Equality in Standing, Authority and Person

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He revealed the mystery of God and His kingdom. Where Father, Son and Spirit, one God, one will and one spirit was and is and always will God. Within the perfect selfless love relationship that God has within Himself, we see a glimpse into the His Kingdom. Where each one has equality in standing, authority and person. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He revealed the mystery of God and His kingdom. Where Father, Son and Spirit, one God, one will and one spirit was and is and always will God. Within the perfect selfless love relationship that God has within Himself, we see a glimpse into the His Kingdom. Where each one has equality in standing, authority and person. 

So let us begin with the equality of God within His own relationship within Himself as revealed by Jesus when He walked the earth as a man.

John 5:18-24 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

Here we see that the Jews who opposed Jesus at this time correctly understood that Jesus being the Son of God means that He is equal with God. Not only equal with God, that is being of the same standing, authority and person, but is God. The Son of God has an equality with God the Father. The Father, Son and Spirit are of one will and heart. They are of the same essence and standing, authority and person. 

Standing in this context means status or position and includes reputation. Jesus reveals that as God the Father raises the dead, therefore so does He. 

Those of Jewish lineage that Jesus spoke to in this dialogue knew and believed that only God has the standing as the creator and supreme being to give life. 

Not only to give life but has the standing and authority as God to judge the secrets of each ones heart. Before Jesus walked the earth as a man, He was the Son of God, with the Father and Spirit. One eternal supreme being, one spirit, one God, one creator. He created the heavens and the earth and all things good.

Of the same authority in this context means the same right to rule and govern as God. It is not only the right to rule but it is also having the actual power to do so. That is the power of authorisation to represent the one who has the right to govern. In Jesus’ instance, now in human form, He still is fully divine, the Son of God and represents God the Father. 

Jesus reveals to those He is in dialogue with and with us today, that He has all the authority of God because He is. He has the authority to bring judgement to those who have rejected Him and thus rejected God. Only God in Jesus brings eternal salvation, where having received Jesus and His right to rule and reign, are passed from judgment. Passed from death to life. Only God can determine what is good and evil and thus bring judgement upon evil.

The equality of standing and authority between God the Father and Jesus is evident. The Father honours the Son, the Son honours the Father. 

Of the same person means the visible aspects of ones’ character and in this instance the character of God in Jesus. In Jesus’ physical human body, in everything He said, thought and has done during His time on earth as a man, revealed the characteristics of God. 

After Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to those who had received Jesus in Philippi. In amongst their inequality, Paul reveals the equality in the standing, authority and person of God in Jesus. 

Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The mind in this instance are both thoughts and desires and ultimately the will. Jesus who in the form of spirit with the Father and Spirit, one God was and is and always will be equal in standing, authority and person with God. For He is and always will be.

Jesus did not come as the king, even though He is the king of all kings. Instead He came in the character of God. In humility and of no reputation, Jesus came as a bond servant. In human form Jesus came to serve humanity and pay the cost of every offence ever said thought and done by humanity. That cost of humanity’s selfish desires and offences against self, each other and God was death. As humanity gave power to evil and their selfish desires, death entered into God’s once perfect world. 

So Jesus subjected Himself to the full human condition and suffered at the hands of humanity. He suffered the shameful death of the cross, to set humanity free. 

Yet Jesus in the standing, authority and person of God, never used His power for self gain. As everything God does is for the benefit of others, He came in human form and laid down His life. He did it all for the benefit of us. 

In the status and position of the Son of God, Jesus became the Son of Man. As the Son of God,  Jesus has the right to rule and reign, however He came as a servant. In the characteristics of God, He surrendered His human will, to that of His and the Father’s divine will. Yes He did it all for us.

Having laid down His human life and committed His last breath into the hands of God the Father. God the Father breathed life back into Jesus’ body. In Jesus’ human life, death and resurrection, He defeated death, evil and humanity’s selfish desires for all eternity. 

Therefore Paul states, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Jesus the Son of God who became the Son of Man, is still the one who through Him and by Him all things were created. He is the eternal voice who in the beginning spoke life into the void and light into the darkness. 

When Jesus returns all those who have received and acknowledged His standing, authority and person will receive the fullness of His salvation. Where evil will be eliminated and we will receive our resurrected glorified bodies. Bodies that never get sick, never get old and never die. Yet until then, as we live in this world damaged by evil, may we live in the reality of His equality in standing, authority and person. 

This is the good pleasure of God, that all who have received Him, live in the reality of who He is, what He done and will do. 

The Apostle Paul received wisdom and understanding of this truth. In His letter to those who received Jesus, received God, Paul outlined not only the standing, authority and position of Jesus, but also how God gives it all to us. 

Ephesians 1:19-23 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 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. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The standing of the resurrected Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. That is the position of power. Jesus’ position is far above the powers and might and dominions of both the physical and spiritual realm. 

But because of God’s equality of selfless love, amazing grace and abundant mercy, He raises us up into His standing. Each one equal standing and together we sit in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Our spiritual standing is equal with Jesus, having received Him and His right to rule and reign. 

Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

By receiving Jesus, receiving God spiritually we have the authorisation of His power. It is Jesus’ power and authority, not ours. Jesus has given us the spiritual standing and authority to surrender our selfish desires to the Lordship of Jesus. To power and authority of Jesus to expose the lies of self and the evil one and be able to live in the reality His truth. But it is a daily journey.b non I’m∂rƒ 

The person of Jesus are the visible aspects of one’s character seen in Christ Jesus. Having received Jesus, received God and His right to rule and reign, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Ephesians 1:3-10 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

We are holy, without blame before God in love. Having received Jesus, received God we are adopted as first born sons and therefore have the same standing, authority and person of Jesus. We are accepted into the equal love relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son. In the beloved, most loved, cherished place in the Father’s heart. The cost has been paid for us with Jesus’ shed blood. We are forgiven of all offences every said, thought or done. All this according to the amazing grace of God, that is His good will and pleasure towards us. 

Yes He did it all for us. In His equality in standing, authority and person we live and stand now and forever more. Praise His mighty name!

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!