Jesus, the gods and the Elect
Jesus Christ is the judge of this world. His judgement of the world is not something confined to a future day—he has already judged it (see John 12:31 and Acts 17:30-31). He judged it as evil and corrupt by living to please his Holy Father, in all goodness and righteousness. He judged it to be unjust and cruel by honouring and serving the Holy Father's human family, in all holiness and righteousness. He judged it to be destructive and divisive by making the Holy Father's agenda his own—the saving of sinners from their sins and reconciling them to God's holy heart. He judged it to be treacherous and stupid by placing himself in its hands and suffering rejection and death. And he judged it to be ultimately powerless when his Father raised him and exalted him as Lord over it though it had attempted to do away with him. (See Psalm 2:1-12.)
In light of all that, the creation—that has alienated itself from God—stands judged, once and for all. The Prince of that world has been exposed and cast out, once and for all. These realities are not yet future—they already exist! As surely as the sun rises Jesus is Lord of all and he is the conqueror of the world. For him death is no more, for him there are no earthly rulers or invisible powers that are not subject to him. He alone is an immortal human, the new Adam of a new humanity.
His elect are one with him by faith in him; they are the body in which he lives in the world at present until he comes again. Their business is to rehearse his life and proclaim his achievements and they are to do it in their ordinances and liturgy and how they practice righteousness before the world. Their business is more than to be morally upright—God calls the entire human family to that. The business of the elect in Jesus Christ is to be witnesses in the world that Jesus is Lord and they are to do it by "gospeling"—by living out the actuality and meaning of the Lordship of Jesus.
And what the Lordship of Jesus means is not some Liberal interpretation that we should live like Jesus Christ for then we'd have a happier world. [Something we wouldn't doubt for a moment.] Jesus is not some lovely person who when he died left behind him an example of how people should treat one another and though now he lies in some unknown grave he has made an indelible mark on the world.
Jesus is alive! Jesus is the living one who in his own person has already judged the world and will come again to right all wrongs! Jesus has been raised to God's right hand far above all principalities and powers, far above the gods worshiped by the world today, whether Aphrodite, Mars, Bacchus the Boozer or any other. These are no gods though they may be to others. He who has already judged them in his own person holds the world accountable and will come to right all wrongs and usher in justice and righteousness.
The NT elect exists to live that out until he comes!
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.