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Reigning with Christ

(Overcomer Wu)

“Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” 2 Corinthians 4:17

Long before Calvary, the Lord gave a hint of what has and will be coming, and His disciples conjured up a vision of a throne—an earthly throne for their Master, with themselves in close association with it. When some of them came to ask Him about it, the Lord took the question and applying it to the infinitely higher destiny of those who “follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes,” asked: “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of . . .?” Are you prepared for the price?

In Matthew 20:21-22 we read that the mother of James and John came to Jesus and made a request of Him: “Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom. Jesus answered and said, You know not what you are asking . . .” They replied, “We are able,” and the Lord said, “You shall drink indeed of My cup . . . but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of My Father” (verse 23). When the other disciples heard this conversation they were “moved with indignation against the two brethren,” but the Lord called them unto Him and said, “You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them . . . it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your servant.” That is the practical outworking of our being one with Christ! The way down is the way up.

Surely, there will be those who will sit with Christ on His throne in the Millenial kingdom (Rev 3:21), but the preparation for that position is now. We need to understand, when we know this union with Christ in His death and the life-union which brings us into fellowship with the resurrected, ascended, and enthroned Christ, and that there must be a practical outworking of it day by day. It is not only sharing the fellowship of the victory He won over the world and Satan its prince, but it also victory over our flesh and our self – that victorious rulership which has to be wrought into us and manifested through us in all our thoughts, words, and actions. There are so many references to rulership in the Gospels, and so often it appears as if that rulership is to be postponed until after the Judgment Seat—but the training for it takes place in this life today.

“Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful in a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things” (Matt 25:23): to one, rulership over ten cities, to another, over five, according to the measure of their faithfulness. The rulership of the throne is not yet a visible thing. The princes of the Gentiles exercise earthly dominion still, “but it shall not be so among you.” Contrary to our natural concepts, the one who would be “great” must assume the role of a servant. He who would be first—who would lead his brethren—must be “their slave” (Matt. 20:26,27). How prevalent it is for us to see even in the churches that many desires for a name, a position, and title by worldly means of domineering and dictating to others; rather than being humble to serve others as a servant like the Lord Jesus demonstrated to us in John 13 just prior to His crucifixion. It is a going down—down to be a servant; willingness to submit; power to be a bond-slave on earth—that is the “price” of the throne to come. Though we may be despised and humbled on the earthly side, on the heavenly side, we are being made a ruler in resurrection power.

Can you drink of the cup? Can you go down? Have you truly entered into oneness with our Lord Jesus that you have power to go down before someone else gracefully—without looking miserable about it, and without struggling, striving, and fighting for your rights? Or do you protest whenever someone seemed to take up your air time and your rights?

Consider Christ as He washed His disciples’ feet, as He stood in the Judgment Hall. Think of the mocking and scoffing, the cruel scourging and beating followed by a most torturous crucifixion! Can you drink of the cup? Can you go down? If we can't go “down” today, we will be disqualified from rising up to reign with Christ. May the Lord prepare us for the throne, and make us willing pay the price for the preparation by His grace.

That is the way to reign with Christ not just in the coming days, but even today within our hearts. To reign with Christ today is to let Christ reign supreme within our hearts. A test of our reigning with Christ today is to be able to stand in the midst of a most unfavorable circumstance, affliction, or abasement, and to continue to show your absolute trust in God, rather than asserting your rights, privileges, or self-advancement. If you can stand unmoved through it all, and say, “I believe that God is GOD”—that is victory. Learning to “be still and know that I am God”—How far can you trust God in the dark or in the mire? The enemy's stronghold is not outside of us, but within us. Thus, in order to regin with Christ, we need to gain the victory not just over the sins and the world, but ultimately over the stronghold of the enemy within our flesh and our self. This is accomplished by being willing to deny our self. In this way, we shall defeat and tear down the stronghold of the enemy within us. Only then can the Lord have all His will and His way done in and through you. In other words, the Lord will effectively be ruling and reigning within our hearts! when you learn to “go down,” if you can really bring self—this evil thing that wants to be something— down to the cross, so that wherever you are, you will be content knowing that it is the very place that is best suited God's purpose.

If we allow the Lord to have free reigns within us, He will put us in exactly the right crucible to burn up what He sees needs to be burnt up. Many think “victory” means getting your circumstances put right, comfortable, and glorious. No! Ultimate victory is giving the Lord the full rights to make His home in all our heart by allowing to clear out the last vestiges of our self and fleshly strongholds. That usually means that the Lord will bring us to the place we have nothing left to us but God, so that our souls are just anchored upon Him, and we are leaning entirely and wholeheartedly on Him.

At the end of Ephesians 1 we are shown the Risen Christ, set at God’s right hand, “far above all principality, and power, and dominion,” with all things under His feet, and immediately we are told, “and you hath He made alive . . .”; “had made us alive together with Christ . . . hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:5-6). We are called by the Risen Christ to this place “far above.” Indeed, in our spirit we are seated with Him there. But on earth, our visible and proper position ought to be that of “servant of all” for His sake. May the Lord teach us how to be, in deed and in truth, the “bondservants of Jesus Christ” down here, for this is our preparation for sharing the throne with Him in the coming age. This is the price we need to pay for the throne – not just the outward humble serving of one another, but the inward relinquishing of the throne to the Lord by dying to our self and our flesh.

“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him” (1 Tim 2:12). Salvation is free to all—the throne position is prepared for those who are willing to pay the price of preparation. “Many are called, but few are chosen.” “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne” (Rev 3:21). May we start to reign with the Lord today by denying ourselves and yield our hearts completely to the Lord in order that He may reign supreme within us!