Are You Preparing to Rule With Christ?
Jesus
Christ will soon return as supreme ruler to establish the world-ruling
Kingdom of God on earth. But what about you? Will you be one of
Christ's assistants in the world tomorrow?
Are you preparing to rule with Christ?
Preparation
to rule begins with repentance, baptism and the receipt of God's Holy
Spirit. One then becomes a Spirit-begotten child of God — a true
Christian. Then, as recent mini-studies have explained, one must
overcome spiritually and grow in the character of God.
This growth is what prepares one to rule with Christ in the world tomorrow!
Let's begin to understand.
1.
Even though Christ was the very Son of God, did He still have to learn
obedience? Hebrews 5:8-9. Did Christ overcome? John 16:33. Did He
resist the temptations of the flesh? Hebrews 4:15.
2.
Because Christ overcame during His human life and was born again by a
resurrection, where is He now seated? Revelation 3:21. Have all angels,
authorities and powers been made subject to Him under His Father? I
Peter 3:22, Ephesians 1:20-22, I Corinthians 15:27.
3. Just how great is the authority Christ has already inherited? Hebrews 1:1-2, Matthew 28:18.
Notice
how the Moffatt translation renders the original Greek of Hebrews 1:2:
"But in these days at the end he has spoken to us by a Son — a Son whom
he appointed heir of the universe"!
4. Will Christ be the
only inheritor and ruler of this earth and the vast universe? Or will
there be co-rulers, joint heirs with him to share His great inheritance
and responsibility? Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 21:7.
We, if we
are true Christians, are heirs — joint heirs with Jesus Christ —
destined to inherit and help rule everything God has created when we
are born again at the resurrection as members of the Family of God!
5.
What does the Bible say the resurrected saints will be doing in the
Kingdom of God during the first thousand years of their eternal
life? Revelation 2:26,
3:21, 5:10, 20:4, 6.
Just how important is overcoming to their being in God's Kingdom and ruling with Christ? Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 21:7.
The
above scriptures clearly tell us that in the world tomorrow Spirit-born
Christians will receive positions of rulership as kings and priests
(teachers), administrators and assistants under Christ in the
world-ruling Kingdom of God. These responsibilities are in addition to
the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).
The Christian life today
is one of overcoming, growing, preparing and developing spiritually for
great service through rulership in tomorrow's world. All
Spirit-begotten Christians are now in training for significant roles in
helping Christ teach the world God's way and administer the government
of God for the good of the humans who will then be living on earth.
Let's understand further.
6. Will one's spiritual "works" in
this life determine his reward — his opportunity for great service — in
God's Kingdom? Matthew 16:27.
Through overcoming the sinful
pulls and impulses of the flesh, the world and the devil, and instead
submitting to God and God's way, spiritual character is being developed
in God's begotten children. God, with their willing cooperation, is
building His character within them. And the more they overcome and
develop God's character, the greater the responsibility Christ will
give them in His government. Thus the greater will be their reward.
But
no one can overcome and produce spiritual works for us. It requires
putting forth effort on our part, together with the help of God's Holy
Spirit, to become the spiritually minded and motivated persons God can
use in His Kingdom.
Overcoming (ceasing from doing) the works of
the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) involves letting Christ, by means of His
Spirit, live in us to empower us to bear spiritual fruit — to perform
spiritual works.
7. By what great principle can a person of
ordinary ability and humble opportunity in this life qualify to take on
far greater responsibility in the Kingdom of God?
Luke 16:10. (Notice also verses 11-12.) What will
Christ say to those who have been faithful over the little that He
entrusted to their care? Matthew 25:21.
We
learn to rule by being faithful — conscientious — in whatever we do as
we live by the principles and laws we learn from God's Word, Even the
person who considers himself or herself as having only little ability
and natural talent can qualify to rule --- serve -— in God's kingdom.
Let's
notice further the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. This parable
illustrates that God will reward us according to our works. But it also
illustrates another aspect — God's complete fairness in rewarding His
over-comers, taking into consideration their own natural limitations.
8. In what way did the rich man, who represents Christ, divide up his goods? Matthew 25:15.
Notice
that the quantities were not equal. The amounts were given according to
each servant's natural ability. (The Greek word translated "talent" is
talanton, which was a measure by which gold or silver was weighed.)
These units of money picture spiritual gifts. God knows some have more
hereditary ability, aptitudes, personality or physical strength than
others. Some also have had more education and better opportunities.
9.
In this parable, what did the servants do with the money given to them
before Christ came back to settle accounts with them — to judge their
works'? Verses 16-19. How were the first two judged'' Verses 20-23.
The
servant who was given five talents doubled his spiritual
stock-in-trade. Likewise, although the man with two produced less in
number than the one with five, he also doubled what he started with, he
did as well in proportion to his ability.
Notice how fair God
is. Even though each servant was originally given an amount based on
his natural abilities, both of the first two servants grew 100 percent.
Christ therefore puts both essentially on an equal level in rewarding
them. The Bible here reveals the principle that God will judge us
according to how well we do with what we have to work with.
10.
Docs this parable reveal that each servant who is faithful "over a few
things" — that is, over his or her limited abilities and opportunities
of this life ----- will be rewarded with ruler-ship over "many things"
when Christ returns'? Verses 21, 23.
Christ will not establish
world rule until He has first trained His assistants. God will entrust
the incomprehensibly great powers of His ruling Family only to those
who, in this human life, obeyed Him and learned to properly control the
small
powers we all have at our disposal. God wants to know that we will use
His incredible power in love and self-control and for the good of all
under our authority.
We prepare to responsibly rule for the good
of ourselves and others in the world tomorrow by learning to belter
manage the affairs in our control today, no matter how small they may
be. There are many chances to grow right on the job, at school or in
the home -— in whatever our circumstances.
11. Does
the principle of Matthew 24:46-47 illustrate that it is only those who
are faithful and overcome to the very end — those who are still growing
in character at Christ's return (or at their death,
if that comes first) .....- who shall
inherit God's kingdom and receive a reward?
12.
Does II Peter 1:5-9 also show there is need for continual spiritual
growth as long as a person lives'' Do verses 10-11 show that those who
don't continue to grow and overcome will not be born into God's
Kingdom'?
13. In what capacity is Christ now serving true Christians'? Hebrews 4:1 4-16.
As
the High Priest of all Spirit-begotten children of God, Jesus Christ,
through the Holy Spirit, is always available to help us overcome. He
takes special interest in our spiritual development, helping prepare us
so we can eventually inherit all things with Him.
If we have
been begotten by God's Holy Spirit and continue to overcome and grow
spiritually, thus building the character of God until death or until
the moment Jesus Christ returns, God will at the resurrection instantly
change our weak, mortal bodies into powerful, sinless. glorified spirit
bodies (Philippians 3:20-21).
It is then that we will be
rewarded with stimulating responsibilities and opportunities to do
great good serving in the world tomorrow as members of the ruling
Family of God.
It's a breathtaking, exciting, incredible
calling! A glorious, wonderful future! Have you begun to walk
spiritually toward that goal'?
Are you preparing to rule with Jesus Christ?
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