borrowed article
to be shared to the Council Bishops Leaders
at HLM for us to GLORIFY GOD ....
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The Kingdom of God and the Dominion Mandate
by Riley Toews
In a recent conversation with a dear friend and brother, we ended up discussing the dominion mandate.
I believe that regaining a Biblical understanding of the dominion mandate and how it relates to the kingdom of God would have a profound impact on the Church, which in turn would have a profound impact on the world.
So, what is the dominion mandate?
Admittedly, this is not language that is terribly common in evangelical circles, many people hear the root ‘dominae’ and they think of words like domination, or domineering. People picture a tyrant, forcefully imposing his will upon unwilling citizens.
So when we talk about ‘taking dominion’ or seeking to build Christ’s Kingdom so that He will have dominion, many people associate this with a
crusader-style conquering; “conversions” at the end of the sword, or some other coercive efforts.
So let’s get this straight at the outset: this is NOT what we’re talking about when we talk about taking dominion.
So then what do we mean?
For that we need to go back to the beginning.
Genesis 1:28: God made mankind in His image, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God made man the vice-regents over His creation. To have dominion was to have lordship over creation.
God created the world, and gave mankind a mediated authority to rule, govern and steward His good creation.
Adam and Eve were tasked with fruitfulness and dominion.
They were to be fruitful; have children, fill the earth with image-bearers, who would collectively exercise godly dominion over the world.
So to exercise godly dominion is to faithfully steward that which God has entrusted to you.
- It is faithfulness to God in all that He has given you authority over.
- It is seeking to let your life, and all that you are responsible for redound to the Glory of God.
The original dominion mandate for Adam and Eve was to fill the earth and subdue it. God wanted this whole earth filled with His image bearers who would subdue, and cultivate the earth as they went; imitating their creator in bringing order out of chaos.
Mankind would exercise dominion through their God-honoring work of bringing order and beauty into all of God’s creation; exercising their authority in a way that would honor God. Beginning in Eden, they would work to extend the blessings of Eden into all the world, building, exploring, cultivating and worshiping God. They would exercise godly dominion; being faithful with what they had been given so that God would be glorified in them and all their work in all the world.
So at root, this is what it means to to take godly dominion.
As Christians, we are seeking to bring everything under the Lordship of Christ. Because this world is His, because we are His, we are to exercise
Christ-exalting dominion, bringing every area of our lives under His feet; seeking to honor Him in everything. So whatever God has given you authority over, you are to exercise that authority in a way that will glorify God.
This has application for everyone, because regardless of where you are or who you are, God has entrusted you with some authority.
The most basic level is our own
self-government.
We have been given control over ourselves, and we are called to exercise self-control. What does that mean other than to govern ourselves in a God-glorifying way? We exercise godly dominion by seeking to use what God has given us to glorify Him. This has a good number of implications; in every area of our personal lives, we must labor to surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. We live by the principles of God’s law; laboring to Love God and neighbor, and so do all that God requires of us to the best of our ability.
We seek to glorify God with our bodies. Godly dominion over our physical bodies means that we will care for what God has given us. This has implications for hygiene, diet and exercise. We must not be negligent with the bodies God has entrusted to us. We will also honor God by using our minds. God has given us all potential; we honor God when we use what He has given us to honor and serve Him.
When this happens, if these Christians have been well-taught, they will begin living according to different principles than the world around them. They will follow Christ in applying God’s law, following His example and teachings of radical, counter-cultural, self-giving love. They will become a people who advocate for justice (Biblically defined) and are compelled by their love for God and neighbor to acts of charity, hospitality and love.
This is the Kingdom of God; gospel-transformed people, living and serving Christ as Lord, seeking to bring every area of life under His feet, building, cultivating, loving, and worshiping.
This Kingdom living is a glimpse of the future consummation of Christ’s kingdom.
Our desire at all times is to see absolutely everything come under the Lordship of Christ, that He might “have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!”
As I mentioned earlier, this does not happen through the sword, Jesus made it very clear that His Kingdom will not be advanced through physical force, but we’ve been given a much more powerful weapon, one that has the ability, not merely to end life, but it is the means by which God raises spiritually dead men back to life. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we fulfill the commission that Christ gave us, God is raising people to spiritual life.
Turning them from rebels into citizens. Turning enemies into sons. There is no growth of the Kingdom apart from the gospel.
Advocating for the godly exercise of dominion communicates a more holistic understanding of the Kingdom of God than what is typically communicated or understood in much gospel preaching.
In many instances, the gospel has been truncated; it becomes about getting souls to heaven and generally ignores or forgets about God’s intentions for this world. This leads to an aimlessness for Christians, who develop a view that the only kingdom-building work to be done is Church planting, preaching and evangelism. Those Christians who do not make this their full-time work end up thinking that their only role in the kingdom is to support those who are doing the “real” work.
Regaining a proper understanding of the dominion mandate and the Kingdom of God brings meaning and purpose to all Christians. We all have a role to play, and it is all Kingdom work.
As Christians faithfully embrace the call to exercise godly dominion in their spheres of authority, Christ’s Lordship is demonstrated in and through His people. Our businesses, our homes, our workplaces, our places of recreation all become stages for Christ’s Lordship to be demonstrated. Godly dominion will mean a bold and straightforward commitment to glorify God with whatever He has entrusted to us.
Are you a mother or a father?
Ask how you can most honor the Lordship of Christ in your child-rearing. Apply Biblical principles, equip your children with a thoroughly Christian worldview.
Are you a business owner? Let everyone know that your business belongs to Christ, and is ultimately aiming to glorify Him. Are you a mayor, trustee, or some type of governor? Study the word of God; learn to rule in such a way that is consistent with Biblical principles.
Whatever your sphere of influence or authority, use it as best as you can to glorify God.
There is more kingdom work to be done than pastoral ministry. Part of the job of a pastor is to help people understand this. Whether you’re a painter, a musician, a bricklayer, butcher, a baker, or candlestick maker, let all that you do be done to the glory of God. Work in service to King Jesus, exercise godly dominion, may your heart’s desire be to see what Jesus taught us to pray: “Your Kingdom Come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
-Soli Deo Gloria
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