God created man so that man could rule over the earth (Genesis 1:26; Revelation 1:6). But sin caused man to become unqualified to rule.
Life without Jesus Christ in Sin
The Bible shows God’s view of mankind: all have sinned against God and are slaves of sin.
“The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a)
No matter what man may try to do, no one is righteous before God.
“There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10)
If man stays in this condition, he cannot partake of God’s eternal life. The result is eternal death and the lake of fire (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Faith and Baptism
God desires for all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). By believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, and through baptism, we obtain forgiveness of sins and receive eternal life.
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
The Path of Sanctification
After salvation, we must walk on the path of sanctification. God’s commandment:
“Be holy, for I am holy!” (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16)
That requires us to separate ourselves unto God and serve Him as priests by worshipping Him with spiritual offerings through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus was the Man who fulfilled all of God’s righteous requirements. If He reigns in our lives today, we will be transformed into His likeness and will become qualified to exercise the intended dominion over this earth.
The Goal: to Reign with Christ over the Earth
At Christ’s second coming, the perfected Christians will reign with Him over the earth for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4, 6). A Christian who is not transformed into the likeness of Christ will have no part in this; instead he must be dealt with through chastening during these 1000 years (Luke 12:47).
