CONSIDERING HEAVEN

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (1 Peter 1:3 5)

Devotion 7 of 12

JUDGING THE WORLD AND ANGELS

How marvelous the revelation! "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? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" (1 Cor 6:3). The candor with which the Apostle speaks is arresting. He asks the wayward Corinthians if they know the saints will judge the world and angels.

This type of question is not an academic one, but a rhetorical one. He is suggesting that, from the proper perspective, this truth is obvious. The Corinthians penchant for flesh, however, had robbed them of it. The point of concern is that we are faced with a church that appears to know even less of this matter.

Believers are being groomed to execute judgement, and to do so righteously. God will judge the world "by that Man Whom He hath ordained..." (Acts 17:31). Jesus will judge world through those that have been "joined" to Him (1 Cor 6:17). This is the perspective of Christ's promise to the church at Laodicea. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Rev 3:21). Sitting with Jesus in His throne is sharing in the judgement for which that throne has been appointed (Psa. 9:7).

In judgment God will be vindicated in all of His sayings. "God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged" (Rom 3:4). Wherever unbelief and disobedience are found, men have judged God. They have judged Him to be unworthy of personal submission, and have therefore chosen to ignore Him. But this is not the end of the matter. God will overcome in all of the areas in which men have contradicted Him. I am persuaded it will go down to the finest detail.

It will be made clear to an assembled universe that God is true, and all who contradict Him are liars. This is the reason for the judgement, and the saints will play a prominent role in the process.

In my judgement, this is the sense in which we will "rule the nations with a rod of iron." As it is written, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father" (Rev 2:16-27). There are some who suppose this is speaking of an earthly reign with Jesus, in which the enemies of God will be forcibly subdued in history, and before the end of the world. But this is not at all the case. The power of which Jesus speaks is one from which no recuperation is possible. That is what is meant by "broken to shivers." All arguments and reasons will be struck down in judgment, as before an assembled universe God is shown to be true.

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to prepare myself in this world for the day of judgment, in which I will participate.

-- TOMORROW: EXPANDED STEWARDSHIP --