Join The Ruling Class

Most of us in Christian circles have heard it said that we are in training for reigning and schooling for ruling. As we become Christ’s disciple He enrolls us in His ruling class. Some that are invited to join are already part of society’s ruling class and may see it as unnecessary or even foolish to join. In Mark chapter ten we read of a rich ruler who was invited to join but when he considered the cost of tuition he went away very sad. Though he had much wealth the price to enter in was more than he wanted pay. Ironically, according to Jesus, the more wealth a person has the more difficult it is for them to pay the tuition. The poor gladly receive the message to enter the ruling class of God’s Kingdom, though the price is the same for all they have much less to leave behind. The rich man’s ruling power was derived from his wealth. To become powerless and weak in order to become mighty and strong made no sense to him.

To become a ruler in the Kingdom of God we must humble ourselves and become a servant. We must make the shift from ruling with power alone to the authority that comes through humble service. When Peter and John passed by the lame man begging for money at the entrance to the temple they responded to him saying “silver and gold we do not have but that which we have we will give you, in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk.” (my paraphrase). Having no silver or gold made it more obvious to help him in a different way. He was not just empowered to eat another meal but they empowered him to become productive and self sufficient.

Many government programs are intended to empower people and help them out of their situation, but instead cause the recipient to become more dependant rather than independent. Those in need can easily look to those with money as their source but we need always point them to God. It is much easier to convince hurting people that God is their source through a miraculous healing because they know it could not have come from man.

Power is more than money. Anything that propels us ahead of the crowd so to speak is power. Our God given gifts and talents enable some to exceed the average person in many areas. It may be music, sports, or the ability to speak and teach, all these are good gifts that empower us. The temptation for the highly gifted person is to bypass humility and service and forge ahead in the power of their gift. The danger of doing so is a lack of authority.

To obtain the badge of authority for ruling in the Kingdom we must relinquish ownership of that which we have and become a servant or manager of our master’s wealth. If we learn to be a faithful and wise steward, in due season we will be promoted to a position of authority. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 illustrates this very point. Three servants were each given charge over a portion of their master’s wealth. The first was given five talents, the second was given two and the third was given one. They were to be managers of their master’s wealth while he was away. When the master returned he asked each one what they did with the wealth entrusted to them. The first two servants both had doubled its value but the third servant just kept it in a safe place and returned the exact amount that he was given. This story is an example of three disciples who entered Jesus ruling class. The first two passed the final test and were promoted from managers to rulers over a portion of His Kingdom. The fact that they were faithful in managing the valuables of another proved they could be trusted to be co-owners with the master. The third servant who did not take interest in or add value to the wealth entrusted to him was proven to be unfaithful or untrustworthy. It appears that he paid the price to enter the training class but did not trust that his master would reward his efforts. He assumed the master would take advantage and pocket all the profits.

The reward for being faithful with that which belongs to another is to be given ownership. We are to go full circle in His ruling class. We give up ownership of all we have to enter, and if we are found faithful to value what our Master values we will be given ownership of what He has entrusted to us. The faithful servants were not only given ownership and authority over the wealth but were given cities to rule over.

As joint heirs with Christ we are promised cities and nations as an inheritance but first we must learn the ways of His Kingdom. Some of God’s people have fashioned the use of their gifts and callings after the design of earthly kingdoms. They launch out in the power of their talents and wealth without attending the ruling class and passing the final test. Jesus clearly said to become great in God’s Kingdom one must be the servant of all. The badge of authority is humility and service. Though we may be promoted to co-owner and ruler, we will always need our badge. It is what distinguishes God’s Kingdom from the others.

God’s Kingdom has both authority and power. For example a police officer has a powerful weapon strapped to his side but his authority to use it is given by those over him. He has been trained to understand the heart of authority is to protect, not to lord it over others or use it for personal advantage. In a similar way God’s people have various talents, gifts and even wealth to be used to advance the Kingdom but to do so with authority they must also be under a higher authority. In Matthew chapter 8, the centurion who came to Jesus seeking healing for his servant recognized Him as a man of great authority. He understood that Jesus could only have authority to do the things He did by being under a greater authority.

As a side note: In recent years we have witnessed a decline in honor and respect for people in positions of authority. I suspect it is closely linked to an increasing rejection of God and His word as the supreme authority in our land. Even those who are in positions of authority lack respect for others in authority. Whenever we reject or fail to honor the one who is over us, that rejection filters all the way down the line, from our president to the park ranger and so on. All authority is given of God and without Him over us all that is left is power, and power that is not under authority becomes self seeking and oppressive. This all sounds rather gloomy but it is the church’s greatest hour to restore and rebuild the ruins and desolate places in our land.

Kingdom people are wealthy in many ways. They are gifted, talented and have every resource available in Christ. There is no reason to hold tightly to our earthly stuff and skip the ruling class because once we have passed the tests we are given access to unlimited resources. We need not operate in mere power when we can have His supreme authority.