Reign in Life

When death reigns, life is driven out; however, when you reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ, death is driven out.

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:11. In Skjulte Skatter we have written much about death: how it must be working in us and that we are to be dead to sin. If this death is active, we can rightfully speak about reckoning ourselves to be alive in Christ Jesus. The result of reckoning ourselves to be alive has to be understood in the context of reigning.

“Those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5:17.

No one finds their rightful place until they have matured to the point where they can reign in life.

What does it mean to reign in life?

Each of us is surrounded by sin and ungodliness. If you are able to overcome, then you are reigning in life.

At every turn, religious hypocrites and Pharisees are lying in wait to try to take your life. If you can strike them with the sword of the Spirit and expose their falsehood, then you are reigning in life.

Envy will cause Korah to rise up in your midst. If you have a relationship with God so that the earth opens and swallows up such people, then you are reigning in life.

So-called educated people try to catch you off guard and deceive you. If you reign in life, you will know just how to respond to each person.

If you stand in the counsels of God, you are equipped to reign in life; you will become independent and be able to stand on your own. There is a need for many such people. Each of us must grow up to Him who is the head—Christ. If you have a connection with the Head, you have no need to look for a go-between in order to hear what the Spirit is speaking to the church. By this voice you will be able to reign in life.

However, if you lack confidence in yourself and do not dare to put all your confidence in the revelations you receive from Christ, then you should never try to reign. Sirach says, “In every good work trust thy own soul; for this is the keeping of the commandments.” Sirach 32:23.

When you reign in life in Christ Jesus, you overcome yourself, the enemies of the cross, and all the power of Satan, as far as God has given you light.

But this requires faithfulness. If you compromise and give in a little here and there, either for the sake of being polite or out of cowardice, you won’t get anywhere.

When the majority of people in God’s church begin to reign in life, you can expect a massive attack that will overcome all opposition to the cross of Christ. The doctrine of unrestrained, false freedom, which is so prevalent and which is furthered by the hypocrisy of false teachers, will then receive a deathblow, and the power of Christ and His gospel will again take their rightful place.

If you live through Christ, then by faith exercise yourself in reigning through Him.

The Scriptures say, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Gal. 5:25. This is another way of saying that you are progressing in the Spirit. However, has anyone ever made spiritual progress without meeting opposition? No! Anyone who makes progress in the Spirit must also reign through Jesus Christ.

When we reign through Jesus Christ, the result will be that the church grows up to maturity, to a perfect man. Eph. 4:11. However, when someone tries to reign according to the flesh, they glorify themselves, their own publications, and everything that revolves around them.

The foundation of our fellowship in God’s church is the death of Christ and walking in the light so that death is at work.

Where the death of Christ reigns in the church, life will also reign. In such churches, people do not elect shepherds, evangelists, prophets, and teachers, because God has already appointed them.

Today, however, people say it is “biblical” to round up as many people as possible and list them on a church roster. They then appoint certain people as ministers in a human way—people who, in many cases, have never been appointed by God.

Those who reign through Christ Jesus never carry on with this kind of folly. God Himself has created His church. We have no right whatsoever to exclude anyone from His church by creating our own church. Requiring the sheep to be on good terms with other churches does not correct this folly.

There are already plenty of “synagogues”; there is no need to create any more. A person who can organize a group and appoint leaders becomes the central figure, and that’s the most important thing. People leave the one synagogue after much complaining and immediately join a new one.

People refer to this as going out to Him, outside the camp.

No, caring for the sheep outside the camp is too much of a bother. But if they can be placed in a “synagogue” with enough supervision, then they are happy being kept under lock and key.

And people call this freedom. It would not surprise me if even more people started organizing so-called “biblical” churches. There are more than enough “religious vagabonds” who are by no means mature enough yet for the freedom that is outside the camp. These newly-appointed church leaders then attempt to deal with what the cross has been unable to accomplish.

Today we see many who try to reign in life, but whether they are reigning through the One, Jesus Christ, is another question. There are some people who attempt to reign over churches, and yet they have never shown themselves to be examples worthy of following. They cannot truthfully say, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.”

We know of traveling preachers who constantly show up at Kristi Menighet in one city, at a free assembly in the second, and then at a missionary alliance in a third city—all depending on which place can provide them with the best and the most benefits.

Is this what it means to reign in life?

It seems to me that the error of Balaam is reigning; he also ran greedily after profit and honor.

God has brought forth a church in the blood of Christ. Stop trying to create a church. God has appointed some to be apostles, some prophets, some teachers, etc.

May we be liberated from creating shepherds and teachers. Pray that God will save you from calling such darkness “biblical.”

Lately, the word “biblical” has become a very popular slogan. It is intended to have a double effect. The first is to suppress all opposition that truly is Biblical. The second is to exalt itself to lofty heights, together with all the foolishness that we are to reign over by God’s grace, through the One, Jesus Christ—He who defends His own honor and does not share it with flesh of any kind. Whether that flesh is trained in a “synagogue” and has been given the title of pastor, or whether it is trained in fighting so that it’s called a soldier, all of it is equally bad in God’s eyes. There is only one God, but we are all brethren.

Some people commend themselves and use the title “preacher,” others call themselves “evangelist,” and still others, “pastor.”

That is how it goes when the flesh reigns and people have been blinded to the extent that they are willing to swallow all of this. And they call such folly “biblical.” May God save His people from such a “bible.”

People take comfort in their belief that they are guides for the blind and a light for those who are in darkness (Rom. 2:19), and contrary to everything that truly is biblical, they gladly allow others to call them “pastor,” “preacher,” or “evangelist.”

If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another; however, now it has become “biblical” to create fellowship and cut off fellowship, with no consideration for actually walking in the light. As long as the outward appearance of holiness is in order and their name is registered, then everything is just fine. Indeed, it is even “biblical.”

God’s people go from one folly to another, and some people at the helm have never done anything but run ships aground their entire lives.

Now, finally, it looks like The Movement has run so firmly aground that they don’t even think it is advisable to try lifting the vessel off the rocks. So they have decided to build and dwell there on the reef where they are stuck, because, after all, that is the safest thing to do. The voyage was really rough: pitch darkness, hidden reefs, limited knowledge of the waters, and one storm after another.

Now everything is quiet. Now they can live in peace, serving the tabernacle inside the camp. It was impossible outside. Finally they can rest after all their hardship.

Here is some advice: Never set sail without charting your course beforehand, without familiarizing yourself with the waters. It is dangerous out there, outside the camp. However, you must also be on guard if you are inside the camp. The rest there can seem sweet, but it is also Biblical that “a man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.” Prov. 21:16.

It is dangerous to venture outside the camp without the cross and without bearing His reproach.