Jesus Is Lord
What men meant for evil God meant for good. Despite the opposition of this world and the darkness of this world, all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.
One of our priorities as Influencers is that Jesus is Lord of our lives. Oswald Sanders wrote many books on Christian leadership. Someone asked him, “can you receive Jesus Christ as savior and not Lord?” Sanders replied, “I received him as Saviour but not Lord because no one taught me what it means to confess ‘Jesus is Lord.’ As soon as someone explained to me the lordship of Christ, I received him as Lord.”
What does it mean to call Jesus “Lord?” Oswald Chambers said, “there is no moral value to a higher authority unless you are obedient to that authority. We are each a slave to our own selfish desires unless we die to self so that we may live to glorify him. The lordship of Jesus Christ means to submit in loving obedience to his will and to his authority.”
Christianity is a rescue mission for desperate men. When like the prodigal son, we “come to ourselves” then we can return to our Heavenly Father. This is the point of repentance — of changing our direction. The world’s man-code says that a man cannot say, “I can’t make it on my own.” However, the moment of repentance is when I recognize that in my own power, I’m powerless to overcome the problems, panic, and pandemic of this world.
The consistency of Christianity is our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist asked in Psalm 121, “Shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? From whence cometh my help?” The next verse says, “My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Recognition of a higher authority in order to please him is the point of repentance — of turning from myself and unto Him.
Sin, missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, is part of our human nature. Our nature we inherited from Adam is to succumb to the temptations and cares of this world. Jesus said, “in this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus wasn’t a tyrant who forced his followers to obey his command trough coercion against their wills. When a man comes to Christ, he comes to the realization that he is no longer in charge of his own life. Chambers said regarding Lordship, “I require extreme obedience from you with no questioning or complaining on your part and no explanation on mine.”
Lordship means that I give up authority over my own life in obedience to his will and his calling. To say, “Jesus is Lord,” means that I surrender my will to his will. Confession that Jesus is Lord means to speak the same word. It means to make God’s word my word. It also means to make his desires my desires as I subjugate my will to his will.
When Jesus is Lord, nothing belongs to me. Lord means owner. It means that I sign away my own rights and become a bond slave to Jesus Christ. A bond slave chooses by the freedom of his will to serve his master from a heart of love. The Old Testament description of a bond slave is in Deuteronomy 15:12-18. If a Hebrew buys the services of another Hebrew, the servant shall serve his master for six years and after the six years he shall be set free from his legal obligation to serve his master. After six years, if the slave says to his master, I love you and want to serve you for the rest of my life, Deuteronomy 15:16-17 says, “And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.”
The bond-slave’s earmark identifies him as a life long slave of his master, bound by the bond of love. The master is obligated to take care of his bond servant’s needs. Through the trials and tribulations of life, the question our Lord asks is, “despite what happens, will you still purpose in your heart to honor, love and serve me?” A bond slave lives and runs to do his master’s will. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
At our Influencers retreats, we have a ceremony where we anoint men as a “Man of God.” First we ask each man “Is Jesus Christ Lord of your life?” The second question is, “Do you love Jesus?” The third question is, “Do you want to spend the rest of your live learning to become just like Jesus?” When a man answers yes to these three questions, we anoint him with oil, and declare him “Man of God.” Then we pray over him and put a bracelet on his wrist that says, “Man of God, Absolutely.” The phrase “Man of God” means God’s man. Grammatically, this is the “genitive of possession.” Christianity is not who we are, but rather, WHOSE we are.
Cory Tin Boom said, “I hold everything loosely. Then when Jesus needs to take it away from me, it doesn’t hurt because he won’t need to pry it from my hand.”
Even though we sinned and continue to sin in our flesh, God gives us a way to return to fellowship and reconcile our hearts with him. According to 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We’re called to the body of Christ so that we can encourage one another in the love of God. Jesus said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another.
God always has our best interest in mind. He has called us and made us according to his image, Christ in us the hope of glory. The purpose is that we would be to the praise fo the glory of His grace. Obedience in intimate loving surrender to his spirit is to live life more abundantly. It’s always in our best interest to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When we’re on target according to His will, then we can rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.
Peter had to be broken and humbled before he could turn his heart to the Lord. He had said to Jesus, though the whole world forsakes you, I will never forsake you. Jesus said to Peter, “before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me thrice.” The night before the crucifixion, Peter had followed Jesus to the high priest’s house. Jesus was being unjustly accused before the high priest while Peter was warming himself outside by the fire. A man approached Peter and said, “I recognize you as one of his followers. I can tell by your speech that you are a Galilean.” Peter denied him saying, “I never knew the man.” Just then Peter heard the cock crow and Jesus looked toward Peter. Jesus and Peter locked eyes. Peter’s heart was broken. He went off and wept bitterly.
The world thinks that “surrender” is to give up what’s important as a “self actualized” individual. “Hands up, I surrender,” according to the world, is a declaration of defeat and not victory. However, the world’s doctrines are the complete opposite of the truth of the word of God.
The world cannot understand the meaning of the hymn “I Surrender All.” The lyrics of this hymn are what it means to confess with thy mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” In my own power and in my flesh, I cannot sing this song and mean it. However when I return to him in loving obedience, I can sing these words with Christ’s heart behind my heart:
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now,
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me
May I know Thy power divine.
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all…
…For you are my Lord and Saviour, that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
