To Govern All the Works of God's Hands
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21—NIV)
This may be the most powerful promise in the Bible. Strange, isn't it, that it is made to the worst of the churches! The throne of Christ and the throne of His Father may be referring to great royal thrones in the heavens. But I like to think of them as being the hearts of people.
How I read this promise is that God the Father sits on the throne of the heart of Christ. When Christ overcame the world He was permitted to sit with the Father on the throne of His own personality.
So it is with us. God and Christ are enthroned in our heart. When we overcome that which comes against us we will be allowed to sit with God and Christ on the throne of our own heart.
You may not see it this way. But I think if we are faithful in permitting God and Christ to occupy the throne room of our personality, the day will come, as soon as we have been proven faithful, when we will be permitted to sit with them on the throne of our own personality.
For the true Christian there may be many years of denial, of thirst for the pleasant and joyful things of the creation as he places the Father and Christ on the throne of his personality. But the day will come when his desires are fulfilled.
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick," the Bible says, "but when the desire comes it is a tree of life."
Also the Lord told us no person sets aside house or relatives or his farm or whatever else for the Gospel's sake but that he receives it all back multiplied many times over in the present age, and in the age to come eternal life. So first we must place God and Christ unqualifiedly on the throne of our heart. Then, in due time, we shall be entrusted with authority over all the works of God's hands. The world is ours, you know.
Sometimes we wonder why God, who knows all things, created angels and people with the ability to choose their way. God knew they could sin if they so choose and bring unutterable tragedy on themselves.
One individual reflecting on this exclaimed that God brought sin into the world by making it possible for angels and people to sin.
I responded that God does not sin and never causes anyone to sin. But the only way in which He could bring into being personalities that would voluntarily choose to love and serve Him was by making it possible for them to disobey Him. Thus God opened the gates of splendour to those who would choose to obey Him, but the gates of eternal torment to those who would choose to disobey Him.
If God created personalities who could not disobey Him they would be nothing more than puppets. There really are gates of splendour and there really are gates of eternal torment. I choose to think of God making it possible for personalities to experience eternal joy rather than to think of God making it possible for personalities to suffer eternal torment.
Did God know, before He created Satan, that Satan would sin? I suppose He did, since God is not bound by time and can look at any point of the great tapestry He has created.
Did God know before He created Adam and Eve that they would sin? Yes He did, because the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world.
Did God know before you and I were born what we will do? I think so.
But Satan, Adam and Eve, and you and I are the ones who actually choose what we will do. God does not make us choose righteousness and God does not make us choose sin. The choice is ours even though God may know what we will choose.
The most marvellous things and experiences imaginable lie before us. But when we choose to place God and Christ on the throne of our heart we must permit the deferral of all of our desires for a season. When our obedience is proved beyond doubt, just as Abraham's obedience was proved beyond doubt, and Christ's obedience was proved beyond doubt, we will be permitted to sit with Christ and the Father on the throne of our own personality.
When this takes place we have become, as the second chapter of Hebrews tells us, ruler of all the works of God's hands. But the one who profits most is God who has gained a son.
What obstacles are placed before us? What enemies seek to prevent our living in daily communion with Christ? What foes conspire to keep us from overcoming, from sitting with the Father and Christ on the throne of our heart?
In speaking to the church of Laodicea Christ mentions lukewarmness. The casual Christ will not live in daily communion with Christ nor will he ever sit on the throne of his personality with the Father and the Son. He is too interested in other things to pay close attention to the desires of the Lord. He will be governed by others who have been more consecrated to God's will.
The casual Christian is wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
Satan has enabled him to acquire plenty of money. His money has taken the place of faith purified by tribulation. His money has taken the place of the heavenly robe of righteous deeds. His money has blinded him to the point he cannot see the Lord or hear His voice.
So it is that the love of the world, of the things of Antichrist, seek to prevent the believer from attaining the invaluable daily communion with Christ and authority and power over the works of God's hands.
• We have set perfect union with Christ as our goal. .
• Also, the authority and power to rule in Christ over our circumstances. .
• We seek deliverance from all behaviours that keep us in dread of being tormented by the Divine judgment. .
• We keep on fighting the good fight of faith and thus are kept supplied with the hidden manna. .
• We are becoming a new creation and will be given a new name as we move from the ranks of the called to those of the chosen. .
• We are set on receiving the nations and the farthest reaches of the earth as our inheritance. .
• We desire to be a member of the royal priesthood and thus participate in the first resurrection. .
• We want the eternal assurance of life and to be recognized in the Court of Heaven. .
• We envision being a pillar in the Temple of God. .
• We want to belong to God. .
• We are hoping to be a part of the new Jerusalem. .
• We esteem marriage to the Lamb as more desirable than preserving our own individuality. .
• We want to be in daily communion with the Lord. .
• We desire to sit with Christ in His throne governing all the works of God's hands. .
What additional areas of Canaan remain to be conquered?