Why do we call Jesus "Lord"?
According to Christian cosmology, there are spiritual "principalities, powers, thrones, dominions"...all of which are or were ruled by God. But one of these principalities, the Prince of the Crescent Moon and the Morning Star, (whose name was translated as Lucifer in the Bible but ) the Prince who was the Covering Cherub in heaven, the Prince of Music, rebelled against God. He indulged in a kind of whispering campaign against God in the Third (highest) heaven and in the rebellion one-third of the spirit beings angels sided against God. They lost and were cast out of heaven.
Where were they sent?
Not sure of where they went. They seemed to be homeless...but not in hell. We are told that God created hell for the devil and the devil's angels but we don't know when God created hell for them.
In the beginning, God created the universe "but the earth has he given to the sons of men." The earth was a place where spirit and flesh met. God created a type of being called Man who were made in this three dimensional world and who would have a physicality made of the elements in this physical reality. He may have created other beings in other dimensions or out of other elements or in other universes but this particular being, Man, would be unique in all his creation because Man would be made in God's own image and likeness. Of course, the angels were also created in God's own image but there was something about Man that could contain all of God so that God could live within them. It would truly fulfill something the angels could not.
God also gave to this creation the power to decide what kind of creation it would be. They could become beings who could A) live without law, and choose life alone... and not die. Or B) they could understand good and evil, and live under a law. In heaven, there really is no "law." He gave them a hint, however by commanding them what not to do. He said Choose Life. He said there is no need for you to understand evil or what is evil. He said this because in heaven there is no evil, and no knowledge of evil. It's not that an angel cannot sin; it's more like if an angel sins God doesn't care. It is a world beyond the concept of sin-consciousness because all beings there understand that God's love and one's worth doesn't depend on one's goodness.
Satan decided to attack this creation. When? Why? Perhaps because of jealousy, perhaps because of hatred. It looks as if the rebellion had already occurred when he attacked this creation.
Anyway, the creation called Man was attacked subtly. Satan, urged them to choose to be beings who would have a consciousness of sin. God had declared all things good but Satan pretended to be giving the Man true light by urging them to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Light-bringer who is also the adversary. The more Man understands of morality the greater the ability to be judged and condemned, and the farther we move from the idea of God's all-accepting love. When Man chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he chose to live in a world where Sin mattered in their relationship with God. Such religions as Islam, Mormonism, Buddhism, Hinduism, are all connected to the tree of knowledge: how man behaves, what man knows. But what God wants is for Man to simply accept His love.
In the Psalms God said, "ye are gods." Jesus clarified this further by saying God called the people who had received the law "gods." Why? Because the law given to the Israelites was given as a way to counter the power of the tree of knowledge...by A) being a schoolmaster to show them they needed to trust God, the tree of life and B) being the earthly spouse...
Jesus existed before.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law Gal 4:4
The god of this world
Paul calls Satan, "the god of this world." John declares that "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one." Why? Because the First Adam had given up all his authority and dominion over the world to Satan when Adam gave in to the temptation. As a co-rebel with Satan, Adam now had no power.
Since Adam, the world had never had a perfect Man. He had tried to tempt this perfect Man in the wilderness. He said to Jesus, "All in this world is mine to give." Jesus did not dispute that but Jesus became the perfect human by never sinning against God. When Satan destroyed a perfect Son of Adam on the cross, he did something unlawful. For the first time, a perfect human had lived. Being sinless, He had the dominion given to Adam and he never lost it. The Pretender Prince had come in contact with a True Man, the Second Adam.
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man Romans 8:3
Jesus destroyed the power of the principalities over Men. He spoiled principalities and gave gifts to men. He became Lord of this earth. Jesus then translated those who trust Him as Lord out from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. By accepting "grace" which is symbolized as the tree of life, these people have given up the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" and the idea of working for God's love. There is no sin in the New Jerusalem and heaven because there is no law there. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is an earthly matter. Yes, the law endures forever, but those who belong to Christ are wedded to a new wife (unlike those who are wedded to the law) and are no longer under the rule of the schoolmaster. (Not sure about those who are outside the gates of the New Jerusalem and the City of God.)
He has not removed the seven seals on the scroll ownership of the world yet. Satan is still, "the god of this world."
By becoming the second Adam and the New Man, he created a whole new kind of humanity . Now we are kings and priests. As Lord, He is our Spiritual head, and He has returned authority and dominion to the sons of God.
He has given us authority over the earth, the spoiled principalities, sin, sickness. Now we can say boldly, "Let God's will be done on Heaven as it is done on earth."
For Christians, connection to God is not about being good in the world. It's about being translated out of this present evil world. In a very real way, Christians are no longer of the old earth.
Therefore when Christians say, Jesus is Lord, the implication is that Jesus has taken us out of the world, Jesus the Son of Man has become Lord over all lords (in addition to being Son of God.) At his knee, the demons must bow because a Man has regained and redeemed the World from out of the hand of the devil.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers Romans 8:29
According to Christian cosmology, there are spiritual "principalities, powers, thrones, dominions"...all of which are or were ruled by God. But one of these principalities, the Prince of the Crescent Moon and the Morning Star, (whose name was translated as Lucifer in the Bible but ) the Prince who was the Covering Cherub in heaven, the Prince of Music, rebelled against God. He indulged in a kind of whispering campaign against God in the Third (highest) heaven and in the rebellion one-third of the spirit beings angels sided against God. They lost and were cast out of heaven.
Where were they sent?
Not sure of where they went. They seemed to be homeless...but not in hell. We are told that God created hell for the devil and the devil's angels but we don't know when God created hell for them.
In the beginning, God created the universe "but the earth has he given to the sons of men." The earth was a place where spirit and flesh met. God created a type of being called Man who were made in this three dimensional world and who would have a physicality made of the elements in this physical reality. He may have created other beings in other dimensions or out of other elements or in other universes but this particular being, Man, would be unique in all his creation because Man would be made in God's own image and likeness. Of course, the angels were also created in God's own image but there was something about Man that could contain all of God so that God could live within them. It would truly fulfill something the angels could not.
God also gave to this creation the power to decide what kind of creation it would be. They could become beings who could A) live without law, and choose life alone... and not die. Or B) they could understand good and evil, and live under a law. In heaven, there really is no "law." He gave them a hint, however by commanding them what not to do. He said Choose Life. He said there is no need for you to understand evil or what is evil. He said this because in heaven there is no evil, and no knowledge of evil. It's not that an angel cannot sin; it's more like if an angel sins God doesn't care. It is a world beyond the concept of sin-consciousness because all beings there understand that God's love and one's worth doesn't depend on one's goodness.
Satan decided to attack this creation. When? Why? Perhaps because of jealousy, perhaps because of hatred. It looks as if the rebellion had already occurred when he attacked this creation.
Anyway, the creation called Man was attacked subtly. Satan, urged them to choose to be beings who would have a consciousness of sin. God had declared all things good but Satan pretended to be giving the Man true light by urging them to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Light-bringer who is also the adversary. The more Man understands of morality the greater the ability to be judged and condemned, and the farther we move from the idea of God's all-accepting love. When Man chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he chose to live in a world where Sin mattered in their relationship with God. Such religions as Islam, Mormonism, Buddhism, Hinduism, are all connected to the tree of knowledge: how man behaves, what man knows. But what God wants is for Man to simply accept His love.
In the Psalms God said, "ye are gods." Jesus clarified this further by saying God called the people who had received the law "gods." Why? Because the law given to the Israelites was given as a way to counter the power of the tree of knowledge...by A) being a schoolmaster to show them they needed to trust God, the tree of life and B) being the earthly spouse...
Jesus existed before.
Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phillipians 2: 5-11
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law Gal 4:4
The god of this world
Paul calls Satan, "the god of this world." John declares that "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one." Why? Because the First Adam had given up all his authority and dominion over the world to Satan when Adam gave in to the temptation. As a co-rebel with Satan, Adam now had no power.
Since Adam, the world had never had a perfect Man. He had tried to tempt this perfect Man in the wilderness. He said to Jesus, "All in this world is mine to give." Jesus did not dispute that but Jesus became the perfect human by never sinning against God. When Satan destroyed a perfect Son of Adam on the cross, he did something unlawful. For the first time, a perfect human had lived. Being sinless, He had the dominion given to Adam and he never lost it. The Pretender Prince had come in contact with a True Man, the Second Adam.
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man Romans 8:3
Jesus destroyed the power of the principalities over Men. He spoiled principalities and gave gifts to men. He became Lord of this earth. Jesus then translated those who trust Him as Lord out from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son. By accepting "grace" which is symbolized as the tree of life, these people have given up the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" and the idea of working for God's love. There is no sin in the New Jerusalem and heaven because there is no law there. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is an earthly matter. Yes, the law endures forever, but those who belong to Christ are wedded to a new wife (unlike those who are wedded to the law) and are no longer under the rule of the schoolmaster. (Not sure about those who are outside the gates of the New Jerusalem and the City of God.)
He has not removed the seven seals on the scroll ownership of the world yet. Satan is still, "the god of this world."
By becoming the second Adam and the New Man, he created a whole new kind of humanity . Now we are kings and priests. As Lord, He is our Spiritual head, and He has returned authority and dominion to the sons of God.
For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit , the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19-23
He has given us authority over the earth, the spoiled principalities, sin, sickness. Now we can say boldly, "Let God's will be done on Heaven as it is done on earth."
For Christians, connection to God is not about being good in the world. It's about being translated out of this present evil world. In a very real way, Christians are no longer of the old earth.
Therefore when Christians say, Jesus is Lord, the implication is that Jesus has taken us out of the world, Jesus the Son of Man has become Lord over all lords (in addition to being Son of God.) At his knee, the demons must bow because a Man has regained and redeemed the World from out of the hand of the devil.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Colossians 1: 13-19
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers Romans 8:29
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