The Daily Word of Righteousness

Our Christian Pilgrimage, #28

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6,7)

A righteous king. Of all the present needs of mankind the greatest may be righteous rulership. The world is in chaos because the rulers do not govern righteously. Perhaps many leaders would exercise righteous rulership if they could; but the pressure exerted by rebellious angels, the pressure exerted by various interest groups, and the fears and self-seeking of the leaders themselves, frustrate their most noble efforts.

What would the world be like if there were one supreme ruler over all, with total authority and power, who ruled in righteousness in the fear of God? We would have, in a short while, Paradise on the earth.

This precisely is what the Kingdom of God is. It is the worldwide rule of One who has been given by the Father all authority and power in Heaven and on the earth. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, always rules in righteousness in the fear of God. Therefore the earth under His rule will become Paradise.

It is the will of God that the Lord Jesus share the rulership of the creation with His brothers, the younger sons of God.

Many Christian believers are accustomed to the idea that the saints are God's ruling priesthood. What has not always been understood is the nature of the Divine government. God will give to no person Divine privileges, Divine glory, except under a special condition. The condition is that the person become a part of Christ Himself.

Jesus is part of God Himself. Therefore when God gives His glory to Jesus He is giving it to Himself. The Lord Jesus rules in and by God, not only under delegation from God.

So it is with the saints. God never will give His glory to us except as we become part of Christ. We shall rule in and by Christ as an integral part of Christ, not under any delegation of authority from Christ.

The Kingdom of God is the rule of God through Christ through the saints. Only one Will is exercised in the Kingdom of God—the Will of almighty God.

Human beings desire to rule because that desire was placed in us from the beginning. It is written that man will rule over all the works of God's hands. The world today is in chaos because men who are not part of Christ desire to govern other men.

Before any person will share the Kingdom with Christ he first must enter perfect union with Christ in God. Christ must be given absolute preeminence in his personality. God and Christ must reign and find untroubled rest in the saint's spirit.

To be continued.