It's Time to Start Thinking Outside the Box
by Fred Rapp | February 9, 2015
One of the most profound scriptures in the Bible is written by the apostle Paul in Rom 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The awful part of this verse is not that we have all sinned, but that we have fallen short of the glory. The fact that this statement is even in the Bible tells me that we are not living the life we were created to live. We are living a life devoid of the glory of God.
The Greek word translated "short" means: last, To be last, Posterior in place or time. In the NT, it is used figuratively of dignity, condition, strength, and the like, to be behind, inferior, to lack. This has been the condition of the human race since the time Adam fell. The result of this condition is that we are full of self and devoid of God.
Jesus lived a life that was full of God and devoid of self. Jesus lived a life of not my will but thy will be done. Jesus lived a life of dignity, strength, a life of no lack for anything. In other words He lived the abundant life He spoke about in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus knew no sin and therefore never fell short of the glory of God. In Luke 2:40, it is said of Jesus, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
In Job 38:36, “Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts, or who hath given understanding to the heart?” The answer is only God can do this.
One of the end results of Christ life is found in Col 2:3, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” This is a direct result of having the glory of God.
Another result in Christ's life of no sin and all glory is found in Mark 4:37-41, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awaken him, and said unto him, ‘Master, do you not care that we perish?’ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still,’ and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, ‘Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?' And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'” This is another result of us falling short of the glory of God. No faith for anything. It didn't even enter the disciple’s minds that they could do anything but fear for their lives.
Jesus didn't lose the dominion God gave to man. Gen 1:26 states, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Adam gave up the dominion when He fell. Luke 4:5-6, “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'” Adam lost the glory, the dominion, the love, and his pure heart that kept him in relationship with God.
Another result in Christ's life of no sin and all glory is found in Mark 9:2-3, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves: and He was transfigured before them. And His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”
This is the glory of God manifesting out of His Son. The reason this scripture is in the word is because God wants man to understand that He wants man to have His Glory. We will experience a spiritual life full of the glory of God.
In John 14:8-10, “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; and how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father abiding in Me, does His works.'”
In Col 1:19, Paul wrote, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.” This is how we will please the Father, when all His fullness is dwelling in us.
In Eph 3:19, “And to know the love [agape] of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that ye might be filled unto all the fullness of God.”
The apostle Paul did not write this verse for no reason, and God himself didn't protect His word from being destroyed by the devil for 1,900 years, just so we can say, "this can't be true." Paul understood the revelation that just like His Son, God wants to dwell in us the same way. In fact Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, Jn 14:6, and Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren, Ro 8:29. I have always maintained that you can't be the firstborn of something if there is nothing like you that follows.
Jesus prayed in John 17:22 “And the glory which you have given me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” God sent His Son to take away our sins so we could be reconciled unto God. God wants us to have His glory, He wants us to have everything His Son has. He wants a relationship with us so we can experience Him on His level now and forever.
The Greek word translated "short" means: last, To be last, Posterior in place or time. In the NT, it is used figuratively of dignity, condition, strength, and the like, to be behind, inferior, to lack. This has been the condition of the human race since the time Adam fell. The result of this condition is that we are full of self and devoid of God.
Jesus lived a life that was full of God and devoid of self. Jesus lived a life of not my will but thy will be done. Jesus lived a life of dignity, strength, a life of no lack for anything. In other words He lived the abundant life He spoke about in John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Jesus knew no sin and therefore never fell short of the glory of God. In Luke 2:40, it is said of Jesus, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.”
In Job 38:36, “Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts, or who hath given understanding to the heart?” The answer is only God can do this.
One of the end results of Christ life is found in Col 2:3, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” This is a direct result of having the glory of God.
Another result in Christ's life of no sin and all glory is found in Mark 4:37-41, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awaken him, and said unto him, ‘Master, do you not care that we perish?’ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still,’ and the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, ‘Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?' And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, 'What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'” This is another result of us falling short of the glory of God. No faith for anything. It didn't even enter the disciple’s minds that they could do anything but fear for their lives.
Jesus didn't lose the dominion God gave to man. Gen 1:26 states, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Adam gave up the dominion when He fell. Luke 4:5-6, “And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, ‘I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.'” Adam lost the glory, the dominion, the love, and his pure heart that kept him in relationship with God.
Another result in Christ's life of no sin and all glory is found in Mark 9:2-3, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves: and He was transfigured before them. And His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”
This is the glory of God manifesting out of His Son. The reason this scripture is in the word is because God wants man to understand that He wants man to have His Glory. We will experience a spiritual life full of the glory of God.
In John 14:8-10, “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, shew us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet you have not come to know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; and how can you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father abiding in Me, does His works.'”
In Col 1:19, Paul wrote, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him.” This is how we will please the Father, when all His fullness is dwelling in us.
In Eph 3:19, “And to know the love [agape] of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that ye might be filled unto all the fullness of God.”
The apostle Paul did not write this verse for no reason, and God himself didn't protect His word from being destroyed by the devil for 1,900 years, just so we can say, "this can't be true." Paul understood the revelation that just like His Son, God wants to dwell in us the same way. In fact Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, Jn 14:6, and Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren, Ro 8:29. I have always maintained that you can't be the firstborn of something if there is nothing like you that follows.
Jesus prayed in John 17:22 “And the glory which you have given me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” God sent His Son to take away our sins so we could be reconciled unto God. God wants us to have His glory, He wants us to have everything His Son has. He wants a relationship with us so we can experience Him on His level now and forever.
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