Jesus spoke in John 10:10 (Amplified) saying, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."
For the most part, we've not understood what Jesus was actually saying and truthfully, we continue not understanding what He said. Everyone in the crowd listening to Jesus probably believed that they were indeed already alive. They had no idea Jesus was speaking of the total reconciliation to the very life of God that man was separated from because of Adam's fall in the Garden. Life in the Spirit was (and still is) a mystery to most men.
Jesus came that we have life and enjoy life to the full. Religion would tell us that we cannot enjoy this earthly life and must wait until we go to heaven to do so. Our church traditions have tried making life here as miserable as possible. We, as Christians, are not aloud to sing, listen to worldly music, attend football games, watch T.V., dance, dress nicely, along with such other things.
When our Father created this earth, He said that, "It was good." As a matter of fact, He said that, "It was very good!" The fall of Adam brought into this realm, a hard task master and a new order. The "worldly things" like demonic nature, are off limits to the believer.
To enjoy life here means to live like it was meant to be from the beginning. Under satan's lordship, the world has many ungodly pastimes and degrees of carnal pleasures. These are the things we don't become involved in. The things God created for man in the beginning are still enjoyable to the believer. We've decided that as long as we're on earth, we cannot (or shouldn't) be happy. There's a great difference between "things of the world" and the earthly things. The "world" is a system that runs according to the fallen nature. The earth is "The Lord's and the fullness thereof."
1John 4:4-5 (Amplified) says, "Little children, you are of God (you belong to Him) and have (already) defeated and overcome them (the agents of the anti-Christ) because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world." Verse5 goes on, "They proceed from the world and are of the world (its whole economy morally reconsidered) that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them."
In John 15:19 (Amplified), Jesus said, "If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world (no longer one with it), But I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you."
We've been delivered from this world system and not the earth. How many Christians do you know who feel like they've back slid because they enjoyed life? God created this earth for us to enjoy. The simple things in life are God given. All of the things the wisdom of God has created in these last days, are for the enjoyment of God's children and not for the perverse use of the world. We've given most of these things over to the world without a fight.
Our government was supposed to be led by Christian people and not heathens. It's been taught for numerous years in the Church, that Christians don't get involved in politics. Now, we find ourselves living under the bondage of laws preventing any God related things in our government.
We've never learned how to live in the authority and dominion that Jesus Christ restored back to us. We've tried functioning in the newness of our new life in the Spirit, by the same laws that governed us in the world. We never learned that the new life in Jesus has lifted back into a new realm. In Jesus, we were given haven's laws and principles to govern the laws of this earth.
We try getting heaven to move on our behalf while using worldly knowledge. We were given a whole new life which is the very life of God Himself. Jesus ruled the laws that governed this earth, but He operated in the higher laws of the Spirit. He could (and did) govern even the laws of gravity.
Jesus controlled storms, the seas, gravity, death, sickness, unclean spirits, the laws of lack (by the loaves and the fishes) along with everything satan had trusted in and established. Jesus superseded it all. This was to be the fullness and abundant life that Jesus came to restore back to us.
Matthew18:18 (Amplified) says, "Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven." This kind of authority became ours in this new life. This is the God kind of life that we received when we were born again.
This is the life we must now learn how to live. We've allowed the "world" to govern our lives like it did before we were born again. We've really never bothered learning about our new life at all. It only meant rules to keep us in line and not to change things around us. We imposed the things we decided were right and wrong unto others. We used the same rules that governed the old covenant to govern the new covenant. We used the things of the flesh to only control things of the flesh.
This abundant life is God now living through us and no longer ourselves only. The same life that was in Jesus is the same life that's in you now. What are we to do with this authority, dominion and ability when we get to heaven? There won't be anyone there who needs to be saved, healed, delivered or anything else we were empowered to do.
This power of life was to be used here where it's needed and not in heaven where we won't need or lack anything. What will we need to bind or loose in heaven? Why would we need to lay hands on the sick there? Why indeed, would we need to cast out devils? This God kind of life, this abundant, overflowing life, this Jesus ruled life and power...is for here. We just never learned how to live it.
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