The Pathway to Ruling and Reigning with Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 09/08/24

This was originally recorded on August 14, 2016.

My notes:

Before landing on the point that there is the opportunity for us to rule and reign with Christ, Doug goes in several directions that all are essential truth we need to know and understand. So, if you don't recognize the message seeming to adhere to what I titled it, hang in there. In Doug's closing prayer, he referred to it as "discombobulated".

Doug shared out of Dr. Michael Heiser's book, The Unseen Realm (https://archive.org/details/unseenrealmrecov0000heis) (mentioned in the last message posted). He talked about 'the divine council', seraphim, cherubim, principalities and powers, territorial spirits, angels, and demons, along with their uniqueness in status and function; and on the other hand, who we as the body of Christ are in our status and function. We are in a spiritual turf war, speaking about our assembly moving here to New York a number of years ago from Oklahoma. As we've been listening to Doug teach on the ground Satan has access to in us, our flesh, our old sin nature, Doug cites the recent (2016) church discipline in dealing with leaven in the assembly so that God is "going to have an environment so that sacred territory can be occupied amid the powers of darkness... That's why 1 Corinthians 5, 'get out the leaven'. We cannot surrender this sacred place to the powers of darkness."

As Doug muses on the message from Greg Boyd, he mentions what Greg speaks of as the origin of evil being the choice to say 'no' to God. The warning is that "people, over a period of time that keep saying 'no', those choices are developing character. So, in the characterological of saying 'no', you reach the place where you are not able to turn back. Why? Because the character has shaped your many choices." So, choices develop character; and character shape choices. "Now, if that wouldn't put the fear of God in you, I don't know what would."

Recently we listened to a wonderful message from Art Katz that spoke of how obedience to the Lord builds character, and with character comes authority. In this message, Doug shared a famous quote from Lao Tzu that speaks of how character is developed:

   "Watch your thoughts;

     they become words.

   Watch your words;

     they become actions.

   Watch your actions;

     they become habits.

   Watch your habits;

     they become character.

   Watch your character;

     it becomes your destiny."

Another from the same author:

"A man with outward courage dares to die; a man with inner courage dares to live."

"God is creating a royal family to be His administrators, not only in the millennium, but on into all the ages to come." This requires the character of Christ formed in us during our sojourn here on earth that qualifies us to rule and reign with Christ. As little children are not capacitated nor qualified to conduct administerial business, neither are babes in Christ who have not matured and attained sonship. Doug clarifies that distinction in explaining why not all Christians will rule and reign with Christ, though all Christians will enjoy eternal life. "Not all are going to be kings, and not all are going to be lords. That's earned. Kingship and lordship is earned by appropriating more grace than those who do not receive that status." Quoting Boyd, "We are not on vacation; we are at war."

In the Discussion, Doug gave a very helpful and strategic perspective on spiritual warfare. Demons can be cast out; principalities and powers cannot be cast out. Jesus gives us the pattern in dealing with demons; but He didn’t demonstrate how to deal with principalities and powers. We see that in the pattern in the Old Testament regarding Israel and taking the promised land. They didn’t call out to the spiritual authorities and demand they depart. No! They had to go into the land and drive them out. Possessing the inheritance requires dispossessing the enemy who is occupying it. In New Testament warfare, the enemy has stolen people’s bodies, souls, and spirits in a sense. Demons who afflict us can be cast out, but the principalities and powers must be confronted legally to take back what they have stolen. We must bind them and go in and plunder what they are holding on to. Doug’s latest messages addressed Satan’s ground and legal rights in people – our old man, our sin nature, natural soul-life, not to mention unconfessed sin. We must address this legal ground by recognizing it is in us (i.e.: sins of the past, idolatry, hatred toward God, etc.); confess and acknowledge it as sin (1 John 1:9); and repent (turn away from it, relinquishing it and renouncing it). Then we can ‘bind the strong man’ (not cast him out) and ‘plunder his possession’, taking back people’s humanity and giving it to Jesus, the one who redeemed us.

Link to Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/8-14-16%2Bsunday.mp3

Link to Discussion: http://d1kefhswa49zcj.cloudfront.net/assemblies/8-14-16+discussion.mp3

Resource Mentioned:

Greg Boyd: Jesus and the Reality of Spiritual Warfare

https://reknew.org/2016/01/jesus-and-the-reality-of-spiritual-warfare/ - also: https://reknew.org/2013/06/the-warfare-worldview/ (not sure exactly which Doug referred to)

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!