October 11 2011, 5:00 am | Bill Elliff
I once had a dear lawyer friend who would always ask me, "What's the purpose of the exercise?" Understanding the endgame is important. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6, is rebuking the Corinthians because they were having disputes in the church and believers were suing each other in secular courts. In the course of that discussion, he reminds them of the purpose of every experience of life.
When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or 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? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! (1 Cor. 6:1-3)
We will judge the world? We will be judging angels? Wow. He says it so matter of fact, as if everyone in the church understood this. God has created us to rule and reign with Him. We have a massive ability and responsibility to "take dominion and rule" just as we were charged in the Garden (Genesis 1:26-28). Heaven will be a place of enterprise and activity and the degree to which we have been faithful here will determine, to some extent what we will be doing in heaven. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant," Jesus illustrates through the parable of the stewards. "You have been faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of much," as He speaks about His future kingdom.
He strengthens this thought further in verse 9: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" He infers that true believers WILL inherit the kingdom (which He also states in Matthew 5).
Every decision we make, situation we face, responsibility we have is preparation for our future leadership in the new Kingdom. The first command of God (which has never been revoked, found in Genesis 1:26-28) is that we are to "be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it." We are made in His image to lead. Instead of life taking dominion over us, we are to rule: over our bodies, our minds, our life, our finances—the entire "small kingdom" over which God has entrusted us as stewards in this life. And this role in this kingdom is merely the preparation for the next.
Have you thought of your circumstances, people, job responsibilities, family role, ministry in the church in those terms? Don't let the world intimidate you. Rise up and fulfill your role with all authority, under God. Keeping the endgame in sight is a powerful motivation for the discouragement and routineness of daily living. We are being built into kingdom leaders through every act of the common day.
Order Bill's books here including "The Child of 10,000 Names" and "WhiteWater".
