In the grand tapestry of God's redemptive history, the apostle Paul illuminates the profound transformation brought about by Jesus Christ, the second Adam. Unlike the first Adam, whose rebellion ushered in a cascade of curses upon humanity and creation, Jesus' obedience precipitates an abundance of grace that restores and redeems. This divine reversal is the foundation for reigning in life through Christ, a concept Paul articulates masterfully in his epistles, particularly in his power prayers. By understanding our identity, purpose, provision, power, and authority in Christ, believers are empowered to live victoriously.
The Spiritual Coup d'État
Adam's rebellion mirrors Satan's fall from grace, both marked by a desire to usurp the Creator's authority. In Isaiah, Lucifer declares, "I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:14, NKJV). Similarly, the serpent tempts Eve with the promise, "You will be like God" (Genesis 3:5, NKJV). Both Lucifer and Adam sought to elevate themselves, leading to their expulsion from paradise—one from heaven, the other from Eden. This spiritual coup d'état underscores the catastrophic impact of attempting to dethrone the Creator.
In the temptation of Christ, Satan offers Jesus authority over all the kingdoms of the world, claiming, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish" (Luke 4:6, NKJV). The Greek term used here for "delivered" (παραδίδωμι, paradidomi) conveys a sense of betrayal by treason, reinforcing the idea of a spiritual coup d'état on earth paralleling the one in heaven. According to A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, παραδίδωμι means "to hand over, betray" (BDAG, 3rd ed.).
Hence, the Lord's Prayer ("Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" - Matthew 6:10, NKJV) is a divine call to realign humanity with its Creator, reflecting a prodigal son’s restoration to the Father's love and forgiveness.
The Fall and Its Consequences
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, draws a stark contrast between the actions of Adam and Jesus: "For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17, NKJV). Adam's sin was not a mere lapse but a spiritual coup d'état, a rebellion that unleashed a domino effect of sin and death throughout generations and creation. As the covenant head of the Earth, Adam's disobedience subjected all of humanity and the world to the curse of sin.
The curse of the law, as detailed in Deuteronomy 28, outlines the consequences of creation being separated from its Creator due to Adam's sin. The separation brought about by disobedience resulted in curses, such as sickness, poverty, and conflict, which are manifestations of a world alienated from God's blessing and protection. Deuteronomy 28:47 attributes these curses to the people because they "did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything."
This highlights that the sinful condition of fallen man, devoid of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, attracted all the ungodly horrors of darkness: death and destruction in all its forms. As children of the devil (cf. John 8:44), by nature they magnetically attracted the wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23, NKJV). They were unregenerate and not sealed or filled with the Holy Spirit, making them spiritually incompatible with light.
Dr. Douglas J. Moo, in his The Epistle to the Romans, elucidates this point by highlighting that "Adam's transgression set in motion the reign of death, but Christ’s act of righteousness inaugurates the reign of life" (Moo, 1996). This contrast underscores the monumental impact of Christ's obedience in reversing the curse initiated by Adam.
The Abundance of Grace in Christ
However, where sin abounded, grace abounded much more (Romans 5:20). Jesus Christ, through His perfect obedience and sacrificial death, overturned the curse and ushered in an era of grace. This abundance of grace is not merely a theological concept but a dynamic, transformative power that enables believers to reign in life. It is the reversal of the Fall, the restoration of creation, and the empowerment of humanity to live in the fullness of God's blessing. "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17, NKJV).
Dr. N.T. Wright, a renowned New Testament scholar, emphasizes in Paul and the Faithfulness of God that "God’s grace in Christ overturns the reign of sin and death, establishing a new creation in which believers are called to participate actively. This participation is marked by a new identity and a new purpose, empowered by the Spirit" (Wright, 2013).
Pauline Power Prayers: A Pathway to Empowerment
Paul's prayers in his epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians serve as a blueprint for believers to access and manifest this grace. These prayers are rich with themes of identity, purpose, provision, power, and authority:
Identity: Paul prays "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:17-18, NKJV). This prayer for believers' eyes to be opened is an ironic reversal of fortunes. Unlike Adam and Eve's eyes being opened in the Garden (Genesis 3:7), which led to spiritual blindness, Paul's prayer seeks spiritual awakening. Adam and Eve became blinded to their true identity, becoming self-conscious (aware of their nakedness) instead of God-conscious. Paul himself experienced scales falling from his eyes, symbolizing the removal of spiritual blindness (Acts 9:18). The prayer in Ephesians is for an awakening to righteousness, with "the eyes of their understanding being enlightened." Other translations render this more accurately as "the eyes of their inner person (spirit) being enlightened" (AMP). The Greek word for "understanding" here is καρδία (kardia), which means the inner person or the heart. The point is that Adam and Eve became blinded to their true identity, becoming self-conscious (of their nakedness) instead of God-conscious. We became enemies of God in our minds and our hearts were darkened from this separation by sin (Ephesians 4:18).
Purpose: "That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10, NKJV). God's provision, both spiritual and material, is intricately linked to our purpose. As heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, we have access to His glorious inheritance.
Provision: "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19, NKJV). God's provision is both spiritual and material, intricately linked to our purpose. As heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, we have access to His glorious inheritance.
Power: "That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy" (Colossians 1:9-11, NKJV). This power is the same that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at the right hand of God, far above all principality and power (Ephesians 1:20-21).
Authority: "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, NKJV). This prayer emphasizes the practical outworking of faith empowered by God's strength.
Dr. Clinton E. Arnold, in his Ephesians: Power and Magic, explains that "Paul’s emphasis on power is designed to encourage believers in their struggle against the powers of darkness by highlighting the surpassing greatness of God's power available to them through Christ" (Arnold, 1989). This empowerment is crucial for believers to understand their authority in Christ and to live out their divine calling.
A New Way of Living: Spirit and Truth
A key component to these prayers is divorcing oneself from a programmatic, mechanistic religious approach to righteousness and marrying oneself to Christ through faith in His husbandry of the church as His bride and God's garden. Jesus emphasized this intimate relationship: "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him" (John 4:23-24, NKJV).
It is the indwelling presence of God through the Holy Spirit that enlivens and sustains our faith. Paul writes, "For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6, NKJV). This transformation moves us from the dead letter of the law to the new and living way of the Spirit of life in Christ: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2, NKJV).
Being led by the Spirit, who bears witness with our spirits that we are sons and daughters of God, gives us the assurance of our salvation and right standing with God: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16, NKJV).
Walking in this relationship means enjoying His leading, guidance, conviction, restoration, and progressive sanctification. Paul beautifully describes this process in his letter to the Romans: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14, NKJV). This daily walk with God in Spirit and in truth is where we experience the fullness of life and empowerment to reign.
The Historical Impact of Christ’s Redemption
When we look back in history through the corridor of time, from the cross until now, humanity is measurably better off by virtually every metric. As Scott Adams notes in Loserthink, "The arc of history bends toward improvement," and the advancements we've seen align with the transformative power of Christ's redemption. By examining the alleviation of poverty, the advancement of civil rights, the reduction of world hunger, the decrease in violent crime, the reduction of wars, and the advancement of medicine and innumerable technologies, we witness a progressive sanctification of humanity. Jordan Peterson, in 12 Rules for Life, highlights that the influence of Christian ethics has been pivotal in shaping Western civilization's moral and legal frameworks, contributing to human flourishing. Tom Holland, in Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, argues that Christianity's emphasis on the inherent dignity and worth of every individual has been a driving force behind many social reforms.
Paul's writings about the resistance of the deposed rulers are consistent with these continual convulsions throughout human history, which can also be likened to a global form of progressive sanctification. He writes, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). These rulers are "coming to naught" through the finished work of Christ, who made the ultimate sacrifice to absorb all condemnation and the legal power of death and the devil over humanity: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13, NKJV). "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15, NKJV).
Reigning in Life Through Grace
Paul's exhortation to the Ephesian elders encapsulates the essence of reigning in life: "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32, NKJV). The word of His grace is not only the source of our empowerment but also the means by which we receive our inheritance.
By immersing ourselves in the word of His grace and praying Paul's prayers, we become more conscious of our identity in Christ, our purpose, the provision available to us, the power at our disposal, and the authority we have to exercise that power. This conscious awareness transforms our lives, enabling us to reign victoriously in every sphere.
Conclusion
The journey from the fall of Adam to the redemption in Christ is a journey from curse to blessing, from death to life, from defeat to victory. As believers, we are called to reign in life through the abundance of grace bestowed upon us by Jesus Christ. By embracing our identity, purpose, provision, power, and authority in Him, we can live out the reality of His kingdom on earth, manifesting His love, hope, and empowerment to the world around us.
The Path to Salvation and Reconciliation with God
Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, offers the path to salvation and reconciliation with God. By acknowledging His lordship and believing in His resurrection, individuals enter into the transformative reality of the Trinity, fostering justice, equality, and love in all aspects of life.
To accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, simply confess with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. This simple act of faith brings you into a living relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, offering eternal life and the peace of knowing God: "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9, NKJV).
References
The New King James Version (NKJV) Bible
Jind, Jai. "Paul's Prayers of Empowerment: Identity, Purpose, Provision, Power, and Authority in Christ Jesus." Jai Jind.
Jind, Jai. "The Ontological Dependence in Three Domains of Existence." Jai Jind.
Wright, N.T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians: Power and Magic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989.
Adams, Scott. Loserthink: How Untrained Brains Are Ruining America. Portfolio, 2019.
Peterson, Jordan B. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. Random House Canada, 2018.
Holland, Tom. Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. Basic Books, 2019.
By delving into the profound truths of Paul's teachings and embracing the transformative power of grace, we step into our rightful place as heirs of God's kingdom, equipped to reign in life through Jesus Christ.
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