Above and Not Beneath

He who was on high came down to where we were and lifted us up together with Him.

                                                                                          -Jenno Marco Misa

     You wont know how high and far above God has put you in Christ until you realize how busy the devil is trying to bring and pull you down.

     Part of our inheritance in Christ is the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:13 which says "And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them."

     The next question that comes into your mind would be "How on earth can I inherit this blessing when I was not fully obedient to the commandments of God"? 

     This is the good news: God is not looking at your obedience today, but to His Son's obedience. The Holy Spirit tells us in the Book of Romans (Romans 5:19) "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous."

     Furthermore, the scripture tells us that Christ is the end of the law, fulfilled it in its pristine standard, and personally nailed it on the cross. And when He did this, He gave us His robe of righteousness the moment we receive Him as our Lord & Savior (Romans 10:4).

     Now that you understand why God is not looking at your obedience but to Jesus's obedience, the next thing you would want to know is how high and far above has God set you in Christ. Ephesians 1:21 tells us 

     "...far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come".

     When Jesus died, He did not die for Himself because He had no sin, He knew no sin, and in Him was no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). So when God raised Him and made Him sit down at His right hand far above all powers, it wasn't just to make Jesus above and Him only. He is seated there for our benefit, and not for His own. Remember that Jesus was all the while far above everything , long before He came as a man. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). This tells us that Jesus, being fully God, was already far above all powers since the beginning. 

     God made Jesus sit above everything for our sake, and not for His sake. He is there as our High Priest and Advocate. And as He is today, far above all powers and principalities, so are we in this world ( 1 John 4:17).

     So what things and powers are we above from? 

     When God sets you above, it means no evil power can dominate over you. It means there is no way Satan and all his demons can exercise authority over you. At your word, they tremble in fear. At your word, they depart. And with your position over them, they are no match against you. But what the devil does is that he makes the impression that he is bigger and more powerful than you. Don't let this lie deceive you of your position in Christ. Don't let it overthrow you from a position of victor to a position of victim. 

     Being above means that no sickness or pain has dominion over you. Jesus is not only above sickness, but He also paid the price of healing and wholeness when He allowed His body to be beaten, scourged, and broken on that scourging post. The price for healing has been paid. So everytime you feel that there is sickness in your body, command it to leave in Jesus's name. Talk to it, cast it out, and speak forth your healing and wholeness. If you think talking to sickness or any object is absurd, then consider Jesus. He talked to a tree, to the storm, and to the dead and all obeyed Him. Above all, the best way to come to your healing is by partaking the Holy Communion. When you do that, you not only cause an earthquake to Satan's headquarters, but you also remind all the dark forces (including your sickness) of the victory that Jesus gave you when He gave His life at the cross. 

     Being above also means that you are on top of your problems and storms in life, not the other way around. When the storms of life seem to overshadow you, remember your position in Christ. Take hold of your position and know that in every Valley, God always provides a door of Hope. What you need to do is to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Standing still doesn't mean laziness, being unproductive, or escaping and running away from your crisis. It means your part is to remain in rest inwardly, and know that He is God. He knows how to solve and get you out from the pit that you are in.

     Whatever enemy that your facing, know that your enemy is your footstool. Joel Osteen likes to say it this way "If you should talk to your enemies, talk to the bottom of your shoes because that's where he is".