God is Spirit, and, we see in Jesus, that God has a body. The Bible says, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...so God created man in his own image...male and female created He them". So, we were created like God in His different dimensions.
Man was given dominion over the earth and over all living things in it. The Bible says, "And let them have dominion...over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth". God blessed man and spoke to them and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion...over every living thing that moveth upon the earth"(Gen.1:26-28).
So, we see that in the very beginning, God created man just like Himself, and told man to have dominion over every living thing on the earth. In other words, God gave man the management rights over all the earth.
Please take note of this all-important, foundational truth. Until we fully understand that God has given the management rights over to man, then we will constantly be blaming God for a lot of stuff for which we are responsible.
Whether we run a red light ignorantly or on purpose, and we end up in a crash, God didn't allow it; we were ignorantly acting in violation of some set laws or, we were acting irresponsibly by an irresponsible decision.
Whether we like it or not, we are responsible for our lives. We can choose to live our lives in God's presence under His direction and with His blessing, or, we can do our own thing apart from His direction, under the curse, and suffer the consequences. If we make our choices apart from Him, let us not say "God allowed it" when the pretty house we built comes crashing down.
We must understand. There is no such thing as fate and luck. Those are concepts dreamed up by man as a way to try to skirt his responsibility before God. There is the curse that comes from the law on sin, and there is the blessing of God upon those who submit to His light, and His way of doing things.
If we clearly understand these things, then we can know where we stand in relation to God, to ourselves, to our fellow man, and to the world around us, and, we will clearly understand that if we make those decisions that don't line up to the blessing of God, then we will understand why we are experiencing the curse of the law on sin.
It is no deep, dark, mystery. If we are willing to lay aside the little mind games that we play with ourselves and with God, we will come to know the truth. If we aren't willing to do that, then let us not blame God for the mess that occurs in our lives.
The Bible says in 1 Cor.2.12 that God gives us His Spirit so that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. If we refuse to walk in the fulness of His Spirit, then let us not blame God for our ignorance and calamity.
If we clearly understand that we are responsible, and that we can come to Him to receive His Spirit, His enlightenment, and His direction for our lives, then we are on the road to true blessing, both here and hereafter.
This understanding must be foundational in us for us to properly understand what is going on in us and around us. This truth operates on a personal level or on an international level, between nations. Man is responsible to come to God and do it His way, or, man will suffer the consequences of doing it his own way.
JOB
People have interpreted that "God allowed" Satan to afflict Job. They say, "God did it!" But Job had some areas of his life for which he needed to repent. (We can all identify with Job to some degree, can't we.) If Job had not had these areas in his life, Satan could not have touched him (Job 42:6).
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not" (1 Jn.5:18).
Job did not know that he needed to repent. The Bible even declares Job to be a righteous man, walking in all the light he had at the time, but, Satan took advantage of those areas of Job's ignorance. Satan began afflicting Job, and with the temptation, with the trial that hit Job, God immediately began showing Job some things about himself that he did not know. This is the way God is.
"God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation [trial] also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Cor.10:13--brackets mine).
When Job's heart was finally open, in spite of Job's reasoning and in spite of the "ministry" of his friends, when God was finally able to show Job the open door in his life to Satan's afflictions, Job repented and the door was closed. God was able to use Job to set his friends free by his praying for them, and God was able to bless Job with twice more than he had before, and, he lived to be an old man in spite of Satan's attempts to destroy him. We see in this that God did not allow Satan to do all he desired to do, even though there was an open door in Job's life for him to do what he did. God restrained Satan. He didn't commission him to afflict Job! (Job 2:1-10; 42:1-6, 10-17; see also Ps.91).
Satan is always the tempter. God is always the blesser. Sin and death always comes when man cooperates with the enticements of the tempter. "Let no man say when he is tempted [put into trial], I am tempted [put into this trial] of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted [put into trial], when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren [Make no mistake about this]. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (Jas.1:13,14--brackets mine). In other words, you can always count on God being the "blesser", and never the "tempter". When we cooperate with the calling of the "blesser", then we receive every good and perfect gift from God.
