Revere Christ as Lord. Lord. The word Lord in the Greek language is kyrios. Here are the definitions that come up for that word
- he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
- the possessor and disposer of a thing
- the owner; one who has control of the person, the master.
- in the state: the sovereign, prince, chief, the Roman emperor.
- is a title of honor expressive of respect and reverence, with which servants salute their master
- this title is given to: God, the Messiah.
I know that it is popular to hear pastors/preachers invite people to accept Jesus as their Savior. The only problem with that is that it's not correct. Here Peter tells us as followers of Christ to revere Christ as Lord. Paul, when writing to the church in Rome, told them this: "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [kyrios] and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9, ESV).
A good friend of mine uses this line often when preaching to others: "Christ cannot be your Savior until he is your Lord." We are called to set apart Christ as Lord (master, owner, supreme authority). If we do that, our lives will show that we have made that decision and have that conviction. Because if Christ is kyrios of my life, then I will do what he commands me to do.
My life should be proof that Christ is the Lord of my life. Understand me: I am in no way stating that what we do will make us right with God. Rather, our lives and the things that we do will prove that we have been made right with God. Isn't that what Jesus meant when he said:
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." — John 15:5-8, ESV
We are called to be different. We are called to holiness. We are called to live lives that are set apart for Christ. We should look different. We should be different. But it starts not with willpower or self-discipline, but rather starts with setting apart Christ as Lord and then actually living our lives as if we have truly done that, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's all about Jesus. It always has been.
I read 1 Peter 3:15 recently and it convicted me. Do I live as if Jesus is my Lord? That same verse came up in a Bible study, and now you have blogged about it…I think God is trying to tell me something. We all have an answer for the hope we have in Christ, and it's called our testimony, and we should unashamedly and humbly be willing and ready to share it as God presents opportunities for us to...I have not stepped up to the plate faithfully in this area, but yet it would be an outward proclamation that Jesus Christ is truly the Lord of my life, so why don’t I? Then when I look at Matthew 16:15 where Jesus asks his disciples “But who do you say that I am?” again I should not only have an answer, but I should be willing and ready to give it…and not only should I have an answer, but my answer should be evident by the way I live my day to day life. Do I truly pick up my cross daily and follow? Just something I’ve been looking at in my own life. We have an opportunity to not just say that we revere Christ as Lord, but 24/7 be his disciple and own the truth that Jesus is our Lord. Be the children God created us to be. Be because of our hope in Christ. Be the light that leads others to desire to revere Christ as Lord…and in turn they will gain their Savior. We have an opportunity to simply be, all for God’s glory, because Jesus is Lord. Thank you for you blog!
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