who shall judge and rule the world?

Most professing Christians, I suppose, rarely if ever contemplate the declared purpose and promise of God, concerning the role of the glorified saints in the soon-coming Millennial Kingdom of Christ.  Whereas the Bible declares that the (glorified) saints shall judge both the world as well as angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3); I doubt that very many professed Christians have any substantive expectation related to such a high and noble objective; much less do many strive for godly perfection, with such an objective in view.

As I was recently meditating upon this subject, I wondered: Could the following be engraved upon my tombstone?

     Here lies the former body of one who     

  is soon returning to judge and to rule the world  

     in righteousness, by Jesus Christ.    

At first, such an idea almost seems conceited beyond belief.  Do I, really, believe that I am destined, in Christ, to return in a heavenly body to this earth, whereupon it shall then be my privilege and duty to judge and to rule the world and even to judge angels????

But upon what basis might I truly expect that Jesus Christ may bestow upon me such high honor and dignity as the promise suggests?

Probably, most would say it is by grace alone that Christ will bestow such authority and glory, upon every self-professed Christian.  Though I seriously doubt that shall be the case.  Should we believe that Jesus Christ will delegate his own authority and power indiscriminately to every person who claimed to be a follower of Christ, yet without any regard to what manner of life such person or persons lived whilst in the flesh?  Such an idea does insult to the righteousness and dignity of Christ himself.  Not only were such an idea contrary to right reason; it is also contrary to the plain teaching of Scripture.  We are everywhere in Scripture commanded to seek unto God for our personal sanctification and perfection in holiness.

Doubtless some will object that insisting that by their works must individuals merit the privilege of reigning with Christ, were to give glory to man and not to God!  But that is not so.  How is it that Christ receives any glory?  God gives glory to Jesus by reason of his (Jesus's) righteousness.  Christ's righteousness was manifested in that he came not to do his own will but, rather, the will of the Father ~ which, the Father's will, involves the redemption and sanctification of human souls.  Important, there is no redemption in lieu of sanctification; contrary to the unholy belief on the part of many professed Christians.

Those who will not allow God by his Word and Spirit to sanctify (cleanse and make holy) their heart and life, are deceived if they suppose they may nevertheless be "saved."  God glorifies Christ because of his (Christ's) righteousness; whereas, man gives glory both to God and Christ, by living in the "fear of God," which is to say, with preeminent regard to God's holiness and power.  How, then, do some presumptuously believe that Christ will yet give honor and glory to those who, throughout their earthly lives, were indifferent to the holiness of God, self-willed and disobedient, and thus they were unconcerned to give honor and glory to Christ?  Such presumption ~ though it is widespread, is not merely unreasonable; it is furthermore blasphemous.

To be sure, no one can attain either the capacity of mind ~ much less the perfection of holiness ~ whereby he or she would thus be capable to rightly judge and rule the world, apart from the divine enablement of Jesus Christ.  The Bible tells us that true Christians should "hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).  In other words, there is still much more of "grace" that every faithful Christian is yet to receive ~ but which shall not be available to anyone until Jesus Christ returns.

But to whom shall that superlative ministration of grace be given?  Shall it be given to those, self-professed "Christians," who befriended the world? who pampered themselves as best they could with pleasures and comforts of this present world ~ whilst others suffered tribulation, as Christians, because they rejected the godless ways of that same world.

It ain't gonna happen.