Today we should live a life as an anti-testimony to the world. We should not only go against the worldly trend, but we should also go against the worldly and degraded condition of all of Christianity. The people in the world do not allow the Lord to reign over them, nor do most in Christianity allow the Lord to reign over them. However, we saved ones must be an anti-testimony on the earth and allow the Lord Jesus to be our King to rule and reign over us. We must acknowledge His authority and come under His ruling in the great and small things in our living. Although the world rebels against Him and rejects His reigning, we should be able to say, “Lord, come to us, reign over us, and reign in us. We submit under Your throne.” In this way we will be blessed, for the kingdom will be ours.
Moreover, our living, walk, and conduct should influence others to be subject to Christ. If we all live under the Lord’s ruling and reigning, it will be difficult for others not to be influenced by us after spending some time with us. If they are with us for a period of time, they will be influenced by us to come under the authority of the Lord Jesus. Whether they are believers or not, they will be influenced by us to submit to the Lord’s authority.
Sadly, there are many Christians whom others should not come close to, because after they come close to these Christians, they will become loose and unruly. The reason for this is that these Christians themselves are leading a sloppy life without the Lord’s restriction and ruling. Hence, when people have contact with them, they are naturally influenced to be loose and unruly. This kind of Christian usually says, “It is not difficult to be a Christian. I have been baptized for more than twenty years, but I still go to movies and have some entertainment once a week. We do not need to be restricted much to be Christians; we only need to make sure not to do evil things.” Actually, a great many believers are like this. When some older sisters see the change of apparel in a young sister who is ruled by the Lord, they are too timid to say anything at first. After a while, however, they cannot stand it and say, “Does the Lord want you to dress like an old lady? Why do you need to dress like that? Young people should look like young people and be more lively. We are not from the country. Since we are living in a large metropolitan area, does it really matter if we slightly improve our appearance and apply some cosmetics? I am an old Christian who has met with the church for years, and I love the Lord, but in my clothing I look younger than you. Why should you not dress younger?”
We need to realize that these older sisters are actually saying, “We do not want Jesus to reign over us.” Those who hear such a word must be very wary. When such a word is repeated many times, it will eventually produce an effect. Loose and unruly brothers and sisters enjoy doing this kind of work. If there is no effect the first time they speak such a word to a young sister, they will speak again and again until the day they are able to change the sister, not from being evil to being good or from being good to being evil, but from having the Lord’s authority and ruling to not having the Lord’s authority and ruling. A seed of corruption will be planted into the listener and eventually grow and produce fruit.
We have seen some brothers and sisters who have not changed much in more than twenty years; they have been leading a shallow Christian life. Apparently, they pray, read the Bible, and love the Lord zealously, but they remain unchanged, holding the authority in their own hands, never allowing the Lord to touch them and rule in them, and never learning to be subject to His authority.
These brothers and sisters have a negative influence on others, an influence of rebellion. We need to beware of this kind of person, and we need to beware of those who are in contact with them. We should not receive this kind of negative influence of rebellion. As long as we remain on the earth, we should always have a positive influence on others by causing them to be subject to the authority of Christ and to be ruled by Him. When people have been with us for a long time, they should be brought under the Lord’s authority and be His kingdom.
Furthermore, if today we truly live in the kingdom and are the Lord’s disciples, we will do all that we can and spend all that we have to preach the gospel, to bring people under the authority of the gospel, and to make them the Lord’s disciples. As long as we have any strength and breath, we must spread the name of the Lord Jesus. As long as we have some material riches and power, we must spend these for the propagating of the gospel so that our Lord may be preached, tens of thousands may be drawn to Him, and His kingdom may spread. If we are those who live in the kingdom, we will surely do all that we can and spend all that we have for the propagation of the gospel. As we live in the world, we should not only be an anti-testimony and produce a positive influence, but we should also do all that we can and give all that we have for the gospel in order to spread the Lord’s kingdom.
Fifty or sixty years ago during the Chinese revolution of 1911, there were many overseas Chinese who did all that they could do and spent all that they had, exhausting everything, for the propagation of the revolution. Eventually, they overthrew the Manchu Dynasty and established the Republic of China. Today we must see that it is not right for darkness to reign and for Satan to rule. Our Lord should be the King, the kingdom should be returned to Him, and the government should be on His shoulders (Isa. 9:6). By what means can we accomplish this? Should we use missiles and cannons? This is not our way, nor does the Lord want us to use this way (John 18:36). What way then should we use? We must use the gospel. The Lord’s desire is that we would preach the gospel. His desire is that we would sweat for the gospel and even shed our blood for the gospel. He desires that we would pour out all that we can and all that we have on the gospel.
I hope that many young people among us will pray, “Lord, I am willing to give my life for Your gospel. I am a saved one and am Your disciple. I will allow You to reign, and I am subject to Your authority. Lord, in this age of darkness I desire to be an anti-testimony, have a positive influence on others, and give all that I can and all that I have for the spreading of Your gospel to bring tens of thousands of souls into subjection to You, the glorious King.”
When the King of kings and the Lord of lords comes back in victory, all those who love Him, submit to His authority, live for Him, and give their all for the propagation of the gospel today will enter into incomparable glory. One day the Lord will come; He will reign, He will receive His kingdom, He will rule, and He will judge. May the Lord be gracious to us that today we will allow Him to reign, will be His kingdom, will allow Him to rule, and will allow Him to judge, so that on that day we can reign with Him and enjoy the blessing of His eternal presence.