(An excerpt from Volume 1 - THE GARDEN OF EDEN - Adam's Creation and His Spiritual and Physical Environments )

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God created the earth for His man and gave him authority to rule over all living creatures in the earth.

Genesis 1: 26-27 (NIV) - Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

For those who are filled with the Spirit of God and who love and devote their lives to Him, there is a great spiritual law in effect - divine spiritual power has preeminence over physical life. Spiritual life is a higher order of life, as compared to the lower order of physical life. Animals prior to the fall of man, in a perfect paradise, sensed the presence of the Spirit and became submissive to Adam. In the same way, fallen man when in the presence of angels (spiritual beings) become subordinate and submissive. This happened many times in the Old Testament. Carnal man sensed the higher order of the angels and reacted by bowing and trembling with fear. Fallen man is a lower order of creation to the angels.

Preeminent spiritual power to live eternally is only from God. Adam relinquished his preeminent power when he turned from God and obeyed carnal temptations. But, Christ Jesus returned this spiritual power back to God's family when He gave the keys to the kingdom to those who serve him - Matthew 16:19-20 (NIV) - I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." The indwelling presence of The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to represent Christ in the earth as His servants.

Likewise, carnal man (apart from God) is also ruled by spiritual influences or forces. In other words, the flesh follows after the spirit whether it is the unregenerate spirit of fallen man or the Holy Spirit. If the flesh follows after an unregenerate carnal spirit, man lives in a fallen state and he has no spiritual preeminence and he will exist only for a short period of time. If man follows after the Spirit of God, by faith he has spiritual preeminence and he will live forever. The Holy Spirit has preeminent authority in the spiritual realm.

Realizing this fact, A Christian who abides (lives) in Christ is equipped with authority through the Holy Spirit to represent Him in the earth for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Otherwise, Christianity could not succeed and the church of believers could not carry out Christ's commission to take the gospel of mercy and grace into all the world. Christ sits at the right hand of God in heaven because the Holy Spirit is present in the hearts of believers. Else, the church would have ceased to exist a long time ago.

The challenge for the Christian is to appropriate this fact in his thinking and live his life accordingly.

Christ will work with believers to develop their character to be like His. It's a work that is needed to prepare the Christian's involvement in the ministry of love and grace to those who are in need. Throughout this process of preparation the Holy Spirit empowers each Christian to successfully make this transformation in his thinking. He will grow to understand his relationship with Christ and the will of God for his life. Then he can undertake a purpose driven life for the glory and honor of Christ. He will be "in Christ" and Christ will be in him. If he is "in Christ", he is "in God" and God is in him - John 17:20-21(NIV) - "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (21) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. This is the place Christ is preparing each Christian - to abide in Him. This is the place of preeminent authority. Nothing can stop the church that is "in Him" from advancing kingdom of God - one soul at a time or multitudes at a time. Matthew 16:19 (KJV) - 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.

Physical healing by divine spiritual power is an example of this preeminence. From the very beginning, Adam's eternal life was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Genesis 2:7 (KJV) - And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, He indwells your spirit by the Holy Spirit and you are reborn as a new creation with spiritual authority to represent Jesus in the world.