Genesis 1:26-27,28 (Amplified) says, "God said, Let Us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), make mankind in Our Image (after Our Likeness), and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. So God created man in His Own Image, in the Image and Likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them."
We read about God's Original Intent for His family, in Verse 28, which says, "And God Blessed them and said to them; Be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth, and subdue it, using its vast resources in the service of God and man, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth." God's Original Intent was for His family to be in total authority over everything He had made and provided for them. Mankind was to have complete authority and dominion, over all that God had made for them.
God's creation wasn't for Him, but was for the enjoyment of His family. As their Father, God enjoyed watching His family prosper and enjoy their inheritance. At this time, there was no sin, no death, no Curse, and no enemy to oppose God's family or their home. Man grew, flourished and enjoyed what the Father had Planned for them. God rejoiced as His family grew and walked with Him, in His abundance.
Few, other than Jesus and the Apostle Paul, have ever acknowledge the fullness of what the Father has done, through Jesus. Paul received the Revelation, directly from Jesus, and expressed the Revelation to the people. The enemy had hidden the Revelation from the people, so Jesus could only reveal it in Parables and "hidden Truths," during His earthly ministry. God's Plan has never changed, but the Revelation of it remains hidden in the shadows, for most of us today.
Hebrews 11:3 (Amplified) states this fact, "By faith we understand that the worlds (during the successive ages) were framed, fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the Word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible." "By faith we understand," speaks not only of the heavens and earth, but also about everything else that God has made, from things we don't see with our natural eyes.
By faith we understand our Righteousness before God, which is made by things we don't see, from the death and Resurrection of Jesus. We didn't see it and cannot see it still, but by faith we believe it and accept it, like we by faith understand that God created the universe by His Word. Today, many believers still struggle and ask, "Where did we come from?" They can see the heavens and the earth, bu without faith, they have no understanding of them.
This Truth is prevalent throughout the Word of God, but it's only by faith that we understand. Proverbs 4:7 tells us about Wisdom and understanding, instructing us to "Seek skillful and Godly Wisdom." Proverbs 8:1-3 (Amplified) tells us that, "Wisdom is present, to whosoever will accept it," saying, "Does not skillful and Godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice, in contrast to the loose woman? On the top of the heights (beside the way), where the paths meet, stands Wisdom, skillful and Godly. At the gates (at the entrance of the towns), at the coming in at the doors, she cries out."
If skillful and Godly Wisdom is to easy to find and is everywhere we go, then why do we know so little about who we are and why we're here? Hebrews 11:3 tells us that, "By faith we understand." If we don't apply faith to what God has already done through Jesus, then we won't "hear Wisdom" revealing the Father's heart to us. Paul prayed for all of us, saying in Colossians 1:9 (Amplified), "Not that they might have Wisdom, but that they might, by faith, have understanding of what Wisdom has already provided for us. For this reason, we also, from the day we heard it, have not ceased to pray and make special request for you, asking that you may be filled with the full (deep and clear), knowledge of His will in all Spiritual Wisdom (in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God), and in understanding and discernment of Spiritual things." It's by faith, that we understand.
Paul was writing to born-again people, who loved God and loved the brethren out of His Love. Paul didn't say that they "lacked Love" or weren't givers. He said they lacked understanding in the ways, purposes and will of God, for their lives. Paul didn't pray for God to give them anything they didn't already have. He prayed for them to have understanding, by faith.
We know that, "Faith comes by hearing." If we don't hear, then we don't have faith and if we don't have faith in a certain thing, then it's because we have no understanding. Some churches preach about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking of tongues. Others teach that, ""tongues have ceased and the Baptism of the Spirit is only available to some." When we're taught the Truth of God's Word, faith comes and as faith comes, so does understanding about God's Word, which tells us that "tongues is available to all who believe." It's never been for only some and not others, but is available to those who have understanding enough to apply faith and receive this Gift.
The only way to know that God created the heavens and the earth, is by faith. When we apply faith to the Truth of God's creation, then understanding will enter our hearts and the controversy about creation, will be forever settled in our hearts. This same principle is true in every aspect of God's Word. Without hearing the Word, we won't have faith. Without faith, we won't have understanding and without understanding, there won't be manifestation in our lives.
Paul puts forth a similar prayer for the Body of believers in Ephesus, that he prayed for those in Colossus. These too, were born-again people who loved God and ministered to Paul and his companions. Paul didn't tell them that they were lacking anything, but he said they "didn't understand what they already had," in Ephesians 1:17-18. Paul writes in Colossians 1:17-18 (Amplified), "For I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), the Father of Glory, that He may grant you a Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets in the deep and intimate knowledge of Him By having the eyes of your heart flooded with Light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His Glorious inheritance in the saints (His set apart ones)."
Paul said that these believers only lacked understanding, about what they had already been granted, as inheritors in Christ Jesus. They failed to receive and accept by faith, the things that had already been granted to them, because they had no understanding. It's only by faith that we understand. We keep trying to understand and then have faith, but God's Word says that, "We have faith and then we understand." God's Promises and inheritance come on a Spiritual level and must be received in our spirit, before we "see" the results in our lives. We only have faith in what we hear about God. If we don't hear God's Word, then we won't have faith to accept it and we will never understand it.
Years ago, my friend, Hugh Smith, taught a message called, "Hoe your own row." Everything in a garden is planted in rows and every row must be hoed, in order to keep the soil loose and the weeds out. We had a big garden growing up and my father assigned each of my siblings and myself, certain rows to keep. It wasn't any of my business, when my brother didn't hoe his rows. My dad held me accountable for the rows he had assigned.
It makes no difference, if others don't believe what you believe. You need to hoe your own row. Don't miss out on what the Father has done, just because your circle of believers don't believe it. By faith you can understand. Put your faith in what the Father said, instead of what others might say. We're all part of the Body of Christ, but Jesus doesn't speak only to crowds. He speaks to individuals. Put faith in what Jesus has said and then understanding will come, along with the fulfillment of what Jesus has said. We struggle with Grace, because we haven't applied faith to understand it. If we seek God, then His Grace and understanding of it will come, along with the freedom that Grace was meant for. Jesus has already provided everything by Grace. We only need to accept it by faith. Understanding will then come.
The only way we can come to any sort of understanding of God's Great Love and the Grace of our relationship with Him, is by faith. There's no real understanding with the natural man and man's sense knowledge. We can only see into the True heart of God, by the Spiritual force of faith. Religion tries understanding it by establishing rules and habitual rituals. Those who are taught this, are trying to qualify for what Grace has already theirs, like the people Paul wrote to. When we have faith in God's Grace, then understanding will come. Remember, it's by faith, we understand.
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