Sonship
“declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose” (Isa 46:10) “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by [his] Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the *universe. 3 *The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” (Heb 1:1-4 NIV) *see note below
Preface
I have been teaching that our vision of Christ in the Western Church is too small. This was confirmed by my recent visit to PNG, where I met a range of leaders, of different ages, from across Oceania. Repeatedly, we heard the Lord clearly and saw his hand move in difficult circumstances. This all-encompassing “testimony of Jesus” (Rev 19:10) has continued since I returned home, and dimensions of it are contained in this teaching.
Coming Youth Revival
In 2003, following an unexpected and undesired visionary experience, when I “saw” crowds of young people worshipping Jesus, I wrote a series of seven teachings on youth revival (e.g. https://cross-connect.net.au/coming-youth-revival-6/.) Today, across the planet, an interconnected generation, especially Gen Z (approx. 13-28 years old), is being marvelously awakened by the Spirit to form as a missions-force for the world (https://au.linkedin.com/in/amit-khaira-08898b234). This has already been decreed in the heavenlies, as it was in the time of the Jesus Movement 50+ years ago, when I was unexpectedly converted. A question yet remains. Will the older generation of Church leaders’ father/mother this dynamic move of God (1 Thess 2:7-12), or futilely attempt to control the upcoming generation! The answer depends on how all of us see Jesus!
Expounding the Dimensions of Jesus
The Lord has been directing my attention to the relatively neglected (cf. John 1; Col 1) words of Heb 1:1-4. Whilst most English versions translate verse 2 as “the Son….made the world/worlds/universe”, the word used is actually “eons” αἰῶνας or “ages”. Surprisingly, the Amplified Bible carries the sense, Christ created “the universe as a space-time-matter continuum”. The absolute supremacy of Jesus over all that has been created in space and time is expressed even more potently when we understand that in verse 3 “theSon” does not appear in the original Greek text. The text simply says, “who/hos/ὃς is the radiance pf God’s glory…upholding all things by the word of his power”. It is the Incarnate Son (John 1:14) who in omnipotent divine-human power of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3) guides all things made to their appointed destiny in himself. The Church is called to share in this sovereignty of Jesus through prayer and the Spirit. Such realities, however, have been neglected amongst us. In Pt Moresby the Lord brough two quotations to mind which highlight the fossilisation of much contemporary Evangelical religion. The father of Protestant liberalism, Friedrich Schleiermacher, compared the doctrine of propositional revelation, beloved by conservative believers (https://acl.asn.au/resources/propositional-revelation/), to the cooling of dynamic flowing lava (https://www.ccel.org/ccel/s/schleiermach/religion/cache/religion.pdf.). Even more cuttingly, neo-orthodox scholar Emil Brunner said, ”The age of (Protestant) Orthodoxy appears like a frozen waterfall—mighty shapes of movement, but no movement.” I believe these descriptions apply to many of us! In relation to “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13) into which “the 5-fold ministry of the Church” baptises us in Word-Spirit, our vision is way too small. Let me illustrate.
Son Beyond Limits
Whilst listening in PNG to three successive testimonies of Christ’s power to resist demonised people and to raise the dead (literally), the Spirit strangely whispered, “you experience these as consecutive events across time and space but in Jesus they are simultaneous”. Simultaneous, not in the ordinary earthly life of Jesus, but in his resurrection from the dead and birthing of the new creation in himself. This complex philosophical idea of the glorification of the humanity of the Son of God is fully orthodox, even if rare in Protestant circles. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity) I believe that the Spirit of Jesus shared this incarnation with me because the Incarnation relativises everything beyond the Gospel in a way that magnifies Christ so that, “in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 4:11) All things across time and space revolve around the Sonship of our exalted Lord, and this is something he shares with us! “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.”” (Rom 8:15). The implications of this insight are massive.
Impact
As the fullness of Godhead in a human person, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” (Col 2:9-10), Jesus is the door wide open between heaven and earth uniting in himself these 2 “realities”. Christ is the King/Lord (1 Cor 2:8; Rev 19:16) reigning over the glory God the Father planned from eternity for a soon to be resurrected universe (Matt 19:28). As surely as he stilled the demonically induced storm, “he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39), Jesus will soon awaken all the saints from the sleep of death (Dan 12:2-3) bringing in an eternal reign of absolute peace bought by the blood of the cross (Col 1:19-20). Praise the Lord in all things, Hallelujah Amen. The Spirit is presently “thinning out” of the gap between heaven and earth so that he might issue in a great end times move of God. The presence of the Lord will be experienced as very close and resistance to his Word will dramatically diminish (Isa 40:2), for any presence of Word-Spirit will communicate the truth that the Jesus experienced is limitlessly eternal containing the totality of the authority of the Godhead; “all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore…” (Matt 28:18:19).
Conclusion
The finished work of Christ” includes his coming, death, resurrection, ascension and reign at the right hand of the POWER of heaven (Mark 14:62). The trivialities of modern Church life we have been accustomed to will soon become a thing of the past as we will witness a global awakening. This will not come easily but through the so-called “birth pangs of the Messiah” (Matt 24; Col 1:24 etc.). Let us press on then in faith, hope, love and expectation in the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ.