Dear slave and master
Please promote yourself
Hi overcomer,
To sum up Psalm 75:6-7
"Promotion comes from the LORD."
Great when it happens!
Yet,
There is another Biblical approach you should take.
The one where,
You promote yourself.
Not GOD.
In fact, He's actually willing you on... to promote yourself. (Especially this year).
This scripture explains why...
"Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all."
Galatians 4:1 NKJV
Interesting to see the three states of a believer so clearly eh?
Heir.
Slave.
Master.
For we know all these states are true. And vibrantly active.
We are heirs of GOD. Joint heirs with Christ.
Great.
Yet, we don't enter the fullness of all that being an heir means until later.
So for now...
Instead let's focus on the other two.
Slaves first.
Though to be clear.
I mean slaves of Christ... we are no longer slaves to sin. (Btw if you still struggle with sin then this is the only way to experience real, sustained freedom and victory—See Chapter 10 here)
We've been translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of GOD's dear Son to make us 'bondservants' (i.e. Slaves) of Christ. Colossians 1:13
So what about the next (third) state of the believer?
Master.
Well, as a good good Father, that's the state the LORD wants to see you promoted to.
Yet not by Him.
By you.
Promote yourself.
How will you do it?
By utmost simplicity saint.
For once more,
The Holy Spirit has hidden the instruction in plain sight in Galatians for us...
"Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all."
Galatians 4:1 NKJV.
Seen it yet overcomer?
For as long as we stay a child—We remain slaves... even though we could be masters. And it says we are ‘master of all.’
Slaves are obedient.
They serve well.
They do okay (or put another way 'bang average').
Yet here's the big deal...
They are still slaves.
Think then.
Does GOD want slaves?
Hmmn...
Nope. (John 15:15)
Therefore as you ponder that...
Here's how to upgrade your status from slave to master. Promote yourself to a better way of living...
Of believing.
Of holiness.
Of discipleship.
Of authority. Of power in prayer.
Which you do saint when you...
Put away childish things.
Put them away.
Because as Paul reveals...
If you stay a child... you stay a slave.
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."
1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV
Conclusion and Resolution
This year the road is calling overcomer.
Calling you and I.
Jesus is a few steps up ahead.
Calling gently...
"Take up your Cross and follow Me.
Do not be conformed to the image of this world.
Become a master of it. Master your destiny.
Leave the dull lowlands of slave life.
Don't just obey.
Love yourself free by loving Me.
And promote yourself...
To rule and reign and become friend with My Father and Me."
Cool eh overcomer?
This year progress.
From slave—To Master—And Mastery.
Which looks like this...
"The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:
Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."
Psalm 110: 2 KJV
That's you saint.
Promoted to where you should be.
Why not...
Why the heck not?
And this year!
Bless you.
Dave.
*Yes Psalm 110:2 is a reference to the Messiah.
Yet it's more.
Remember John says...
"As He is so are we in the world" doesn't he?
Therefore He desires us to reign and 'master life' with and in Him. He sure does saint...
"By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world."
1 John 4:17 ESV
"Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him.
If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."
John 13:16-17 NASB
Being a slave to a good master in 1st century Judaism was a good life for the poor. As a spiritual slave to Yeshua, we have a great Master.
It is because of the accomplishments of Jesus Christ that we have become in truth what the scripture declares in 1 John 4:17. What we believe about ourselves, our identity in Christ, is due to what we really believe about salvation and what Christ accomplished. Who do you see when you look in the mirror?
2 Corinthians 5:16, 17 From now on, therefore, we regard no one (including ourselves) according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (ESV)