Is He Really Your Lord?
Lordship can be defined as ruling with the backing of supremacy. Scripture tells us that ‘If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved’, Rom 10:9. The interpretation of this is that our confession coupled with our sincere belief has enabled Christ’ lordship and government into our lives legally. It means we give Him liberty to rule, liberty to govern, and liberty for His kingdom to be established in our lives. However, allow me to highlight one important fact. Christ is Lord. He has been given a name that is above all; His authority and sovereignty are above all, with or without our confession! Nonetheless, Christ wants to be Lord over our lives with our willingness for Him to be Lord over us.
Revelation 3:20, KJV reveals that Christ desires our willingness to establish His lordship over us “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me’’ .
When we accept the Lordship of Christ, our lives are supposed to reflect that we are under the government of the Kingdom of God. In earthly terms, when you visit a nation, its customs, rules and laws shape the behaviours and outlook of the natives of that land. There is a government that the natives of that land have subjected themselves to. Can others see what kind of government you are under? Do they know Christ as your Lord?
Obedience to Christ is the litmus test indicating Christ’s government over a person’s life. It is the national anthem of those in the kingdom of God. Let’s reflect on a significant time in the life of Abraham, a time when his obedience to God was put to a challenging test. In Gen 22:1-19 God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only legitimate son, Isaac. A son he had waited extensively for. A son he loved. (Amid the confusion, I’m sure) Abraham had obeyed God in his heart, and as he was about to complete the sacrifice of Isaac, an angel of the Lord appeared and told Abraham to halt the sacrifice. The angel of the Lord said in verse 12, “……..for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me“.
Abraham knew his Lord and had subjected himself to His sovereignty and authority. He was willing to obey such a request! God’s governance was fully established over his life. Can we obey God even when His instructions don’t make sense? Can we obey God even when it’s inconvenient? Can we obey God even when His will isn’t what we want? When we obey God, we indirectly tell him He is Lord over us. We also indirectly say to him that we love Him. Jesus told us that we can only express our love to Him by obeying His commands.
We can trust the Lordship of Christ over our lives. His thoughts toward us are of good and not of evil. He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us! If God is instructing you to do something you are struggling to obey, be comforted in the knowledge that He is a good father. A good shepherd. A good friend and a just king. All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). He always rewards obedient people. Persecution may result from making Christ your Lord, but in the end, there will always be glory, Romans 8:18. Galatians 2:20, KJV says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me“. This verse summarizes the government of Christ in our lives. We give up our innate fleshly desires in exchange for His spirit to be expressed in our vessels. We give up that which dishonours God. We give up ‘self’. Hence, allowing the will of God to take precedence in our lives.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, have mercy on me; I surrender in totality to your governance. Let your kingdom come, and let your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen
