Guest Editorial: Are we fit to rule?

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (I Cor. 6:2).

The faithful to rule the world

We certainly want to judge the world for that is what being in the kingdom is all about. We have not been called merely to live in the kingdom, we have been called to “inherit the earth;” “to reign with Christ;” to be “kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth” (Matt. 5:5; II Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:10).

While the Lord Jesus Christ is the undisputed King of the kingdom, his generosity is such that he shares his throne of rulership with the faithful: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne” (Rev. 3:21). In fact, the saints of this era (ourselves if we remain faithful) are so involved in the rulership of the kingdom that the Lord says to them, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). The wording in Daniel is equally strong: “the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High” (Dan. 7:27 and note vv. 18 and 22 where the saints “possess” the kingdom).

“The saints shall judge the world.” What an honor! What a responsibility!

Deciding issues

The apostle makes reference to the saints judging the world in the context of a dispute within the ecclesia. One brother/sister claimed he/she had been defrauded by another, and had taken the issue to the local Roman court for settlement.

The apostle was stunned at their immaturity. If the brothers and sisters were looking forward to judging the world, where great spiritual issues would arise, surely they could settle a money matter between two members of the ecclesia. Paul suggested the wronged brother/sister should accept the fraud, forgive the person who had done them wrong, and drop the case. Those on the spot might feel that would not be a good solution. They might decide simply dropping the matter would encourage the wrong-doer to keep taking advantage of others. They might rather decide that restitution should be paid for the spiritual instruction of the wrong-doer.

Whatever solution at which they arrived, they needed to “judge” in the matter. If they couldn’t “judge” in this case, then how could they consider themselves fit to “judge” the world?

Note the important implications for ourselves in the kingdom: we will be expected to solve problems and to make decisions. We will be expected to apply the principles of God to issues that arise in the lives of the mortal population whom we will be guiding, judging, ruling.

Angels make decisions now

We are given some interesting insight into the working of the immortal mind by noting how angels make decisions in this present era. Consider the visit of three angels to Abraham. (The three “men” who visited Abraham in Gen. 18:2 were representing God, v. 1, and are termed “angels” in Gen. 19:1.)

The lead angel thought over the matter and decided to reveal to Abraham the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; seeing Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know him, that he will command his children…” (Gen. 18:17-19). What a remarkable insight into the thinking process of an immortal mind. The angel was reasoning through the situation and deciding what to tell Abraham. Here was no robot, mechanically carrying out the will of God. Here was a spiritually-minded, immortal being fulfilling a divinely appointed mission according to the principles of God and making a decision, on the basis of divine principles, how to handle the details of that mission.

When two of the angels departed for Sodom, Abraham approached the remaining angel and appealed, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city…shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (vv. 23-25).

Abraham assumed the angel was manifesting God and had some discretionary liberty and ability to make adjustments in the mission. And Abraham was right. The angel did not shut him off by telling him that angels are like robots, mechanically following commands. Instead, the angel entered into a dialogue with Abraham, recognized Abraham had a point, according to the great divine principles of mercy and justice.

This angel, sent with two others to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, clearly had the ability and authority to call off the mission if there were at least 10 righteous in the city. According to what is revealed, the decision was up to the angel. He made the judgment. But “unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come,” that honor belongs to the immortalized saints of this era (Heb. 2:5; 1:14). In the world to come, the mortals who populate the earth will be looking to the saints, the people of the Most High, to be exercising the great divine principles in their lives. Are we fit to do that? Following the angels who departed for Sodom, we find they also made decisions. Lot was reluctant to leave some family members behind, so the angels took the initiative: “While he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him, and they brought him forth, and set him without the city” (Gen. 19:16).

That was not the end of it, however, for Lot pleaded to escape to Zoar rather than to the mountains: “Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither…” (vv. 19-20). But that town was appointed to destruction. Yet exercising the mercy of God, the angel decided, “See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken…” (v. 21).

The Lord makes decisions

We take great comfort in the assurance: “We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Because the Lord remembers what it was like to struggle against the impulses of the flesh, we are confident he will understand our plight and extend merciful help to us. But this assumes he remembers, and acts upon his past experience.

That’s telling us something. That’s telling us the immortal mind remembers what it was like to be mortal and draws upon that experience in making decisions. If we are blessed with being among those who judge the world, we’ll be doing the same. In fact, we’re doing that all the time now as we draw upon our past experiences to help others, seeking to put divine principles into practice.

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).

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.

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

Yet there is a notable omission in what will be changed - nothing is said about our moral attributes of character 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. “Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10).

Writing to the Galatians, the same point is emphasized. After listing various works of the flesh, Paul warns, “…of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such thing shall not inherit the kingdom of God…Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 5:21; 6:7). And again to the Ephesians he writes: “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (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 doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?” (Jam. 2:14). Exactly the same problem was exposed by John: “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now” (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 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, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge” (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 can also be 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 is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to 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