REIGNING WITH CHRIST
THE CALL TO SALVATION AND FAITHFUL STEWARSHIP
The book of Revelation makes plain that when the Lord Jesus returns, the redeemed shall reign with Him upon this earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4, 6). This is no mere honor bestowed at the last moment. It is a destiny prepared in advance, and therefore the present life carries a twofold charge for every believer: To make certain our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1:10) and to cultivate diligently the character and faithfulness of a steward who will one day be entrusted with authority (Luke 19:17).
These two are inseparable in the will of God. No Christian may say: I seek only to be saved and care nothing for rule, nor, I desire high position while remaining careless about holiness. The first posture is not humility, it is disobedience. The second is not zeal, it is the lust for power cloaked in religious language.
From the beginning God placed mankind in dominion over the works of His hands (Genesis 1:26–28; Psalm 8:6). That earthly commission was both gift and mandate. How much more weighty, then, is the spiritual commission to reign with Christ. To shrink from it is to refuse the very purpose for which we are being renewed. To grasp at it apart from a holy life is to repeat the sin of those who loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43) and who coveted the chief seats while burdening others with heavy loads they themselves would not lift (Matthew 23:4–7). Scripture is uncompromising: Rulers who lack spiritual maturity come to ruin (1 Corinthians 2:6). Authority without sanctity is deadly both to the ruler and to those placed under him. Therefore, while we await our Lord’s return, we are called to a single-minded pursuit: To live in holiness unto salvation, and
to train ourselves in the graces of godly leadership so that we may be counted worthy to reign with Him.
The question set before each of us is solemn and unavoidable: Do I truly desire to reign with Christ, or am I content with lesser things? God forces no one. He grants us the dread liberty of choice. Yet every choice bears its consequence, as surely as the student who refuses to study must one day stand with less knowledge than his peers. To decline the call to stewardship is permissible, but it is not without cost: It is to forfeit the “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your Master” (Matthew 25:21) and the privilege of sharing Christ’s throne.
May the Spirit grant us grace to choose wisely, to pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), and to steward faithfully the years that remain—so that in the day of His appearing we may reign with Him in life everlasting.