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Growth and God’s Direct
Dominion
After Jesus was presented at
the Temple for circumcision, and upon his return to Nazareth it says
in,,
Luke 2:40 And the
child continued to grow
and become strong, increasing in wisdom;
and the Grace of God was upon Him.
Also at
the age of twelve after his discussions with the Elders in the Temple
it states in,
Luke 2:52 And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and
in favor with God and men.
From the time
of his birth, until the baptism of John, there are few details
about the first 30 years of Jesus life. Except that at the end of
those 30 years God would declare,
"This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased."
From this we can see that Jesus also had to pass through a
growth period.
The Old Testament also refers to his growing period.
Isaiah 7:14
"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a
virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His
name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows
enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse
evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be
forsaken."
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The period of growth where man is still immature in heart
and not yet living in oneness with God is a period we call the
Indirect Dominion of God. It’s period where God seeks to influence
the growth and direction of man indirectly, or through
his word. It is also the period of man’s portion of
responsibility, where he must respond to God’s word in faith.
Had there been no Fall of Man in the beginning, the Indirect
Dominion would have only been a temporary stage in man’s
growth towards God. It was God’s intent that adult
life, married life, our life as parents and grandparents would
have been lived in a state of oneness with God, or a state that we
call God’s Direct Dominion, and in such a state of divine and
perfect love, no fall would then be possible. If Adam & Eve had
achieved such a standard in the beginning then God's ideal of
creation would have been secured for all time. Adam & Eve
would then directly raise and guide their succeeding generations in
God's Direct Dominion.
Living in Heaven
is simply to be living in God’s Direct Dominion of Love, where the
Heart of God and the Heart of Man is one and inseparable.
That’s why Jesus advised us not to go looking here and there
for God’s Kingdom, as if it were some outward place or
location, he said,,
"The
Kingdom of God is within you."
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