THE CHURCH: CO-RULERS WITH CHRIST

If we put co-ruling with Christ over into the millennial Kingdom or the eternal Kingdom much of the church could accept it. However, if we put co-ruling in the present tense many will think this is a new and strange doctrine. It is true that certain aspects of ruling with Christ will have await the marriage feast of the Lamb. For example; God has designed the church to judge the world and the angels. Some will rule over 5 cities and some will rule over 10 cities etc.

REV 2:26] `And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO him I will give authority over the NATIONS; [27] AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON. AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father;

Since no despots will rule in His Kingdom our lives must be disciplined to be in harmony with His life now while we are in this body. However, we are in training to rule with Him now. This is what we call apprenticeship training for the Kingdom. Too many are either ignorant of this assignment or are apathetic to it.

One of the requirements to rule over the nations is to overcome and to keep His deeds until the end. Another is to be totally broken and our old life shattered in order to be trusted with authority over the nations. However, the authority that those who are qualified will receive will be “His authority”. This we need to explain to understand why it works and how it works.

It should be quite clear to every Bible believing child of God that Jesus Christ is the One who has been given supreme authority and dominion over the universe. MAT 28:18] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

MARK 16:17] “And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it shall not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

From this and other scriptures it is clear that “His Name” governs over all and every

other kingdom must submit to His authority that is enforced through His Name! His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom which will not pass away or be destroyed. All things have been (right now) put under His feet in heaven and He holds the highest authority over heaven and earth. However, He must rule in heaven until every enemy is put under His feet on earth.

1 COR 15:25] For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. [26] The last enemy that will be abolished is death. [27] For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. The problem is not Christ’s authority in heaven but with the church enforcing that authority on the earth. His “feet” are in His body now on earth!

EPH 1:19---These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might [20] which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, [21] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. [22] And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.

PHIL 2:9] Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, [11] and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

HEB 1:3] And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; [4] having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

This is speaking of the One who is the Head of the church and is it through Him that the church receives her authority. The “body” receives the delegated authority of the head to carry out His wishes on the earth. The church does not have “symbolic authority” as some teach or a “mystical authority” but the “absolute authority” of His Name.

Our delegated authority is directly related to our being joined to Him who has been given ALL authority. This is not some “organizational authority” given by man. Our authority is NOT in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches! It is NOT by knowing what name to speak as if saying the name released authority or power. The “authority” is inherent within Jesus Christ and is only effective as we are in life union with Him. Some seem to think that Jesus gave us His name to use like someone would write their name on a authorization paper in order to do business for that person. That kind of authority doesn’t work!

He has not given us His Name to use as something separate from Himself. Members of His body may use His name as they are joined to the Head in Life union. He didn’t write His name on a paper and say use this name to work miracles, heal the sick and cast out demons. To speak in His Name is to speak from out of His Life (His person) in us. Those who try to use the name of Jesus as a cliche to cast out demons have no authority and the demons attack the ones “with the name.”

Then why are the authentic members of His body able to use His Name to do His works?

JOHN 14:12] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. [13] “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

Anybody who has been using this name must wonder why we don’t see these greater works because we think we are pronouncing the name correctly. Maybe if we use the Spanish pronunciation or the Hebrew pronunciation the name will work for us. It is not a matter of the name itself but of our relationship and union with the Name. In other words if we stand outside the body, the Name carries no authority for us. If Christ is not our functioning Head, the Name will have no authority in our mouth. Just speaking the name to use as our authorization to get something from God is disappointing but it is not because the name has lost it’s power. It may be that we have not maintained our Vine-branch union.

Why is God so particular about this? It has to do with God’s design for the church! First we need to know for certain that the church is not just for this life but is being prepared for eternity as “the wife of the Lamb.” God will select “a few” out of the redeemed church to inhabit the New Jerusalem. This is not an arbitrary selection or a choice by lot but will reflect upon the growth, maturity and perfection of the member. In other studies we have shown that the original reason for the creation as we know it was for the perfection of these few. While this whole concept of “the few” is offensive to much of the church it is essential that we search the scriptures to see if this is true. Since much of the church rejects this idea of perfection, the doctrine that nobody is perfect and we can’t expect perfection has surfaced. Some flatly declare that perfection in this life is impossible but in a moment and twinkling of the eye then we will be made perfect. Not by God’s discipline but by God’s grace and every believer will receive the same perfection. When we see Him then we will be like Him! This is true but not all will see Him. Only the pure in heart will see God.

Since this all is a departure from conventional wisdom we need to see how this is possible. The key to this understanding is found in the Genesis account which we have detailed in another study. We will repeat the main points here.

