Is Jesus Your Lord?

Is Jesus Your Lord?

Did you have a moment some time ago where you heard the Gospel message and your heart stirred and a pastor led you in the sinner’s prayer?  And then the next day, you realized that you are the same person, dealing with the same problems, with the same friends, and you’re still doing the same old things, and there is no tangible difference in your life except you have the pastor’s assurance that at least you not going to hell when you die.

And so you ask yourself, did it work?  Am I really going to miss hell?  Is my name really written in the Lamb’s book of life? 

My answer is, I don’t know.  It depends.  There is a possibility that if you came to the alter with the attitude of ‘what’s in it for me?’ and not ‘what can I give for Him’ that you might not be born again.  If you came to the alter wanting to take what He has for you but not giving to Him what He requires, you may not be.

The pastor may have read Romans 10:9

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.

Do you even know what that verse means? 

In a country where we are all free men and equals and have rights and no one is a bond-servant to another, and we are not subjects to a King, nor slaves to a master; do we even know what it means to confess ‘Jesus is Lord’?

Well let’s start with the Greek. 

The word ‘confess’ here is homologeó.  It means to make a public declaration and promise.  In the days of Jesus, when a person made a public profession or promise it was as binding as a 30 page mortgage contract.  Where generational covenants were bound by your word, this confession is not something you take lightly; like telling a telemarketer that you will consider their offer, just let me get off the phone.  This is a spiritually binding contract that you are getting into. One with no loopholes and bail-out clauses.  You are entering into a sacred blood covenant.

The phrase ‘is lord’, in this context, is kýrios. It is not the same word used for “LORD” as in God of Abraham and 'I AM'.  It doesn’t mean that you are professing that Jesus is Holy and part of the trinity, and is the Word; all of which is true.  But, it literally means ‘A PERSON EXERCISING ABSOLUTE OWNERSHIP RIGHTS’.  ‘ A MASTER’, ‘ONE WITH OVERALL AUTHORITY’.

So let’s put it all together.  Have you made a public declaration, binding on your life, that you are the property of and the servant to Jesus Christ of Nazareth?  In that, everything that you own is now His, that your life is now His, that your old identity is gone and dead and now your new identity is in Him?  As an American slave would have lost their previous identity and took on the identity of their master, so too must you die to your old self and be resurrected into your new identity. 

But our Lord isn’t a cruel master; a slave driver with a heavy yoke and sharp whip.  He is a master that instead of inflicting us with heavy burdens, he adopts us as his children; Children of God.  He gives us His ring, cloak, and banner; His authority under His name.  Just as Pharaoh gave authority to Joseph over Egypt, Jesus has given you authority in Him.  He wants more for you than you can even imagine.  In exchange for humbling and surrendering yourself to Him, He makes in you a new creation.  He brings His spirit in you to guide you and to teach you and to comfort you and to give you power and authority beyond your ability to believe.  He gives you His favor and prospers you and gives more than you will ever need to be effective and influential in the Kingdom of God.  He says, give and I will return to you more than you gave Me.  He says, seek Me with all your heart and I will give you all things.  He says, do what I command I will bless you beyond your ability to receive it all.

How do you know if you have been born again into this new covenant? 

One way is to look for the fruit. (John 15:1-11)

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

What kind of fruit are you bearing?

Another way to know is … do you hear His voice?

John 18:37

Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

John 10:26-30

Jesus answered them, “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one.”

How is it possible that you have submitted to a master whom you don't even talk to or listen to for His direction. He is always talking, are you ever still and listening? Do you ignore the check in your spirit when you do something you shouldn't?  Are you sensitive enough to it to be your guide?

The Holy Spirit confirms in our spirit that we are children of God.

Romans 8:14

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

You can’t lie and steal an inheritance into the Father and into heaven.  You can certainly make the world believe that you have made Jesus your Lord, but you can’t fool Him.  You can’t come to Jesus and say Hocus-Pocus (or some other magic words) and tell God to stamp your ticket to heaven.  That is not how it works.  Saying 'Jesus is Lord', is more than just admitting His deity.  For even the devil knows that Jesus is God and believes that He has risen from the dead.  That's not the ticket to paradise.  You need to make Him Lord.  Lord of your life.  Lord of your finances.  Lord of your relationships.  Lord of your ambitions.  Lord of your everything.  LORD OF ALL.

And if you are ready to enter into this covenant with the creator of the universe and are ready to say, Jesus, everything I am and have is yours, He is waiting to receive you.  Luke 15:11-31

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

“ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”

If you are ready to put it all aside and profess Jesus is Lord, and declare ‘I submit my all to you’, He is waiting to welcome you home.  He is looking for you in the distance.

You can start right now by praying this or what is on your heart.

Lord, I am so sorry that I have disappointed you.  That I have continuously broken your heart.  I am sorry that I have left you waiting for me for so long while I’ve squandered all that you have given me.  I believe that you died for me and rose again so that I might enter into this eternal covenant with you.  I give you all that I am.  I give you all that I have.  I give you all my ambitions.  I declare that you are lord and master over me.  I forever submit myself to your service and to your will.  Take all that I am and make in me a new creation for your glory.  I thank you Lord for the provision and inheritance that you will provide for me, but I’m not coming to you for the provision or reward.  I submit to you to be a humble servant and will serve you selflessly regardless of my lot in this life.  Transform me Lord into something that brings you Glory.  Use me Lord to make a difference for you.  Let me hear you clearly Lord so that I may know that I am your child and what you need from me.  Search my heart Lord to see my sincerity.  Show me Lord anything that I shouldn’t have and am hanging onto and I will lay it down and walk away.  Let me be an asset to the Kingdom.  Let my legacy be in you. Let me not be remembered for what I did or was, but let people remember me as ‘servant of the Most High God’.  Lord, see my heart and know that I am yours.  As I confess your Lordship and enter into this covenant with you, I receive your name.  I receive your ring.  I receive your banner.  I receive your salvation.  I receive your desires for me.  I will forever sing of your Glory.  Holy Spirit, fill me; teach me; guide me in Your ways.  Empower me to be effective in the Kingdom.  Let me speak and rely not through my experience, but through Your wisdom.  Let me speak in new tongues and flow in your anointing.  Let me fulfill my calling with signs and wonders; not for my glory but for Yours.  Let me share my testimony and preach the Gospel with boldness and let the words be not from my lips but from yours.  Let all who hear me, feel the same stirring in their spirit, that stirs in mine.  Give me a passion for the work of the Kingdom and a love for your people.  Let me hear from your lips when we finally meet face to face, ‘well done, my faithful servant’. 

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, my Lord and Savior, It is done (amen).