The Daily Word of Righteousness

Dominion, #6

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Revelation 12:11—NIV)

At issue are the spiritual thrones that govern the creation. In the present hour those thrones are occupied by rebellious angels. We are wrestling against them. The combat is not by force but by righteousness, truth, and faith. We conquer the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, and by loving not our life to the death.

As soon as the Lord's victorious saints have overcome the accuser, Michael and his angels will be empowered to cast the ancient dragon out of the heavenlies and into the earth. The thrones then will be given to those who have been victorious in their struggle against the world, against Satan, and against sin and self-will.

We must hold fast what we have so no man can take our crown of authority (Revelation 3:11). We have been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Spirit of God. Now we are in a battle to keep what has been given us freely. The rewards go to the conquerors.

God needs people who are able to rule the works of His hands. The nations of the earth need direction. They need guidance and counsel. They need righteous judges. They need someone to protect them and to provide for their needs. They need someone who will love them and nourish them with Divine Life. These are the tasks of God's rulers.

The responsibility of God's rulers is to direct behavior—to direct it lovingly, firmly, and successfully. The Lord Jesus gave us the laws of the Kingdom of God. These laws are found throughout the New Testament. The nations of the earth have been instructed in the laws of the Kingdom but are ignoring them.

It is not God's intention that moral laws be treated as alternatives people may or may not choose to obey. All the commandments of the New Testament are to be obeyed strictly. None of them is unnecessary or optional.

The government that chooses to enforce the moral laws of God always will be blessed of God. The government that rules against the moral laws of God, or leaves it to its citizens to decide whether or not they wish to keep the moral laws of God, will be cursed of God. God's moral laws are not optional. They will be enforced during the ages to come.

The Kingdom of God is the doing of God's will in the earth as it is performed in Heaven. The saints, under the Lord Jesus, are the rulers of the Kingdom of God. They will rule the nations with a rod of iron. The scepter of Christ's kingdom is a scepter of righteousness. The saints will enforce God's laws in the earth.

Such is the clear teaching of the Scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament.

But what do we see today? The believers themselves are not obeying the laws of God. The believers are not entering the Kingdom of God, the doing of God's will in the earth.

To be continued.