Are We Fit to Rule? (2)
(Editorial - May 2003)
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you are you incompetent to try trivial cases? (I Cor. 6:2 NRSV).
Last month (Tidings, 4/2003) we noted some implications of the apostle Paul’s frustrated rebuke. In our calling to discipleship, we are called to be the rulers, with Christ, of God’s coming kingdom upon the earth. While being immortal beings, if so blessed, we will not be robots, but will be expected to make decisions in applying the great divine principles to specific situations as we help the mortals who will be under our supervision.
We noted that’s what the angels do now as does the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, they manifest God; in fact, the name of God is called upon them, as we see the angels frequently being referred to as “God,” or even “the LORD God.”
The apostle’s appeal was, if we are going have such an exalted role in the kingdom, we should surely be able to make godly decisions in issues which face us today. The implication of his words are clear: “If we can’t do it now, how can we expect to do it later?” In this spirit, we concluded with the question, “Based on the present judgments we make, are we fit to judge the world?”
Our present
limitations
Are we ready to rule now? No doubt our answer is, “Of course not, we
must be changed at the judgment seat.”
That’s true, but consider the changes to be made: “this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:53).
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While we remain corruptible, we are still plagued with the impulses of the flesh and its propensity to sin, which at times controls our actions.
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While we remain mortal, we are unable to discern all the facts and unable to fully understand divine thinking, which at times leads to our making mistakes.
These changes must be made before we can be like the angels.
Character must be
changed now
But there is a notable omission
in what will be changed -- nothing is said about our characters being
changed. There is nothing said about the carnal being made spiritual,
the cruel being made merciful, the harsh being made kind, the selfish being
made considerate, the unholy being made pure in heart. In fact, the Lord is
perfectly clear that at the judgment seat it’s those who are already
merciful who shall obtain mercy; those who are already pure in heart who
shall see God; those who are already peacemakers who will be called the
children of God (Matt. 5:7-9).
Early brethren not
acting like future rulers
In following on in I Corinthians
6, it’s evident some Corinthian brethren were making a vital mistake:
“Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. Know ye not that
the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?” (I Cor. 6:8-9).
One of the most common errors in the New Testament ecclesias was the idea that godly living is not essential to salvation. Many thought that having right knowledge, or a belief in Jesus as savior was all they needed. “Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers – none of these will inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10 NRSV, as following quotes).
Writing to the Galatians, the same point is emphasized. After listing various works of the flesh, Paul warns, “I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God…Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow” (Gal. 5:21; 6:7). And again to the Ephesians he writes: “Be sure of this that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient” (Eph. 5:5-6).
James covers the same point in his famous words, “faith without works is dead.” He knew there were people in the ecclesia who rejoiced in having “the” faith and in wishing well for the needy, but did not show mercy in practice. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?” (Jam. 2:14). Exactly the same problem was exposed by John: “Whoever says, ‘I am in the light,’ while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness” (I John 2:9).
In gentile ecclesias and Jewish ones, in the earliest ecclesias and ones at the end of the first century, the problem persisted because of a deep-seated human deception: we want to have the best of the divine while continuing to serve the flesh. We want to rule with Christ, but not make the changes now so that we are fit to do so in the future.
Present behavior
determines our future
As world events trumpet the soon return of our Lord, are we fit to rule?
One of the issues stressed in the above verses was “greed,” or covetousness, which is idolatry. Covetousness is one of the pervasive sins of our society. We pray for the needy and the mission work, but many of us cling to our money as a god or devote every dime to ourselves. Our prayers are useless unless we open our hands wide and actually do something for others.
Fornication and impurity has become a widespread spiritual plague of our age ever since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. In some cases, we hide the vicarious enjoyment of these sins in magazines under the couch, or videos tucked behind the cabinet, or novels in the bedside table. In other cases, more common than we would like to acknowledge, sexual relations are prevalent before marriage. We need to remember the words of Paul that no fornicator or unclean person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ. And, “Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers” (Heb. 13:4).
We must face the fact that the Lord knows our hearts. However we may look to others, however we may justify our actions to ourselves, He knows the truth about us. He knows whether we are cruel to our spouse and children while we may publicly appear polite and gentle. He knows whether we are self seeking in our decisions even though we may persuade others we seek only the best for the ecclesia. He knows what we are really like. Of course, this is good, because many times people misread others and impute wrong motives.
The key thing for us to realize is that for God to consider us fit to rule in the kingdom, the great moral change must occur now. The great physical change will come at the judgment seat, but now we must develop the attributes of character that will make us fit to rule.
Everybody still
sins
We can’t be perfect now, we’re going to make mistakes, we’re going to lose
our tempers or have impure thoughts. As the apostle John writes: “If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:8-9).
Yet there is great difference between a chronic liar and a person of integrity who slips and distorts the truth. There is a great difference between a generous person who is occasionally neglectful and a stingy, greedy person who rarely helps anyone. There is a difference between a kind individual who rarely is harsh and a cruel person who rarely is kind. And there is a major difference between a person who deliberately fills his mind with all kinds of impurity and one who now and then has impure thoughts.
The occasional sin does not define a person’s fundamental character before God. Our character attributes are defined by our basic patterns of behavior. It’s those patterns of behavior, motives and thoughts that God sees and which determine if we will be fit to rule the kingdom.
The Lord is not here yet – there is still opportunity. We have been called to rule the world with Christ. With the Lord’s help, we can all be fit for that honor. As one of our hymns so effectively concludes, “We make the answer now.”
Don Styles