God created Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life and he became a living being. However, there was not found any other being in all of creation that corresponded to Adam. Therefore, God had to make something special in which He deviated from His normal method of creation. He caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and opened up his side and removed something (a rib) from Adam and from that portion God built a woman. The woman was not built from earth but from Adam. There is no record of God breathing life into the woman so the woman took her life from Adam also. This example or shadow is speaking of Christ and the church. Christ is the Last Adam and the church is the last Eve.

From this example we get the format to understand the scriptures dealing with Christ and the church. The church is not an earthly creation but must be taken wholly out of Christ. She does not receive individual life directly but lives by His life. She takes her life from Christ. Paul could confidently say in Col 3:3] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

God does not give us a thing called life but He puts Christ in us who becomes our life.

The key element that makes the church., the church which IS His body is that His church is made out of Christ. His Name, therefore, is IN us because Christ is IN us. This authority that is in us is not some arbitrary authority but His authority. God has put “His Name” in us.

EXO 23:21] “Be on your guard before him and obey his voice; do not be rebellious toward him, for he will not pardon your transgression, since My name is in him. [22] “But if you will truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries .

God spoke this of the “angel” that was going to lead Israel from Mt. Sinai to Canaan. Since My Name is in Him you must obey him.

The same principle applies to us when God put’s His name in us. The demons must obey the authority of His Name! What is the Name God puts in us? The name that is above every other name, the Name of Jesus! When His name is in us, every knee must bow before Him (not before us). Leaders that God has not yet “set His name in them” must conjure up their own authority and try to enforce it by lording it over the flock..

Since Christ is the Head of the body there is a life union with each member of the body!

These signs will follow those who believe , in My Name, indicates that every member of

His body can exercise His authority, if they believe! However, His body must be in Vine-branch union with the Head in order to exercise His authority. Those who believe but are not in Life union with Christ must yell louder to get results.

From the Head flows all life, truth, intelligence, wisdom, sanctification and redemption along with character, attitudes, disposition and the Kingdom government of God. If the church IS the fulness of Him that fills all in all, the authority surely does not originate in the church but in Christ that “fills the church”. The authority is not “a thing” given but a Person who is indwelling.

God gave Adam dominion and authority over everything that crept upon the earth and over all the earth. Adam lost the confidence to exercise that authority through sin and disobedience. He also suffered death because he had no connection to the Tree of Life that could sustain Life. While the natural life continued the spiritual life ceased to exist and man became subject to death. The devil assumed the keys to death as far as that lesser life was concerned.

It is interesting that the disciples were given authority over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of enemy even before they were born again. They also cast out demons and healed the sick and preached the Kingdom before they were born again! Were they using the authority of first Adam or the authority of the Last Adam? Obviously this was delegated authority given by Jesus Christ and that was delegated authority given to Christ by the Father.

LUKE 5:26] “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; [27] and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man..

JOHN 17:1 These things Jesus spoke; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee, [2] even as Thou gavest Him authority over all mankind, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life.

LUKE 10:17 And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” [18] And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. [19] “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.

Leaders who try to reinvent authority by establishing their own authority based upon position or title really have NO authority. Either we minister in Christ’s authority or we must fake some counterfeit authority. Those who are trying to function outside of their God appointed calling will lack sufficient authority to complete ministry. This is one source of confusion about their lack of authority and the reason others do not recognize “their authority.”

MARK 1:22] And they were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. It is interesting that the people recognized that Jesus had authority. Not because He had to intimidate them with His authority but because He had God given authority. This is also true today! Those who have God given authority do not have to announce it , they just manifest it. The people either recognize it or they don’t. These were not rocket scientists that recognized Jesus’ authority! Delegated authority that has been given by Jesus Christ does not have to be flaunted.

2 COR 13:10] For this reason I am writing these things while absent, in order that when present I may not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me, for building up and not for tearing down.

Paul understood the extent of his authority and Who gave it. His authority just extended to building up the church but he had no authority to tear it down. This mistake has destroyed a few churches! I used to think my job was to root up, tear down and destroy and then to rebuild. Jeremiah had that authority but it probably doesn’t extend to us.

The point I am making is that if the church actually functioned as His body, with the Head in full control, the church would carry and enforce the balance of power in the earth. The authority and power over the activities of earth would have to tip over towards the church that was acting in the authority of His Name. The church’s responsibility is to turn the earth toward righteousness rather than toward perversion. The glaring testimony of the world system is a witness that the church has not assumed her rightful position in Christ and exercised His authority over the affairs of earth. Every child of God should know inwardly that the church should exercise more control over the affairs of earth than now evident.

The church is either the salt of the earth and the light of the world or she is not. If the church falls short of her calling but rather acts like the world, the church loses her influence over the world! Since the world is totally blind and ignorant to the benefits of righteousness, the church must demonstrate the benefit before their eyes and by testimony. This is not by hype but by life experience.

