“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Philippians 2:9-11)
Reflection:
The earliest, shortest and simplest of all the Christian creeds are the words “Jesus is Lord.” Those who made this confession in the early church were baptised and welcomed into the Christian community.
Paul also wrote that
- “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
- “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)
The statement ‘Jesus is Lord’ signifies both a conviction and a commitment on the part of the speaker. The conviction is that Jesus is truly Lord, and Lord of all, and that there is no other. The commitment is that Jesus is and will be Lord in all aspects and dimensions of the speaker’s life.
This is what salvation is all about, and it happens as the Holy Spirit leads us to both the acknowledgement and commitment involved. The rest of our life here is to increasingly reflect and live Jesus as Lord at all times and in all ways – and this not in our own strength but under the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit Himself.
Response:
Look to your life. Ask God to help you in the areas where you still struggle and resist Him.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus You are Lord and always will be. Help me to trust You more completely as the Lord of my Life and to live in Your love and under Your direction. Amen.
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Softly, Spoke the River 