We need to see the reason God saves us; that is, we need to see His purpose in saving us. God saves us that we may be His kingdom, that through us He may establish the kingdom of His Son. Today Satan is still active in the air and on the earth. Satan rules in these two realms, and Christ’s authority has no way to be expressed. However, Christ finds a way by extending His authority into us who believe in Him. If we allow Him to exercise His authority to a sufficient extent, we will be a group of overcomers. According to God’s ordination, the whole church should be like this. All those in the church, every saved one, should be under the authority of Christ, should allow Christ to reign, and should be a place where Christ can exercise His authority. Many saved ones, however, desire the Lord’s salvation, the Lord’s love, and the Lord’s blessings, but they will not allow the Lord to reign in them so that He may gain His kingdom.
What will the Lord do in this situation? The Lord must do a further work in the church to gain a particular group of people. Throughout the last two thousand years the line of these lovers of the Lord has never been broken. Apparently the church is in decline, and indeed the church as a whole is in decline. However, in this decline there are still overcomers. In this decline there are still some who love the Lord and tell Him, “Lord, I am under Your authority. I am Your kingdom. I am willing to allow Your throne and Your authority to come in. I love Your ruling. Lord, You are the King, and I am under Your ruling. I submit to Your authority.” In these last two thousand years the line of such persons who submit to the Lord’s authority has never been broken. These persons are the Lord’s overcomers.
We absolutely believe that there are some brothers and sisters on the earth today, though they may not be great in number, who are able to tell the Lord, “Lord, I am Your kingdom, and I am under Your authority. Lord, You are the ruling One, the reigning One. I am saved and have become a Christian for no other reason. I do not desire anything on the earth. I know only that I am under Your authority, that I am Your kingdom, and that Your throne is in me. Lord, You are enthroned, You reign, and You rule over me. I submit absolutely to You and to Your ruling.” I believe that there are such saints. Though they may not be great in number, there surely are some.
We may say, “I cannot submit.” But if we cannot, others can. Amazingly, however, we also can submit if we have received mercy. Everyone who has been shown mercy and grace can submit to the Lord. Throughout the ages there have always been such persons, a group of those who love the Lord and who are willing to submit to His ruling. I have never met a group of Christians among whom I could not find some who love the Lord in this way. Although there may not be many, there are always some. No matter where we go, we can always find some Christians, and among them we can always find some who love the Lord in this way. I can testify that in many places I have found some who love the Lord. When they mention the Lord’s name, they are crazy. It seems that when they mention the Lord, they do not care for anything else; they are not concerned with anything but the Lord.
There was a brother in a certain place who loved the Lord very much. He loved the Lord so much that his father said to him jokingly, “My child, if your father were to die today, would it matter to you, or do you love only Jesus?” The reason his father asked him this was that in his father’s eyes, this young man knew nothing except the Lord Jesus. He was “drugged” with Jesus. It seemed that when he was awake, he thought of Jesus; when he was asleep, he thought of Jesus. Jesus was everything to him. He was unclear in all other things, but when speaking of Jesus, he was very clear. This young man loved Jesus to this extent. However, this kind of person can be found everywhere. It is as if they are drugged with the Lord Jesus.
It is spontaneous for such persons to submit to the authority of Christ. In their view it is certain that Jesus will be the Lord; it is spontaneous for the Lord to reign in them. Their entire being is Christ’s domain, Christ’s kingdom. Christ’s throne is in them, and Christ’s will is carried out in their living. Their entire life is Christ’s reigning; the reality of the kingdom is in them. At this time and in this kind of situation, what is manifested in them is entirely the kingdom of God. Their life is not merely human; the divine, glorious, resurrection life is manifested in them. They can overcome and overcome absolutely; they can endure and endure utterly. It is humanly impossible to live the kind of life they live; man cannot manage this kind of living. Only God can live in such a way. In other words, God comes forth from them. Because the throne is established in them, the power of life is manifested in them.