Liberating Planet Earth

Chrzkt and Liberation 23
Adam was a man. This means that he was made in God’s image
(Genesis 1:26). So was Eve. This means that Adarn was God’s
first-born earthly son, the Iawfil heir to the whole world. God
made it for man, and then He placed man over it (Genesis 1:28).
All of it. It was man’s lawful possession, so long as man remained
faithful to God.
But Adam sold his birthright to Satan – not for a mess of pottage
(a bowl of stew), the way that Esau sold his birthright to
Jacob (Genesis 25:29-34). No, Adam sold it for a lie, or at least a
half-truth: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Eve was deceived
in this transaction, though disobedient; Adam knew exactly what
he was doing (1 Timothy 2:14).
This same lie is the central religious commitment of all forms
of humanism, the gospel’s ancient rival.
What was God’s response? To disinherit Adam. He threw
Adam and Eve out of the garden. But in grace, He clothed them
in animal skins (meaning that some animal was first slain by
God). He also gave them extra years of temporal life. But from
that day forth, they were legally dzkinherited children. So is every
human being at physical birth. Made in God’s image, we are born
as disinherited children.
Satan has run many things on earth ever since the Fall of
man, because Adam defaulted on his assignment. But exactly how
does Satan run things? Through hfi humanfollowers. Mankind is still
mankind, made in God’s image. Dominion is still God’s assignment
to man, not to Satan. God’s assignment to man to exercise
dominion across the face of the earth is still in force. So Satan has
to exercise power through his men. He and his fallen angelic host
can scare men, tempt men, confuse men, and even disrupt the decisions
of God-hating men, but thgy cannot run socz”ety direct~. God is
in charge, waiting for His people to challenge the rulers of the earth and take
the steera”ng wheel fiorn them.
God wants Christians to control the earth on His behalfi Jesus
could not have made it more plain than He did when He said:
,.
All authority has been given to Me m heaven and on earth; go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in