The power and authority of the church that was in life union with the head of the church would be visible. Since the head of the church is risen, ascended, seated and enthroned as Lord and King of heaven and earth the weakness is not with Him! Then any failure must be found in the Vine-branch union. Why would God put the church in such a position of responsibility to enforce Christ’s victory on the affairs of this earth? It is clearly because of God’s eternal purpose and His design for the worlds yet to come. This purpose is fulfilled in the “few” that will live in life union with Christ in the Vine-branch union to rule over all the works of God’s hands.

If we brought this truth into a practical life example of the salvation of souls we might see why this union is essential. Since there is obviously a “false salvation” I want to emphasize “the full salvation” as normal where there is a true repentance that is the result of the conviction by the Holy Spirit. Where does the balance of power lie? With Satan or with the church which is His body? Are the souls just released from the powers of darkness because Satan decided to let them go? In other words does Satan decide when the souls are saved? Do we just have to wait until he decides to release a few souls.

PS 8:1 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens! [2] From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

PS 149:5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. [6] Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, [7] To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishment on the peoples; [8] To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; [9] To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!

It is clear that God has placed the responsibility for the deliverance of the earth in the church’s hands. If souls are not being saved it means that Satan still has them bound and are holding them captive. It seems that he must be forced to release them. God has given us the anointing of the Holy Spirit specifically for this purpose!

LUKE 4:17] And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, [18] “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, [19] TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”

ACTS 10:38] “ You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.

When the anointing was firmly upon Jesus He took the initiative to heal the sick and release the captives from the chains of Satan. Does “speaking in tongues” constitute our full anointing or do we still need to maintain our Vine-branch union with Christ, the Anointed One? I am convinced that the full anointing can only be released today by the Vine-branch union with the Anointed One. We may point out that individuals have done miracles and healings that were not living a clean life before God. That was then but this is now! God did use individuals powerfully but now Christ is calling out His body to do greater works than these. This body must be in life union with the head to do the “greater works” that was promised. The increase of anointing that many are prophesying will be the result of this Vine-branch (life union) with the Anointed One and will be His works and not ours. Without Him we can still do nothing even if we speak in tongues.

When the church rises up in the strength of His might Satan will be totally helpless to prevent souls from being saved and the end time harvest will be evident. It is the church’s responsibility to release every captive that has not crossed the line and become reprobate. It seems from Romans 1 that until a person passes that line they can be released and saved. Trying to get people “saved” that are not yet released is disappointing.

We must realize that God will still not release anyone against their will. This is where prayer is designed to make them willing. As we pray the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgement and the person becomes aware of his lost condition. When he realizes that he is under the judgement of God he will repent and turn to God to receive forgiveness of sins. This is quite different than trying to convince the sinner he would be better off as a Christian because of the eternal benefits offered him. Evangelism by the Spirit results in “full salvation”. Too much of what we see is less that “full salvation”.

The Holy Spirit is sent to work alongside of the church and not to work instead of the church. In other words unless the church “works” the Holy Spirit can do very little. The Holy Spirit anoints the church, which is His body, to work and then He will work with the church. To “send Him to do the work” is a cop out.

MAT 18:18] “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. [19] “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

The responsibility for binding and loosing is upon the church. If we don’t bind on earth He cannot bind in heaven. He gives us the keys of the Kingdom but if we don’t use them the captives will not be set free. Does that mean that if we are lazy and negligent souls that could have been saved will end up in hell? Yes! Then whose fault will that be? However, we are assured that the church that Christ is building will break down the gates of hell and release it’s captives. What about this other church that we see? The gates of hell are prevailing over it so that means it is not the one that Christ is building! The balance of power is with the church that He is building!

John Wesley said that God will not go over the head of the church to accomplish anything on the earth because He has set the church here to exercise dominion over the earth. That means that even though it is not God’s will for any to perish, He cannot save souls until the church stands in the gap and intercedes for the lost. Abraham interceded for Sodom but Sodom had passed the line and became reprobate. Abraham was able to release Lot and some of his family.

Some feel that it is the Holy Spirit’s work to save souls and He must not be doing His job. However, the Holy Spirit does nothing on His own initiative. As He hears He acts. He will reveal the mysteries to the church but He will only work alongside the church as the church works to fulfill the will of God. The Holy Spirit cannot assist in much of the “work” designed by the church because it has nothing to do with the plan of God.

It is BOTH the Spirit AND the bride that say “come”. This puts tremendous responsibility upon the church to initiate revival in this county. After we begin, the Holy Spirit will stand along side and help but we are mistaken if we think He will do it alone. If the Holy Spirit is waiting for us to intercede then souls will have to wait to be saved.

