A Deeper Teaching From Kenton Cheek
As born-again sons and daughters of the Most High God, we are called to be prophets and prophetesses,[1] priests and priestesses,[2] kings and queens[3] in the Kingdom of God who function in the authority and power of Jesus Christ, who is the Ultimate Prophet,[4] our Great High Priest,[5] and the King of Kings.[6] As prophets and prophetesses we are to rightly divide the Word of truth[7] and speak the Word of God with clarity, conviction, and love.[8] As priests and priestesses we are to share the love of Jesus with others and His ministry and message of reconciliation.[9] But what does it mean for us to function in our calling as kings and queens?
From the very beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth and intended human beings to rule over His creation. Genesis 1:26-28 it is recorded, “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” This dominion is echoed and confirmed in Psalm 8:3-6 where King David wrote by inspiration from God, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made thema little lower than the angelsand crowned themwith glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under theirfeet.” This shows us our place in God’s order.[10] Our authority comes from Him.[11] Without Him, we would be nothing.[12]
In His sovereignty and infinite wisdom, He blessed men and women with free moral agency.[13] We see this in their ability to choose between eating from the Tree of Life which He gave to them or from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which He forbade.[14] God wants to have uninhibited relationship with human beings.[15] He loves everyone, but He will not force us to love Him in return.[16] Unfortunately, Adam and Eve chose to go their own way. God had given them dominion but they allowed Satan to gain power on the Earth by disobeying God.[17] Sin opened the door for the enemy of our souls and today he is called “the Prince of the Air.”
The corrosive effects of sin and the harm inflicted by Satan and his demons have produced the state the world is in today. As the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve choose to believe and receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they relinquish control and give authority of their lives back to the one who gave it to them in the first place, God. By grace, through faith in Jesus and His atonement, sons of Adam and daughters of Eve become sons and daughters of the Most High God and the Kingdom of God expands anytime someone is born again and once they have new life in Jesus, His rule expands further with every area of their lives that is surrendered to His control. Jesus died to bring people into His Kingdom of Light and by faith in the Resurrected One, we are heirs and joint-heirs with Him. Romans 8:17 tells us, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Much of what God originally intended for Adam and Eve has to do with the concept of stewardship. He wanted them to be caretakers of the Garden of Eden and stewards of the entire globe. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines stewardship as, “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” In order to fulfill this role, we need to seek the wisdom and knowledge found in the Word of God and put His principles into practice in our daily lives. Making wise decisions informed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit is one way that we function in our roles as kings and queens. Each one of us has been entrusted with tools, resources, temporal and spiritual blessings and we are to glorify God in the way that we manage and share them. We are not only to be cognizant of how our decisions affect ourselves and those around us, but also how the choices we make have ripple effects far beyond what we are aware of. The mandate to care for the Earth environmentally has never been revoked. It is wisdom to preserve clean air, water and food for the generations to come, for God will destroy those who destroy the Earth.[18]
Everything from the way we treat our spouses[19] to how we parent our children[20] to how we interact with co-workers[21] to how we behave in private and in public[22] to how we manage our time and finances[23] should all be informed by the knowledge and wisdom found in the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.[24] Our primary concern is to bring glory to God by our thoughts, words and actions.[25] As pray for His will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,[26] we are to put our faith into action here and now.[27] As we take every thought captive and make them obedient to Christ[28] and share His love with others in practical and spiritual ways,[29] we are literally building Zion upon the Earth.[30] We manifest the love of God in our daily lives by sharing His love and message with others.[31]
As we follow Jesus and surrender every area of our lives to Him, He is bringing us along in a gradual process of healing from the effects of sin and sanctification. We are set apart for holiness at the moment of our new birth experience[32] and we embark on a lifelong journey of discovering who we are in Jesus, connecting with the community that is the eternal family of God, and we are guided into our destiny. We become more and more like Jesus as we are transformed from glory to glory,[33] being conformed into His image.[34] Remember that in the beginning Adam and Eve were made in His image, but that image has been corrupted with sin and its effects.[35] The redemptive and restorative work of Jesus and His Gospel is to remake us back into His image once again.[36]
It is vital for the spiritual health and balance of our relationship with God and in fulfilling our roles as kings and queens to follow the example of servant leadership displayed for us by the King of Kings.[37] He put others before Himself not only in the way He lived His life on Earth, but in how He gave His very life for us all.[38] He modeled perfect meekness (strength under control),[39] humility (freedom from pride and arrogance),[40] generosity,[41] and submission to the will of the Father.[42] Everything He did during His earthly ministry He did in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit.[43] That same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living and active within the hearts and lives of every blood-washed, born-again believer. We must ask ourselves what kind of ruler am I and what kind of ruler do I hope to become? Our family and friends depend upon us to look to Jesus and follow His example of life and godliness.
