Although believers ascribe to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the majority only scribe to the latter aspect of Jesus, which is salvation or redemption of sin. Salvation encompasses healing, deliverance, and restoration. The other attribute that believers need to know is the Lordship of Jesus.
This week begins a new series titled “Meet Jesus,” in which we learn about Jesus beyond the salvation experience, starting with Jesus as Lord. Jesus as Lord is evident throughout the Bible; in the New Testament, we see Jesus refer to himself as Lord and called by others as Lord. In the rest of the epistles, we see Jesus as Lord repeatedly referenced by all the authors, predominantly Paul, Peter, and John. The term Lord applied to anyone in authority over another – a description close to its original meaning, means a title of respect or master. In the days of the apostles after Jesus’s ascension, Jesus as Lord was interpreted as the Master of Life and the center of the community. In today’s application, we can translate that to Jesus Christ as the Master of everything, including our communities.
In Philippians 2:5-11. We see what qualified Jesus as Lord above all else is that he humbled himself before God and surrendered his deity- he emptied himself to become human and was obedient unto death. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above every name, that in the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Every tongue acknowledges that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Also, see Colossians 1:15-20.
Jesus as Lord and savior also involves accepting as Lord. Coming into the Lordship of Jesus means we come under his authority; we make him alter everything in our lives. There is nothing that we have that is not from God. For Jesus to be crowned Lord of the Lord, he submitted to the Father, although he knew he was part of God. Coming into the Lordship of Christ requires evaluating every area in our lives and ensuring it is submitted to Jesus. Our gifts, titles, achievements, anointings, ministries, families, minds, goals, intellect, relationships, friendships, business, and finances are submitted to Jesus. Coming under the Lordship involves submitting our minds, will, and emotions to Jesus. Carnality is doing anything outside God- because, at that time, we have resorted to our thoughts and desires, not necessarily God’s.
The things we find difficult to let go of are the things we submit to Jesus. Coming under the Lordship of Jesus implies that he is the head of our lives. It involves conforming to the requirements of his Lordship, which is being doers of his word. Coming under the Lordship of Jesus involves submitting ourselves to being made Christlike- the image of Christ or being transformed into our Lord. Submitting to the Lordship of Jesus means permitting him to influence all areas. Coming under the Lordship of Jesus requires that we rely on Jesus rather than our efforts. Being under the Lordship of Jesus requires relinquishing self-reliance, independence, or the notion of being self-made. Remember in Him we live, move, and have our being Acts 17:28.
I adjure you to submit even your strengths to Jesus; we often submit our weaknesses but exalt our strengths instead of submitting them. When we submit to the Lordship of Jesus, we surrender to the I AM, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Anointed One, the Christ. The Creator, everything was created for him and by him. Jesus is the ruler of all. Connect with the Holy Spirit to show you what needs to be surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. Surrender all and ask Jesus to help you work it out. Next time you say Jesus is my Lord or Jesus is Lord- Ensure he is Lord of everything in your life.