Reigning in RoyaltySample

Reigning in God-given Significance

Our journey to discovering our God-given significance has revealed that all promotion, favor, and blessing are to enable us to succeed in this one overarching assignment: reigning in life.

God designed us to reign in life. Think of it, the master planner, the designer of all, wrote into our DNA that we should reign. Many react to that kind of statement because it seems to say that we are to seek to be exalted. Self-exaltation is a poor counterfeit for reigning in life, which ultimately is living according to the plan, purpose, and design of God. He is exalted when all He made functions according to His will, design, and purpose. And we were made to live in His glory, illustrating His likeness in all we do.

Our understanding of royalty is skewed and is what makes the idea of reigning sound offensive. And yet I remind you, Jesus is a King—the King of all kings, in fact. Royalty isn’t a bad concept; it’s just been poorly represented in the earth. We have the chance to set the record straight by how the church is blessed, giving all for the benefit of others.

Much of what we are to learn on this subject comes from Proverbs, the book known for wisdom. The word proverb has as its root meaning to rule or reign.

And lest anyone think reigning in life to be an Old Testament concept only, it is repeated in what is often considered the ultimate theological book of the Bible, Romans.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

—Romans 5:17, NKJV

The Passion Translation puts Romans 5:17 this way:

Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah!

The King James Version of the Bible uses the word promotion in Psalm 75:6–7, saying, “Promotion comes from the Lord.” It is probably the most well-known scripture on the subject. A high percentage of the other translations use the word exalted or exaltation or something similar. 

For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.

—Psalm 75:6–7, NKJV

The point is, thinking of people being exalted is offensive to some who think only of God being exalted. But promotion, or exaltation, is connected to God’s sovereignty and His justice. This passage introduces Him as the judge, who has complete liberty to put one down and exalt another. Another way to put this is promotion is an expression of God’s justice. To deny it in efforts of false humility is to deny His justice. 

It is vital that we accept His promotions as well as His delays. He is God, and He is exalted by His choices. Yielding to them is wisdom.

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

—Proverbs 3:3–4, NKJV