Why are some powerfully converted while others experience little change? Does it have anything to do with the faithfulness of the church’s ministry of prayer?

The Bible doesn’t say if the church was praying for Paul’s salvation but since he was persecuting the church with such violence we can assume they were doing all they could to change the situation. Obviously Paul had a powerful conversion. We do see how the “whole church” prayed and sought God when Peter was put into prison and God worked a powerful deliverance. Paul’s powerful conversion is clear evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work who surely didn’t work on His own initiative. However, it is obvious that the goads were already doing their work to affect Paul’s will.

The point I’m making is that the church has been given tremendous authority and dominion to affects the affairs of the earth during the church age. In fact it seems that the dominion that was given in Gen 1 has been assigned now to the faithful and believing church.

2 COR 10:4] for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. [5] We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, [6] and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

I know that many use these scriptures in spiritual warfare to speak against principalities and powers but if we read the context we discover that Paul is referring to the affairs of this earth. Specifically about discipline in the church. Arguments against God , speculations and bringing thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ are human problems. He was telling them they were just looking at outward things. The weapons of our warfare then that are mighty to destroy fortresses are not of the flesh. The only way I can make this scripture fit is to assign it to prayer in order to get these results. Paul had first hand experience with God destroying his arguments and speculations against the true knowledge of God.

COL 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. [2] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. [3] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Being seated with Christ in the heavens is essentially “in the spirit” and not in our physical body. Our physical body is of the earth and must stay on the earth. Our spirit is from heaven and can ascend there. However, if we are in His body and He is seated, so are we seated with Him. We are not “His body” by the flesh but by the spirit! The Spirit of Christ in us makes us (that is the real us) a part of Him and He a part of us. This fleshly body of ours will be left behind and our real self, which is the image of God, will escape to be joined to the Lord. He that is now “joined to the Lord” is one spirit with Him.

This revelation of His body on earth now is basic to moving in the power of prayer. This revelation of being raised up and seated with Him is basic to exercising His authority in prayer. The total and complete victory of Calvary over all principalities and powers is clearly revealed in scriptures. It will be impossible to exercise absolute authority over Satan and the powers of darkness unless we know for certain the magnitude of Christ’s victory. Satan’s total defeat is irreversible and stands for eternity. Satan has been completely disarmed and has no weapon left except lies and deception.

One of the open proclamations made by Satanists and spiritualists is that Calvary was a total defeat of Christ and a total victory for Satan. Satan, through his disciples, proclaim that Satan is the glorious ruler of the earth. He presents himself as the majestic and exalted master who rules the earth. He openly declares that the name of Satan strikes fear to the heart of those in heaven and to all Christians on earth. He has declared total destruction upon every Christian. It is amazing that so many believe his lies and fall for his deception. Not only in the world but also in the church. Those who don’t know the truth still fear him.

If every born again child of God knew for certain and was fully convinced that Jesus Christ totally defeated Satan and all fallen angels along with principalities and powers on Calvary, the church could quickly become the church that rules. Satan was stripped of every weapon and lost the keys of death. Jesus had the keys to the Kingdom and gave them to the church to use. Binding and loosing is now the responsibility of the church!

COL 2:13] And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, [14] having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. [15] When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.( The cross , margin)

COL 2:9] For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, [10] and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

REV 1:17-----“Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, [18] and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades

If the church knew the total victory of Calvary and their delegated authority over Satan and all his agents the church would begin to rule now and enforce the judgement written.

JOHN 16:7] “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. [8] “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; [9] concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; [10] and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; [11] and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. [12] “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

Many Christians have a secret fear of Satan and his agents because, regardless of what the scriptures say, they still feel that he is a very dangerous enemy. They think that he has gained an advantage over the church. They use Satan’s influence and power over the nations and the corruption of the world system as proof of his dominance. Of course this is all part of his lies and deception because he is the ruler of darkness but we are not of darkness and he has no power over us. On the contrary we have power and authority over Satan and all his agents.

Because of the ignorance of these things the church doesn’t act upon God’s truth and begin to rule over God’s enemies and cause the adversaries and the revengeful to cease. They don’t bother to bind these “kings” with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron or to execute the judgement on them that has been written. Even though this is an honor given to every saint only a few will believe and act upon the facts.

ISA 14:15] “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. [16] “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, `Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, [17] Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’

At this time it will seem incredible that such an insignificant and shallow person like Satan could have caused all this trouble. Satan only “seems to be all powerful” if we have no revelation of who Jesus Christ is and where He sits. If we are ignorant of Satan’s total defeat we may attribute to him power he never really had. All that he now has is counterfeit.