II Peter 1:2-4 sets a pattern for our walk with the Lord and reveals much of our identity and destiny in Him. “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” We must experience the grace of God by faith if we are to experience His peace. As the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth and we grow in our knowledge of Christ and His Word, our faith increases and strengthens by the power of the Spirit. We are called to the glory and virtue of God and to be partakers of His divine nature. Our spirits are made alive and fused with the Holy Spirit and the progression of sanctification and spiritual growth have the goal of becoming like Jesus. As we grow, remember that He is God and we are not. There is no one beside Him,[44] no one equal to Him and no one ever will be.[45] He alone is the supreme Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of all things,[46] the Author and Perfector of our faith.[47]
The culmination of our earthly journey will be at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when the dead in Christ will rise and we who are living will be caught up to meet Him in the air.[48] He will judge the righteous and the wicked.[49] Those who were born again and have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will join Him in the paradise of the New Heaven and the New Earth.[50] Those who rejected the plan of salvation will be cast into hell and spend eternity outside of the Presence of Almighty God.[51]
The sons and daughters of God will reign and judge with Him forevermore in the New Heaven and the New Earth.[52] We will enjoy perfect harmony in unity with Heavenly Father as His eternal family.[53] When I read of the amazing adventures of the saints of the Old and New Testaments and through the history of the Church, I am astounded at what extraordinary miracles God has performed in spite of the fallen state of our present reality. What our lives will be like without the corrosive and limiting effects of sin is something beyond what any of us can dream of or imagine.[54] If the Apostle Phillip could teleport by the power of God, imagine what we will be able to do in the New Eden.[55]
Our destiny is not to become gods and goddesses in our own right.[56] We receive authority, power and strength from God the Father through God the Son by the Holy Spirit. He alone is our source and as we stay connected to Him spiritually, we enjoy life and freedom.[57] Matthew 23:12 reveals, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” At the resurrection that occurs in conjunction with the Second Coming, the spirits of the children of God will be reunited with their physical bodies and will receive glorified, resurrected bodies.[58]
The Apostle Paul wrote of the resurrection of the dead in I Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:53-57 tells us, “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
- Roles in the Kingdom of God: As born-again believers, individuals are called to be prophets, priests, and kings in the Kingdom of God, functioning in the authority and power of Jesus Christ.
- Dominion and Stewardship: From the beginning, God intended humans to rule over His creation and be stewards of the Earth. This involves making wise decisions informed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit from the wisdom and knowledge of the Word of God.
- Free Moral Agency and Sin: God gave humans free will, but Adam and Eve’s disobedience allowed sin and Satan to gain power on Earth. Believers relinquish control to God through faith in Jesus and the Kingdom of God expands, building Zion upon the Earth.
- Redemption and Transformation: Believers are transformed into the image of Jesus through faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This involves a lifelong journey of sanctification and becoming more like Jesus.
- Servant Leadership: Following Jesus’ example of servant leadership is vital for fulfilling roles as kings and queens. This includes humility, generosity, and submission to God’s will.
- Eternal Reign: Believers will reign and judge with Jesus in the New Heaven and New Earth, enjoying perfect harmony with God as His eternal family.
