh and blood, was a preview of the possibilities that await us. The dominion He displayed over the wind, water, principalities and powers, was a window into what a Premium Membership looks like. His selfless sacrifice makes us one with Him, and allows us access to the Holy Spirit, who in turn, instils us with the Authority to take our rightful place in the Kingdom. We go from mere Child to full-fledged Son, with the full understanding of who we are in Christ. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our initial identity of God’s original plan when He made us in His image and instructed us to Subdue and Rule the Earth. Through Him, we are restored to the Glory that was ours before the Fall in Genesis 3. Though Him, we are once again, made perfect.
Maggie Eriksson did a great job of putting all this into perspective;
We are all God’s children, immature, without legal status, and without recognition as “adults”. We are moral beings with the potential of making the choice to become Sons of God. Therefore, as Children of God, we can obtain recognition with legal spiritual status as heirs— sons… only though Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit.
So, where do you stand? On what level are you operating? Are you content with a Free Trial, or do you long for the legitimacy that comes with a Premium Membership? Are you satisfied with occasional breakthroughs as a Messenger, or are you ready for the Ambassadorial responsibilities that come with real, unbridled Authority? With all the groundwork already done for us by Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit made available to us, all that is left is for us to reach out and seize the Authority that is already before us. We must only choose to become Sons, to gain our rightful place in our Father’s Kingdom, to establish our position as joint heirs with Christ.
The choice is yours.
