WHOSE WORLD

                  

Whose world is it anyway? The powers of darkness appear to be gaining ascendancy every day as the antichrist spirit grows in the Earth. John wrote “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” Is that the way it’s supposed to be?

Many Christians accept that it is.  As one song says “This world is not my home I’m just passing through.” Some are more than ready to abandon the world in the Rapture Rescue any time now. Jesus will sort things out when He comes back. Meanwhile the devil runs rampant through the Earth doing what he does so well.  “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.”

Some Christians are endeavouring to salt the Earth and wherever they do, some gains are made. In the Transformation series we saw what can happen when Christians pray persistently and make a stand.  But is this a battle we can win?

One of the things I believe is lacking in the Church [the Body of Christ] is a clear unified Biblical world view.  I stress Biblical world view.  One of the biggest lies which the “father of lies” has foisted on us is that the world somehow created itself and we are just the result of a cosmic accident.  Some people mange to put God in the picture as guiding the “evolutionary” process and still come to faith in Christ.  They are saved, but their ability to understand the will and purposes of God for the Earth is limited. Another strategy of the enemy is camouflage – having us believe that he just doesn’t exist; that the concept of the devil and spiritual forces of wickedness is all just myth and superstition.  

This of course muddies the waters considerably.  If we’re going to come up with answers, we need to get back to a true Biblical worldview.  If we don’t know that there was a Fall and what was lost there, then we won’t know what the Cross has restored. It is only as we come back to accepting the Bible in its entirety as the Word of God, that it begins to open up and bring revelation. More than ever we need to see the world as God sees it. 

So, Whose world is it?

* It’s God’s world because He created it. “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” [Genesis 1:1] He created a beautiful Earth where everything was in harmony.  It was an extension of Heaven and the Kingdom of God was “On Earth as it is in Heaven.” If we want to know what is God’s will for us , we have only to look back to how things were before the Fall, no sickness, poverty, war, or hate etc, It was Heaven on Earth. The Earth as we see it now is far from being what God intended.

* It’s Man's world because God gave him dominion over it.

“The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men.”  Psalm 115;16

It was God’s intention that Man in right relationship with Himself  should administer the Earth.  The command was to fill the Earth, subdue it and have dominion over it. Genesis 1:28. 

God has not reversed His original intention.  Having given the Earth to Man, He continues to honour that.

“The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable”  Romans 11:29

This is a very important point and one which will explain a great many things. When tragedy strikes, the question arises “Why would God allow such a thing to happen?” God is blamed for everything that goes wrong because, after all “God He is sovereign” so whatever happens must be His will.  God is sovereign but in His sovereignty He has given the Earth to Man and will not intervene in the Earth without invitation. THIS EXPLAINS THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER.

Jesus demonstrated this principle in Mark 6;48 when the disciples were in trouble on the sea and He “would have passed them by.” [see also Luke 24;28].  He waited for invitation. He stands at the door and knocks. [Revelation 3:20] He doesn’t break the door down.

God never forces His will on us. Always, when He wishes to do something in the Earth, He reveals His plan to people of faith and seeks their co-operation.  Then, working with them and through them, He accomplishes His will. God gives a word [a rhema], Man obeys, miracles happen. Read Hebrews 11 and check this out.

Many Christians think that there is little they can do about what happens in the Earth and adopt a “bystander” attitude, just waiting to see what God will do, when all the while God is waiting for us to open the way for His will to be done. He doesn’t just blast out of the sky and do things, He waits for our invitation and co-operation. God reveals His on-going will to us by bringing new light on the Word.

“ He that has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit IS saying to the Churches.”  As the Church lays hold of and moves into that truth, so God’s will is accomplished.

So let’s restate this very important principle.  God’s original intention was for Man in right relationship with God should have dominion over the Earth and administer it for Him.  However that relationship was broken.

* It is satan’s world because Man transferred his allegiance to him. [he doesn’t get a capital “S” only at the beginning of a sentence]. Satan is now “the god of this age” [2 Corinthians 4:4], “the ruler of this world” [John 16:11], “the prince of the power of the air” [Ephesians 2;2], and “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”[1 John 5:19]

Over every nation there are principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness,”[Ephesians 6:12] dedicated to preserving satan’s grip on the Earth.  We see this in Daniel 10.  The messenger sent in answer to Daniel’s prayer [v13] was delayed because “the prince of the kingdom of Persia.” [the demonic power over Persia] prevented him and the Archangel Michael had to come and help him.” As Daniel continued to pray the answer came.

The throne of God is depicted as being in the 3^rd Heaven [2 Corinthians 12:2].  Between the Earth and the 3rd Heaven lies the domain of “the prince of the power of the air.” [Ephesians 2:2]Satan keeps the world in spiritual blindness while the powers of darkness ravage the Earth.  Jesus came to change all that.

NEXT:    BRINGING THE WORLD BACK TO GOD