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.—Exodus 19:6
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. –I Peter 2:9
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.—Revelation 1:6
[1] Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:16-18
[2] I Peter 2:9, Exodus 19:6
[3] Revelation 1:6, Psalm 8:3-6
[4] John 7:16, 8:28
[5] Hebrews 2:17, 4:14
[6] I Timothy 6:15, Revelation 1:5, 19:16
[7] II Timothy 2:15,
[8] Ephesians 4:15, 4:29, Acts 20:27
[9] II Corinthians 5:11-21
[10] Psalm 90:12-17
[11] Matthew 28:18-19
[12] John 15:5, Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, Colossians 3:17, Proverbs 3:5-6
[13] Jeremiah 36:7, Joshua 24:14-15, Romans 1:28
[14] Genesis 3:1-7
[15] Micah 6:8, II Corinthians 6:16, Exodus 29:45
[16] John 3:16-17, II Corinthians 9:7
[17] Genesis 3:14-19, Romans 5:12
[18] Revelation 11:18
[19] Ephesians 5:22-33
[20] Proverbs 13:24, Ephesians 6:4
[21] Matthew 7:12, Colossians 3:23-24
[22] Matthew 6:4-5
[23] I Timothy 3:4-5
[24] Proverbs 3:5-6
[25] Isaiah 43:7, Matthew 5:16, I Corinthians 10:31, Revelation 4:11
[26] Matthew 6:10
[27] James 2:14-26, Colossians 3:17, Matthew 3:8
[28] II Corinthians 10:5
[29] James 1:27
[30] Luke 17:20-21, Romans 14:17, Matthew 6:33, 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, John 18:36, Hebrews 12:22, Isaiah 35:10, Micah 4:7, Zachariah 8:3
[31] I John 4:9-11
[32] Leviticus 20:26, Psalm 4:3, John 17:15-18
[33] II Corinthians 3:18
[34] Romans 8:29, Ephesians 4:11-15
[35] Romans 1:25, Romans 3:23
[36] Romans 12:2, Colossians 3:10, I Corinthians 15:49
[37] Matthew 23:11, Luke 9:48
[38] John 15:13
[39] Matthew 5:5, 11:29, Titus 3:2, Psalm 25:9, 37:11
[40] Proverbs 22:4, James 4:10, Colossians 3:12, Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:2
[41] Matthew 14:14, John 6:11, Luke 7:47, John 4:7-26, Luke 6:38, 19:9-10
[42] Mark 14:36, John 6:38, I Corinthians 15:28
[43] Matthew 3:13-17, 12:28, Luke 11:20, John 14:12, Romans 8:11
[44] Jeremiah 10:6, I Samuel 2:2, I Chronicles 17:20, Deuteronomy 33:26, Exodus 8:10
[45] Isaiah 46:9, Psalm 41:13, Revelation 22:13
[46] John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16-17, Revelation 4:11
[47] Hebrews 12:2
[48] I Corinthians 15:50-58, I Thessalonians 4:16
[49] II Timothy 4:1
[50] Revelation 21:27
[51] Matthew 10:28, 25:41, 46, Revelation 21:8
[52] Micah 4:7, II Timothy 2:12, Revelation 3:21, 20:4, I Corinthians 6:1-20
[53] Romans 12:5, 16-18, I Peter 3:8, Colossians 3:12-14, John 1:12, I John 3:1-2, Ephesians 2:19-22, 3:15-21, Galatians 3:26, 6:10, Revelation 7:9-17, Daniel 7:14
[54] Ephesians 3:20, John 14:3
[55] Acts 8
[56] Genesis 3:5, Ezekiel 28:15-18, Isaiah 14, Revelation 12:3-9, Romans 12:3, Exodus 20:3-5
[57] John 15:1-17
[58] II Corinthians 5:8, I Corinthians 15:42-53, Luke 24:39-43, Matthew 17:2-3, Philippians 3:10,
Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God 
Leave a comment