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Christ has promised soon to return to this world (Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 22:20). He is coming to rule as King of kings (Revelation 19:16), and to be the judge of all people (Revelation 20:11-15). However, he also comes to complete God’s promises to his people. The Bible compares them to a bride, who waits for her bridegroom to return on the day of their marriage (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelation 19:7-9).
It is God’s plan that his people will rule together with Christ (Revelation 22:5). They will have great authority then (Luke 19:11-27; Luke 22:29-30; 1 Corinthians 6:3). However, they will not use their authority wrongly, as rulers in this world often do (Mark 10:42-44). Rather, they will use their authority to support Christ’s rule over all things (Isaiah 11:1-9).
That is because, in the future age, they will truly be like Christ (1 John 3:2). We do not mean that they will have the same authority or importance as him. He is God (1:15-18); they will always be his servants (Revelation 22:3). We mean that they will share his glory. God’s glory means the splendid beauty of his wonderful character.
They will share his glory then because they already share his life. The life that they now live is not their own, to use in a selfish or evil manner (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Rather, their life belongs to Christ (Philippians 1:21), who works powerfully in and through their lives (2 Corinthians 12:9; Colossians 1:29). Their former lives ended when they accepted the benefits of Christ’s death for themselves (2:20). So now they should allow nothing to remain in their lives that offends God (3:5-10). The wonderful future that God has promised them (Romans 8:18-19), must change their attitudes and actions now.
Next part: Christians must end their selfish attitudes and evil acts (Colossians 3:5)
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© 2019, Keith Simons.