God calls his people to reign with him (Romans 5:17). We are priests and kings (Revelation 1:6) in the kingdom of God, and we are called to represent God’s kingdom to the world. When we represent God’s kingdom well, we reign with Christ in life.
The kingdom of God is a kingdom of light and life, and it dominates over darkness and death. The kingdom of God is contrary to death and to everything associated with death – demons, fallen angels, curses, sin, witchcraft, sickness, depression, lack of basic necessities, etc. Jesus won the victory over death and over everything connected to death through his resurrection. It is possible for God’s people to walk in victory today over darkness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God’s will is for his kingdom to prevail. He wants the power of darkness completely shattered. When victory over the power of darkness is manifested through supernatural power, God’s kingdom advances. God wants his kingdom to advance. Jesus commanded us to seek to expand the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). We are to pray for God’s kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10) into the places it is not. God wants us to pray for heaven to invade the earth (Matthew 6:10). It is possible for this grand prayer to be answered, and for God’s kingdom to completely take over the world. At the end of the age, the kingdom of God will dominate the entire world. Then the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). There will be no more pain or suffering (Revelation 21:4), and everything associated with death will be destroyed.
We are called to reign in this life. Jesus said he gave us authority over demons (Luke 10:19). We can have victory over sin, for sin will not have dominion over us in Christ (Romans 6:14). We can have victory over the flesh (Ephesians 4:22). We can be healed, physically and mentally (Matthew 8:17). Jesus died in order to heal us, both spiritually and physically (Isaiah 53:4). When Jesus walked on the earth, he healed every sick person who came to him (Luke 4:40).
Of course, at this time, the kingdom of God is not here in fullness. So we reign only in part over these things. This explains why some people are not healed. God’s perfect will often does not happen in this broken world. The New Testament says it’s God’s will for everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), but everyone is not saved. God’s will is for everyone to know the truth (1 Timothy 2:4), but many people reject the truth and believe lies. God doesn’t want any of us to sin, but we sometimes do, and that means we are not doing God’s will. Sin is not God’s will.
God’s will often does not happen in this broken world due to various factors, primarily due to the fact that he gave humanity free will, and people make bad choices which unleash evil on themselves and others.
When God’s will is done, his kingdom comes. To the extent that the will of God is done, to that extent his kingdom expands. When people perfectly walk in union with God, they will perfectly represent God’s kingdom to the world. Jesus was the perfect representative of the Kingdom of God, and we are called to follow in his steps.
We can only reign by one, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). We can’t reign in our own strength or power; we can only reign by him. Only Jesus has the power to reveal the kingdom of God. Christ’s words, along with the words of the apostles in the New Testament, provide the form and function of the kingdom of God. Only as we submit to these words will we be able to walk in God’s kingdom. The religious traditions of men have no divine power behind them. These vain traditions do not release the kingdom of God. Instead, they create religious confusion. Only the teachings of Christ have the power to unleash the kingdom of God, because only Jesus is the KING. We will not be able to reign in life by religious traditions that we or others create. These vain traditions will actually hinder us. All religious activity that is not based on the Bible is actually working against the manifestation of the kingdom of God.
We cannot reign by material or natural means. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, and it can only come by spiritual power. Guns and bombs will not expand the kingdom of God. The weapons of our warfare are not material weapons, but they are spiritual weapons that demolish spiritual strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Furthermore, the kingdom of God will not advance by taking over earthly governments. Human governments cannot expand the kingdom of God. At the end of the age, when the kingdom of God dominates the world, all other governments will cease to exist. History shows us that human governments cannot expand the kingdom of God. Some Christians took over the Roman Empire around 300 AD and passed laws to force everyone to become a Christian. But this led to terrible apostasy, and this new “Christian” government began ruthlessly persecuting and murdering true believers who refused to go along with the arbitrary laws of this “Christian” state. Many early colonists in the USA were humble believers who were fleeing religious persecution from “Christian” nations in Europe. These “Christian” national governments in Europe thought they were advancing God’s kingdom, but actually they were working against it. The separation of church and state preserves our religious liberty, and we should thank God for it.
We will reign in life by Jesus Christ as we receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness (Romans 5:17). To the extent that we receive grace and righteousness, to that extent we will reign. Grace is divine empowerment to live for God. It takes supernatural power to reign spiritually. We cannot reign by our own wisdom or strength; we need God’s grace. Righteousness means being aligned correctly with God.
Grace reigns through righteousness (Romans 5:21). Righteousness puts us in a position to receive God’s grace so that we can reign and represent his kingdom.
Some Christians will overcome, and they will sit down with Christ in his throne (Revelation 3:21). They will walk in his authority and manifest his kingdom by reigning with him.
Reigning looks like this: The powers of darkness are under you. You are not giving footholds to the devil. You don’t make provision for the flesh to satisfy its lusts, and you are not a slave of sin. You are not falling repeatedly into temptation. Demons are being cast out. The gospel is being shared effectively so people are saved. Prayers are being answered. One’s marriage and family are in order. Miracles are happening.
Isn’t this the normal Christian life described throughout the New Testament, particularly in the book of Acts? We must recover this.
In order to reign, we must put ourselves in a position to reign. We are saved by grace through faith, and now we need to live according to God. It says in Proverbs 31:4 that it is not for kings to drink wine. If a king is drunk, he is not able to reign effectively. Getting drunk is just one example of how we can allow things into our lives that hinder our ability to reign with Christ and represent the kingdom of God.
In order to reign effectively in life, we need to be in a good relationship with the main Monarch, Jesus. He is the King of kings, which means that he reigns over us, and we are his regents on earth. We can reign only as we are rightly related to him and do things in his name.
In addition to being in a good relationship with Jesus, we should also be in a good relationship with our co-rulers who are other mature Christians. We should be able to function well within the body of Christ, for we are called to reign together.
The kingdom of God is advancing. Let’s participate in its grand progress. Someday the great spiritual kingdom of God will reign over all, and the glory of the Lord will wash over everything. We are called to live prophetically and press into this glorious future.
by Peter
Lincoln House Churches 