No Room for Rival Thrones

“ . . . that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” ROMANS 10:9-10

 

PONDER THIS

You have no right to call yourself a Christian if Jesus Christ is not Lord over your life. As a Christian, you’re saved by believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and yielding to His lordship. This is more than just saying Jesus is Lord; anyone can say those words. When Paul wrote the Book of Romans to the early Christians, he knew that to say, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” could cost you your life. Why? Because the people of the Roman Empire had to say, “Caesar is Lord.” Now they could also say, “Zeus is Lord.” They could say that Aphrodite is Lord, but they also had to say that Caesar is Lord. They had to put Caesar in with the other gods. Christians would not do that.

They would threaten these Christians by saying, “Do you want to get along in the empire? You must say what everybody else will say. Say, ‘Kaiser Curios.’” They would respond, “No, I can’t say that. Christos Curios.” They would draw the sword and say, “Say it! Kaiser Curious!” “I cannot say that. Jesus Christ is Lord.” And these Christians were thrown into dungeons; they were burned at the stake; their blood reddened the mouths of lions because they said Jesus Christ is Lord. They could have been saved by simply offering a pinch of salt to Caesar and saying, “Yes, Jesus is Lord, but so also is Caesar.” It’s not Christ and, it is Christ only, not Christ and this or that. Jesus Christ is Lord. That is the fundamental confession of the New Testament Church. In every area of your life, He is to be Lord.

When did you first recognize Jesus as Lord? What has changed since then?

Why is it important that Jesus alone is Lord over our lives? What are some other things we might allow as lord over us?

PRACTICE THIS

Share your testimony of how Jesus became Lord of your life.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

What Will You Do with Jesus?

“Pilate said to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’”

MATTHEW 27:22

 

PONDER THIS

“What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” This is a personal question. You, like Pilate, must answer it. This is a pertinent question. We’re not talking about some idea; we’re talking about the One who claims to be the Son of God. And this is a pressing question; it is before you right now.

Jesus Christ was in Pilate’s hand that day. And today Jesus Christ is in your hand. But the time came when Pilate was in Jesus’ hand, and the time will come when you will be in Jesus’ hand. Jesus was standing before Pilate, but at the judgment, Pilate stands before Jesus. Jesus is standing before you today, through the Spirit and through the Word. But one day, you will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, this question is personal, pertinent, and pressing. “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

Are you going to believe His claim to be the Son of God and shape your life around that belief? Are you going to submit to Him as Lord of your life every day that you live? Will you hear about Jesus and agree at a surface level but never let Him shape what you do? What will you do with Jesus?

How does your life show that Jesus is Lord?

What are some areas where it is hard to follow Jesus as Lord?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask God to help you grow in understanding of His lordship and in living under His authority.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Two of Our Deepest Needs

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1)

We as a church are “in” a Father and “in” a Lord. What does that mean?

The word “Father” implies primarily care and sustaining and protection and provision and discipline. So, to be “in” the Father would mean mainly to be in the care and under the protection of God as our heavenly Father.

The other designation is Lord: We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “Lord” implies primarily authority and leadership and ownership. So, to be “in” the Lord means mainly to be in the charge, under the authority, and in the possession of Jesus as our supreme Lord.

So, Paul greets the Thessalonian church in such a way as to remind them that they are a family (in the care of a Father) and that they are servants (in the charge of a Lord). These two descriptions of God as Father and Lord, and thus of the church as family and servants, correspond to two of our deepest needs.

Every single one of us has a need for rescue and help, on the one hand, and the need for purpose and meaning, on the other.

We need a heavenly Father to pity us and rescue us from sin and misery. We need his help every step of the way, because we are so weak and vulnerable.

We also need a heavenly Lord to guide us in life and tell us what is wise and give us a great and meaningful charge to fulfill, and reason for existence, some usefulness for the way God made us. We don’t just want to be safe in the care of a Father — as precious and needed as that is. We want a glorious cause to live for.

We want a merciful Father to be our Protector, and we want an omnipotent Lord to be our Champion and our Commander and our Leader in some great cause. So, when Paul says in verse 1, You are the church “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” we can take rest and help from the one — God is our Father! And we can take courage and meaning from the other — Jesus is our Lord!