PAUL
People have interpreted that "God allowed" Paul's thorn in the flesh. They say, "God did it!" But the Bible plainly says that this "thorn" was a messenger that Satan gave him to "buffet" him, to constantly oppose his life and ministry. Satan did this because of the abundance of revelations that God had given Paul. In the midst of this trial, Paul earnestly sought God on the matter three times. He did not just passively resign to God's "sovereignty". Because Paul earnestly sought the Lord, God was able to teach Paul a lesson on "grace" that brought total deliverance in Paul's life. Because Paul learned how to put God's all-sufficient grace into practice, Paul lived to be an old man with a life-long fruitful ministry in spite of all the opposition, and, he is still winning millions of souls to Jesus today. Satan never stopped Paul. Neither is he to stop us. (2 Cor.12:5-10; Ac.28:30,31; Philemon vs.9; 2 Tim.3:11; 4:17,18).
THE SOVEREIGN GOD
God is sovereign over all. Yes, and in that sovereignty, he has given man full control and responsibility for his own life and for the management of this earth. He has given man the keys to the kingdom of heaven, so that "whatsoever" man binds on earth is bound in heaven, and "whatsoever" man looses on earth is loosed in heaven. That's a lot of authority!
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven"(Matt.16:19).
Man can choose to walk with God, or, walk on his own.
Many men have chosen to walk with God, and as soon as they did, they suffered an all-out assault from Satan, with him attacking them on the grounds of the twisted religious lie that "God allowed it". When Satan got through with the man, he was thoroughly disallusioned with God, he blamed God for all the bad stuff in his life, and in time, he ran away from God--when all the time it was Satan assaulting him. God was working to set him free and bless him and use him to set others free by His power, but Satan, just like he did in the Garden, uses a lie to give a man a false concept of God, thereby causing the man to turn away from God.
This teaching of "God allows it", makes God out to be a cruel, sadistic, blind potentate who sits high up on His golden, religious throne, insensitive to the cries and sufferings of hurting humanity.
JESUS CHRIST
When we look at the life of Jesus, who the Bible says is the full reflection of who the Father is, we don't get this picture at all. Rather, we see a human being, filled with the Spirit of God, going about in power and dominion, setting the whole creation free to praise God and rise up in that rightful place of freedom from sin, sickness, and Satan's dominion.
"God...hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person...anointed...with the Holy Ghost and power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Heb.1:3; Acts 10:38).
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The Good News of the kingdom of God is that Jesus Christ has come to restore man to his full position of dominion and authority for good on earth. Man is to have full dominion over all sin, self, Satan, sickness, and sorry circumstances. This is what Jesus taught and demonstrated. And, the early church demonstrated this through those human vessels who chose to yield to the Holy Spirit, to be used by Him to accomplish this.
Satan does not like this Good News, so he resists it. He "buffets". He lies. He divides. He arranges traps. He persecutes. He kills. And he does this through any of us, if we line up to his thoughts and ways by our choices.
So, we are in an arena of warfare. In the spirit realm, it is Satan's spirit and his angels warring against God's Spirit and His angels. In the flesh realm, it is those people who are lined up to the spirit and ways of Satan, warring against those people who are lined up to the Spirit and ways of God.
SATAN'S RELIGIOUS KINGDOM
The warfare becomes more complex when Satan gets religious. He comes in sheep's clothing, but inside the religious facade are vicious teachings that will completely undermine our faith and love toward God. He reduces our simple, child-like faith and trust in God to a craven fear and a doubting distrust. He reduces our love toward God to a set of legalistic rules of do's and don't's. Then, by fear and distrust, and by a legalistic, controlling spirit, we go around blaming everybody else, afraid to take responsibility for ourself, and, we try to control everybody and everything around us because we don't know how to trust God and His Word and just flow in His way of doing things.
It was by Satan feeding man a lie in the Garden, that fear was introduced into the human race, and Adam started ruling over Eve. Satan uses this same technique today in many varied forms, and, the same results are produced: out of fear, in it's many, many ways and expressions, we go around taking a perverted dominion over everything and everybody, seeking to control other people's lives, rather than offering them guidiance into the love, faith, righteousness, and self control found in the ways and wisdom of God (Gen.3:16; 1 Tim.2:15; Acts 24:25).
WHICH KINGDOM DOES IT COME FROM?
The test of all spirits, including our own, and of all doctrines and teachings is this: Does it confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh?
"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God...hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 Jn.4:1-6).
The Spirit of God teaches the truth, that God comes in the flesh, into man, to rule and reign in all His dominion, power, and glory. This is what Jesus Christ demonstrated, choosing to lay His life down, so there could come a whole race of people who would be filled with the Spirit of God, the fulfillment of the visions of the prophets of old. This is a whole race of people who choose to lay their life down at the feet of Jesus, and who choose to yield to God's full power, so that God is able to accomplish, through them, on this earth what He so desires. God desires to work through a people to set every person free from sin, sickness, Satan, suffering, and all the sorry circumstances that man has made for himself. It is as it is written of Jesus in Acts 10:37,38:
"That word...ye know...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (italics mine).
This is what Jesus did, and, this is what we are to do.
We need to see, from the Word, that God doesn't allow so many of the things that goes on in the earth. God, in His sovereignty, has given man the management rights to the earth, and man, through the work of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, is to be the instrument, even in the face of all sorts of opposition from the enemy, to bring the kingdom of God on earth today. Man, by walking with God, is to bring the rulership of God on earth today.
AUTHORITY
All "power" or authority is given unto Jesus. Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations...and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt.28:18-20). Notice, we are to go. He promised to be with us. He has ordained that everything He does, He will do it through man. It is what mandoes that looses God or looses Satan, or, it binds God or binds Satan. That's the position of authority that God gave man on earth.
Jesus, who has all authority, holds the keys of hell and death in Revelation 1:18, and we find Him telling Peter that He gives him the keys to the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 16:19, giving him the power to bind or loose "whatsoever".
Considering these things, since Jesus Himself is with the believer always, we see that man carries "all authority" with him. This is an awesome responsibility!
So, what we, as a people on earth, "allow", what we do, that is what happens. What we refuse to "allow", what we don't do, will not happen on earth. God gave that position and responsibility to us.
Now, in the realm of "natural disasters", we can observe this: Jesus rebuked the storm, there are no storms, earthquakes, etc., in heaven, and Jesus told us to pray "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matt.6:10). Also notice, that as sin increases, as the activity of Satan increases, so does natural disasters, plagues, etc. The Bible tells how the people who are obedient to God are blessed of God so they have their good growing seasons and abundant harvests and are protected from disaster (Deut.28). So, according to the Word, it still goes back to man's choices and what man allows. When man chooses to line up with sin and the ways of Satan, then he puts himself under God's wrath that rests on sin and Satan. God doesn't put man under His wrath. Man must choose to be under God's wrath, which is His wrath on sin and Satan. God offers man mercy and "grace".
GRACE
Here, we need to understand grace, for it was the revelation of grace that enabled Paul to successfully carry out his ministry even in the face of the adversity of the "thorn in the flesh" that had been given to him by Satan.
We need to understand that Satanwill oppose anybody taking a place of authority in Christ Jesus, whose heart is to go into the enemy's territory to set the captives free. He will try to tear their health down. He will try to tear their family apart. He will try to wreck their finances. Any open door he can find to destroy that person in any way, he will go through it and do all the damage he can.
We also need to understand that where sin abounds, and where Satan abounds, grace does much more abound. It is in our weakness, in the face of spiritual forces that are stronger than us, that the grace of God shines the brightest.
This is the lesson that Paul learned. In fact, Paul learned to draw on the grace of God so effectively, that he even learned to take pleasure in weaknesses, in adversities, and in trials, for it was in these "weaknesses" that God's strength was "perfected"in him! (2 Cor.12:9,10). As a result, Paul finished his course victoriously, doing all the will of God for his life on earth, and, he did it in a spirit of praise, worship, and victory before God, overcoming all things (2 Tim.4:7).
So, let's see what grace is. Grace is the unlimited life, power, gifts, abilities, nature, and provisions of God imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the complete righteousness and the finished sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, because of His love for us and His mercy toward us, to enable us to do all the will of God on earth here and now, with a victorious spirit of excellence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving unto God, thereby overcoming all things in order to go and make disciples of all nations.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
In 2 Cor.12:1-10, we have an inside account of God revealing His all-sufficient grace to Paul in the face of a pressing adversary. Quoting verse 7:
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure."
First, we need to understand that God created us in His image, just like Him, and placed us in the earth to rule and reign for good, with God (Gen.1:26-28).
Next, we need to understand that it is God's purpose to exalt us, to lift us up, to set us as a light on top of a hill, so that people will see a demonstration that God is a caring God , and that He has come to set all people free in every way. (Deut.28:13; Ps.37:34; Matt.5:14,15; Jas.4:10; 1 Pet.5:6.)
Next, we need to see that God gives an abundance of revelations in order to exalt us in the earth. "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God...that...God...may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened..."
(1 Cor.2:10-12; Eph.1:16-18).
Now, understand that Satan does not want us to receive the revelation of the truth that sets us free, and he does not want us to be exalted by the hand of God. Anyone who will receive the revelations that God will give, Satan will oppose, because he knows they are destined to be exalted by the hand of God to bring deliverance to others, even to multitudes. He has seen it happen too many times.
When God's people get properly "exalted", multitudes get saved, healed, delivered, and unified. Jesus was "highly exalted", and we see the fruitfulness of His ministry. The early church was exalted by the hand of God, and we see the multitudes of changed lives through their ministry. They had the reputation of turning the world upside down for Jesus (Phlp.2:9; Acts 17:6).
Satan does not want God's people to be exalted, so he "buffets" them to keep them down. He gives them all the static he can. Sometimes his "static" is persecution, and sometimes he just trys to keep us rocked to sleep with "the good life". He always has resisted people living in the truly abundant life and eternal blessing of God, and he always will, until we completely put him under our feet.
HOW PAUL OVERCAME HIS "THORN IN THE FLESH"
Paul began asking God to get Satan off his back. And, in due time, because Paul earnestly sought the Lord on the matter, God revealed to Paul that he had already been given everything he needed to get Satan off his own back himself.
Paul was asking God to do something, and God told Paul to do something with that which had already been imparted to Paul through the Holy Spirit-anointed Jesus who was living in him, through all-sufficient grace.
Now, let's review "grace" again: Grace is the unlimited life, power, gifts, abilities, nature, and provisions of God imparted to us by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the complete righteousness and the finished sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, because of His love for us and His mercy toward us, to enable us to do all the will of God on earth here and now, with a victorious spirit of excellence, praise, worship, and thanksgiving unto God, thereby overcoming all things in order to go and make disciples of all nations.
Considering our definition of grace, now hear God's reply to Paul: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness". In other words, "Paul, I havegiven you My life, power, supernatural gifts of the Spirit, My abilities, and My nature, to enable you to overcome all things and do all the will of God for your life on earth."
Paul came to see that God had already given him the power of deliverance from his thorn in the flesh, and that it was in his weaknesses that he could draw on God'sability and always receive deliverance whenever he needed it! God has made us kings and priests on earth to rule and reign with Him through Jesus Christ unto victory on every hand. We are to overcome the accuser of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, by laying our life down at the feet of Jesus to do all the will of God on earth ( Rev.1:6; 5:10; 12:10,11).
Paul did this, and see what he told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:11; 4:17,18:
"Persecutions, afflictions...what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me...the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by methe preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Italics mine).
Paul related how God had delivered him from all persecutions and afflictions, and, he was boldly confident that God would deliver him from every evil work. How could he say this? Because he knew how to draw on the grace of God that had been given to him. He lived by grace. All that he did, he knew it was just God's life in him that was doing the work.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor.15:10).
What a way to live!--Living in the supernatural God-life!IF THERE IS ANYTHING WORTH LEARNING TO DO, IT IS LEARNING TO LIVE BY THE GRACE OF GOD! This is not some rinky-dink reticent religious social club. This is fullness of life and health in spirit, soul, and body, and in every other way, and not being ashamed of it, neither before princes nor paupers. This is "go-power", not just ear-tickling talk. This is the abundant life that God has provided for us in Christ Jesus the Lord.
A NEW DIMENSION OF LIVING
We can live a life whipped around by the devil and his tormenting fears, or, we can boldly take a stand on the Word of God, and say, "No, I'll not worry and I'll not fear! God's Word is true, and He'll help me right here." Then, we give ourself to His Word and His Spirit unreservedly, and say, "O.K., Lord, I'm trusting You, now teach me what I need to know, and I'll give You all the praise and glory."
This new dimension of living is sort of like buying a computer. Here, you have a wonderful machine which can open up a whole new world and way of life for you. Information, communication, challenge, and just sheer pleasure, right at your fingertips.
But did you know, if you never give yourself to learn how to work with the computer, even though you own one, you can still spend the rest of your life with a set of 1948 encyclopedias, communicating by telegraph, and sitting around dull and bored saying, "WELL, GOD ALLOWED IT!!"
Oh! There is so much available to us in the Lord! Get up off your duff and get on your knees and say, "JESUS, I GIVE YOU MY LIFE. TEACH ME!"
Don't buy the devil's lie that makes you conceive of God as a religion! He hates religion. Religion misrepresents God to be something that He is not at all.
God is the Spirit of Life that is come to dwell in your flesh body and in your inner man to enable you to walk in His power both now and forever. He has come to be your closest companion in a very practical way every day, to help you with your work, to help you with your play, and to help you overcome, life's obstacles in every way. Now, you don't have to have Him, that's entirely up to you. But if you want full satisfaction, it's only hookin' up with Jesus, nothin' else will do.
CONCLUSION
When we get the over-all picture, then we understand that God has set it up so that it is up to man to allow or disallow something on earth. We can understand that this is properly done by God's grace, by God Himself imparted to us, forus to work with and under God's direction and in God's timing to accomplish God's will.
The devil has his "grace", too. With his spirits, he "fills" or "anoints" the people who are given to his ways, in order to accomplish his works. The world is full of his anointed ones.
By understanding this, then we can understand that God doesn't "allow" murder, wars, hatred, sickness, disease, and suffering, etc. Man allows this by the choices he makes. Man can choose to live the God-life, filled with God's Holy Spirit, and dominion and power, or, he can choose to live on the natural plane, being ruled over by every fear, disease, and distress and bondage and every oppressive Satanic spirit that comes along.
We can just sit there and look at our computer and just say, "Oh, it would be nice to be able to do all those good things that I know this machine can do. But I'm afraid that if I get involved in learning computer, somebody might think I am a computer fanatic!" Or, there might be some other fearful reason why we don't give ourself to learn how to work with the box.
Or, we can give ourself to learning, and doing, and experiencing the full reality of owning a computer.
It is up to each one of us to receive God's grace and give ourselves to walk in it, and so, be the man or woman that God has called us to be, living in the reality of God's presence and power here and now. It is up to each of us to give ourself to learning God, and to doing things with God, and so, experiencing the full reality of an intimate relationship with God Himself in our life.
It is up to each one of usto "allow" blessing or cursing in our own personal life, and on the face of the earth.
Let us not blame God for those God-less things that we, as people, have allowed.
It is our responsibility, privilege, and joy, to walk with God, and make a difference by "allowing" eternal good in this life, and in the life hereafter.
WE CAN START FRESH AND NEW, NOW
The blood of Jesus Christ stands ready to wash all our sins away, now. So, there is no sin nor shame that we can hide behind.
The Spirit of God stands ready to fill us with His presence, grace, and power, now. So, there is no weaknesses or inability we can hide behind.
God never condemns us--He only wants to bless us in every way. So, why would we not lay our whole life at His feet and say, "O.K. JESUS, YOU TAKE OVER MY LIFE. I'LL GO ALL THE WAY TO DO IT YOUR WAY!"
Then, with that commitment to Him, we get out that "computer manual" called the Bible, and we plug everything in and turn everything on, and so, receive the power by being filled with the Holy Spirit like they were in Acts chapter 2.
Then, as we need to know how to be cleansed of sin and freed from the bondage of destructive habits, we read in the book and follow the directions and do what it says to do, and we go free. As we need the continual infilling and release of the Spirit, then we read, and believe, and do what the manual says to do, and we stay filled with the Spirit. As we need a healing, then we read, and believe, and do what the manual says to do, and we are healed. As we need to obtain these things for others, then we read, and believe, and do what the manual says to do, and others go free.
Actually, it is all real simple. It is a basic three-step process. It is hear the Word, and believe it enough to confess it or speak it as our own, then, act upon it in obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit--and it happens.
It's just like operating that computer. You read, key it in, and you get it. Sometimes there is a waiting period due to extended workings in the CPU. But, a lot of the processes are instant manifestations.
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation...for the same Lord is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.10:8-10, 12,13).
God has "allowed" full deliverance to be available now to every person in every way. He has provided "salvation" or "deliverance" for our spirit, soul, body, finances, family, and in every way.
It is our decision to take it, or leave it.
The responsibility rests with each one of us.
If we choose against God's provisions, we can't say "God Allowed It".
If we choose to live in accordance with God's provisions in Christ Jesus, then we can say, "Praise the Lord, God changes me, and by God's grace, we can make a difference in this world for good." We are laborers together with God! (1Cor.3.9) He initiates His will, and we receive it and act on it. God provides and we abide, and His all-sufficient grace exalts us above every adversity.
Then we can say, "God allowed it", with all the praise, honor, glory, power, and dominion unto Him forever and ever. Amen!