Christ is calling us to the throne of glory, the throne of all authority and power. Such a position in the universe will not go to those who have so little determination, so little courage they are unable to push aside the uproar of the flesh and lay hold on the heavenly calling.

We will never establish our position at the right hand of God until we seek His face with a determination of steel. It is true we are raised to the highest throne when we are first born again of the Spirit of God. But our position will be challenged every moment of every day until we either secure our position, having grasped that for which we have been grasped, or we allow the things of the present world to choke out our spiritual life. In this case we will reap destruction.

It is entirely possible to start out in Christ and then to draw back and reap destruction, to die in the wilderness and never reach the land of promise, the perfection of God.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (Hebrews 10:39—NIV)

From the context of the Book of Hebrews we know the above verse is not referring to Jewish people who refuse to accept Christ but Jewish believers who are in danger of falling away from the faith.

Our life must be Christ if we are to appear with Him. Today and every following day we decide whether to look to the flesh as our life or Christ as our life. The decision is ours to make. The consequences of our daily decisions are beyond the ability of the English language to convey. Their importance and significance to us as an individual are staggering. Were we to gain the whole world and not have Christ become our life we would be the most miserable, the most pitiable of all God's creatures.

At stake is the rulership of all the works of God's hands. For what earthly pleasure or possession would we give this in trade? Esau traded his inheritance for lentil stew because he was hungry at the time. He never got it back!

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:7—NIV)

Note carefully the verse above.

What does it mean to overcome, to conquer? It means to press through the distractions of earth and to secure our place at the right hand of God in Christ.

The term "overcome" implies there are adversaries, there are challenges, there are obstacles that would prevent our gaining the throne. Indeed there are! It is a fight every inch of the way, every second of the day.

When we speak of the Throne of Almighty God we are referring to a position once held by Satan. The Scripture suggests Satan was one of the two cherubim that overshadowed the Throne with their wings.

Now, how do you think Satan feels about you, a despised creature fashioned from the dust of the ground, enjoying a closeness to God that once had been true of him? Needless to say, Satan is driven with envy and rage to make certain you never enjoy that privilege.

To be continued.