John Piper 

Are You Wearing Jesus?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Romans 13:13-14

 

PONDER THIS

In these verses, Paul called us to put on Jesus Christ as Lord. He is my Master; I am His slave. Is Jesus Christ your Master? He is if you put Him on. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus means Savior. The name Jesus means, “Jehovah saves.” Not only do you put on the Lord Jesus as Master for direction, but you put on the Lord Jesus as Savior for deliverance. It’s a vile world out there, and as you go out, you must be clothed. You need someone who can deliver you, dress you in the robes of righteousness, protect you, cleanse you, and keep you clean. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ where you’re dressed in His righteousness alone because he is Lord and Savior.

The word Christ means, “Messiah” or “king.” He is the one who rules over me and teaches me how to rule in this life because He is the Messiah, He is the king, He is Lord of lords and King of kings. We are to wear Jesus like a suit of armor, the armor of light.

What is your morning routine? What reminds you to put on Christ Jesus as Lord?

How has your life changed since giving God authority over your life? Where do you need to give Him further authority?

PRACTICE THIS

Consider what it looks like to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider how you can practice that daily.

 

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Submitting to Jesus as Lord

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36

 

PONDER THIS

The foundational truth in the New Testament is that Jesus Christ is Lord. Understanding this is the fundamental key to knowing and exercising kingdom authority. Jesus Christ is called Lord no less than 747 times in the New Testament.

It is common to encourage a person to “make Jesus Lord.” But the fact is, He’s already Lord. We cannot make Him Lord. The only decisions we have today are number one, will we recognize that lordship, and number two, will we bow to it.

Once we acknowledge the lordship of Jesus, this truth will impact not only certain moments of our lives but the entirety of our lives. If we truly submit to Him as Lord, everything will change.

What do you need to submit to the lordship of Jesus in your life?

How would your life look different if you truly submitted to Jesus as Lord?

PRACTICE THIS

Take time to ask God today what you have withheld from the lordship of Jesus. Ask Him to help you freely give up that thing so you might submit to Jesus completely.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Two of Our Deepest Needs

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:1)

We as a church are “in” a Father and “in” a Lord. What does that mean?

The word “Father” implies primarily care and sustaining and protection and provision and discipline. So, to be “in” the Father would mean mainly to be in the care and under the protection of God as our heavenly Father.

The other designation is Lord: We are in the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “Lord” implies primarily authority and leadership and ownership. So, to be “in” the Lord means mainly to be in the charge, under the authority, and in the possession of Jesus as our supreme Lord.

So, Paul greets the Thessalonian church in such a way as to remind them that they are a family (in the care of a Father) and that they are servants (in the charge of a Lord). These two descriptions of God as Father and Lord, and thus of the church as family and servants, correspond to two of our deepest needs.

Every single one of us has a need for rescue and help, on the one hand, and the need for purpose and meaning, on the other.

We need a heavenly Father to pity us and rescue us from sin and misery. We need his help every step of the way, because we are so weak and vulnerable.

We also need a heavenly Lord to guide us in life and tell us what is wise and give us a great and meaningful charge to fulfill, and reason for existence, some usefulness for the way God made us. We don’t just want to be safe in the care of a Father — as precious and needed as that is. We want a glorious cause to live for.

We want a merciful Father to be our Protector, and we want an omnipotent Lord to be our Champion and our Commander and our Leader in some great cause. So, when Paul says in verse 1, You are the church “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,” we can take rest and help from the one — God is our Father! And we can take courage and meaning from the other — Jesus is our Lord!

John Piper 

Do You Believe Jesus Christ Is Lord?

BIBLE MEDITATION

“…concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Romans 1:3-4

 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

May I ask you a personal question? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? If your answer is yes, then may I ask you another question? Is He your Lord?

Let’s be more specific.

Is He Lord of your tongue?

Is He Lord of your time?

Is He Lord of your treasure?

Is He Lord of your talents?

Is He Lord of your testimony?

Is He Lord in deed as well as in word?

Is He truly Lord?

ACTION POINT

Don’t answer too quickly. Think about it. It’s one thing to sing “Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all.” It’s another thing to mean it. Crown Him “Lord of all” in your life today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers