30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 24 The abundant life
📖 Luke 16:19-31
27May2020 - *The abundant life* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _Genesis 2:16-17_
_Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented._
We have begun discussing as to why some people receive good things in life and others, evil things? Why is it that evil people seem to prosper, while innocent people suffer? Where is the justice of God? Why does not God invade into the situation and make corrections?
We have seen the uniqueness of man and woman in being regal authorities or representatives of God to govern and exercise the rule of God over His creation. Let us explore a little more into this setting.
In this relationship that man had with God, man had the privilege of knowing God more and more or growing in intimacy with Him. Paul explains this pursuit for us. _Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ._ Man was growing in His oneness with God.
Secondly, because of man’s growing relationship with God, man was also growing in maturity within himself. Man’s personality is complex but in growing intimacy with God, man was also developing in oneness within Himself. _Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Hebrews 4:9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God._
The third dimension of this life that God provided for man was the beautiful relationship that man and woman had with one another. Man and woman were equal in they being in the image of God but they were distinct from each other. They were to realise that they were both made of matter and both were of the Spirit of God. They were made to complement each other and to bond with each other and in their bonding, they would grow in the image of God both individually as well as in their bonding. The husband and wife relationship was set up as the framework for society to function in a wholesome manner. _Genesis 2:23-24 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." (24) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh._
Fourthly, man and woman together would be the regal authorities of God to govern and rule God’s creation on His behalf and in His image or character. (A picture of the governance of God is given in Leviticus 19) but the creation or cultural mandate was given to man and woman in _Genesis 1:26-28 (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."_ This was the blessing that man and woman received from God to be His regal authorities, exercising His rule over God’s creation.
This was the kingdom life or the shalom of God. For the Shalom of God to continue, God had made all the provision but it required man’s responsibility. God, therefore, planted the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden and gave this command to man. _Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; (17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."_
Man was given the responsibility to carry forward the plan and purposes of God over all of His creation. This responsibility also was the way man would make the choice to express His love relationship with God. If God had not placed this command on man, then man and God would not be on an equal footing. God gave this amazing privilege for man to be a co-worker along with Him and come into the communion of the triune God. _John 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me._
Man and woman had the honour to experience the shalom of God for a period. They could have continued. They had no reason to break away from the shalom of God or the kingdom relationship of God.
*Thought to ponder*
```Considering where we are today, do you see our fall?```