B i b l e S t u d y
Lesson: Were You Born to Rule?
Golden Text: Revelation 20:4-6
You were born for a purpose, but do you know what that purpose is? What is the fantastic future that God has in store for you?
In 1948, when Queen Elisabeth gave birth to her first son, everyone in Britain knew that her son was born to be a ruler. They knew he was destined to become a king. From birth he received the necessary training and education to prepare him to become the king of England.
But what if someone were to tell you that you were born with the potential to be a king. As incredible as it may sound, you were born for that purpose.
In Revelation 21:7, the apostle John was inspired by Jesus Christ to write about man’s destiny: "He that over cometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" Your Bible plainly reveals the purpose for your life. We are to be born into the Family of God.
1. After what image and likeness was man created? (Genesis 1:26-27).
Note: Man was created in God’s image and likeness.
2. Even though man is made in the likeness of God, man is of a different material than God. What is God composed of? (John 4:24.) What is man composed of? (Genesis 2:7.)
Note: God is spirit and man is made of matter, the dust of the ground.
3. Does man have the opportunity for eternal life? (John 3:16). Is man to repent and be baptized? (Acts 2:38-39) Is eternal life a gift from God (Romans 6:23).
Note: Man needs to repent of his sins and believe and accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior and then be baptized to receive God’s Holy Spirit and the promise of eternal life.
4. Presently there are only two members in the God Family - God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. God plans to increase His Family. Does God plainly show it is His purpose to increase His Divine Family by having many more sons born into it? (Hebrews 2:10). Isn’t Jesus Christ only the firstborn of many sons of God? (Romans 8:29). Is it God’s good pleasure to add to His Family? (Ephesians 1;5).
Note: The word translated "adoption" here should be "sonship," according to the original Greek.
Doesn’t Luke 12:32 also show us that God wants to share His Kingdom with others?
God the Father has planned a large family with which He can share the joys of accomplishment. He wants a family of His own upon whom He can lavish His love - a family that will joyfully return that love through obedience to Him.
5. Does God want us to set the goal of entering His Divine Family - the Kingdom of God - far above all of the physical pursuits of this world? (Matthew 13:44).
Note: God shows us that we must be willing to give up our own way to become a part of His Glorious Family. Yet He also shows us that being in His Family will be far more wonderful that anything we can experience in this life.
6. Does God want anyone to miss out on the wonderful opportunity of becoming a part of His Family? (2 Peter 3:9).
Note: God does not want anyone to fail in becoming a member of His Family. "He is not willing that any should perish." Yet because some few will refuse to obey, they will perish. (Romans 6:23).
7. Has God the Father appointed Jesus Christ to be the heir of the entire universe? (Hebrews 1:2.)
Note: Notice how the Moffatt translation renders "all things" in Hebrews 1:2: ". . . but in these days at the end He has spoken to us by a Son - a Son whom He has appointed heir of the UNIVERSE ..."!
8. Does David also mention that Christ has been made the heir to a fantastic amount of wealth? (Psalms 2:7-8). Will all the nations of the earth be ruled by Christ? Verse 9 and Rev. 19:15.
9. Will the entire government of this world be Christ's responsibility? (Isaiah 9:6). Will there ever be an end to the increase of His glorious government? Verse 7.
10. Will Christ inherit and rule this earth and the vast universe alone? Or will there be co-heirs with Him to share this great inheritance and responsibility? (Romans 8:16-17 and Revelation 2:26-27; 21:7).
Note: We, if we have repented, been baptized, and received God's Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38) - are the begotten "children" of God. We are the heirs, Joint-Heirs, with Jesus Christ to inherit everything!
11. In preparation for this awesome responsibility, will the saints rule and reign over the nations with Christ during the Millennium? (Rev. 20:4-6).
12. Does the Apostle Paul show that we will have to first learn to rule and judge in THIS LIFE? (I Corinthians 6:1-3).
Note: Each one of us can have the tremendous opportunity to rule and reign with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, but we must prepare for that responsibility now.
13. The Bible shows very clearly that the degree of your reward in the Kingdom of God depends entirely upon what you do in this physical fife. Anyone who does not learn to submit to God and does not grow spiritually, simply will not become a member of God's Family. If we are faithful now in the smaller things of life, will we be entrusted with greater things later? Compare Matthew 25:21, 23 with Luke 19:17.
Note: Jesus is plainly telling us through these parables that before anyone can be entrusted with the powers and riches of God - including rulership in the Kingdom of God - he must first learn to be faithful in the smaller physical responsibilities of this life.
In Conclusion: This life is the training ground. You must learn to rule now by learning to rule yourself, and by performing your responsibilities faithfully. You must always be under God’s authority, obeying His Law and keeping His Commandments. Learning to rule in God’s Kingdom begins with submission to rule. You first must learn to be ruled by Christ now before God will allow you to rule in the Millennium. God will never save any person He does not govern. If you are to rule nations you must learn to rule in harmony with God’s Government, according to His Laws, not according to your own human ideas.
Have you learned this vital lesson?
Scriptures
Golden Text:
(Revelation 20:4-6 NKJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. {5} But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. {6} Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
All Questions: See Scripture Reading.
1. (Gen 1:26-27 NKJV) "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." {27} So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."
2. (John 4:24 NKJV) ""God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.""
(Gen 2:7 NKJV) "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."
3. (John 3:16 NKJV) ""For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(Acts 2:38-39 NKJV) "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. {39} "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.""
(Rom 6:23 NKJV) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
4. Bringing Many Sons to Glory
(Heb 2:10 NKJV) "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."
(Rom 8:29 KJV) "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
(Eph 1:5 KJV) "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"
(Luke 12:32 KJV) "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
5. (Mat 13:44 KJV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."
6. (2 Pet 3:9 NKJV) "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
7. (Heb 1:2 NKJV) "has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;"
8. (Psa 2:7-8 NKJV) ""I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. {8} Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession."
(Psa 2:9 NKJV) "You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'""
(Rev 19:15 NKJV) "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
9. (Isa 9:6-7 NKJV) "For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. {7} Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
10. (Rom 8:16-17 NKJV) "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, {17} and if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
(Rev 2:26-27 NKJV) ""And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; {27} 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'; as I also have received from My Father;"
(Rev 21:7 NKJV) ""He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son."
11. The Saints Reign with Christ 1000 Years
(Rev 20:4-6 NKJV) "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. {5} But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. {6} Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
12. (1 Cor 6:1-3 NKJV) "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? {2} Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? {3} Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?"
13. (Mat 25:21 NKJV) ""His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"
(Mat 25:23 NKJV) ""His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'"
(Luke 19:17 NKJV) ""And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'"