Romans 10:9-10 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

This is an important, well-loved and well-used passage. However, familiarity does not guarantee full understanding. We tend to have a very shallow grasp of what it means to confess Jesus as Lord. In those days, Caesar was requiring that people say, “Caesar is lord” as a statement of loyalty to the empire, and the refusal of Christians to do so was a major trigger for their martyrdom. This was not something to be done lightly! Another factor that applies particularly to countries or regions with a lot of “cultural Christianity” is that this is a very personal confession. It’s not simply, “Jesus is the Lord,” it’s “Jesus is my Lord.” I dare say there are a lot of Americans who think they are Christians because they believe Jesus is the Lord, but since they haven’t made Him their Lord, they don’t qualify Biblically. Jesus Himself was very pointed on this issue. “Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) “Religious boilerplate” doesn’t get you right with God, it takes a repentant heart. And speaking of heart, there are “theologians” who proclaim themselves not to be saved, by denying the physical resurrection of Jesus. If you deny His resurrection you are denying His divinity, and only God can save.

I am certainly not to run around classifying people as sheep and goats; that’s Jesus’ job. (Matthew 25:31-46) However, I must not give people a false sense of security if they have not made Jesus the Lord of their hears and lives. The Lordship of Christ is an issue we deal with all our lives and continue to grow in, because no one is perfect. However, when this is a settled choice in our hearts, everything else goes so much more smoothly! If we are not living with Jesus as Lord, then we won’t let the Holy Spirit flow through us, but will rather grieve and quench Him. (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19) That’s no way to enjoy the riches God has prepared for us in Christ! As a pastor, I am to exemplify what it means to live with Jesus as Lord, and to encourage each of the believers to understand and practice it themselves.

Father, just yesterday I was talking with a believer who didn’t know how to live “in the world but not of it.” (John 17:15-16) Thankfully he wanted to do so, but was quite unsure he would be able to. Thank You for what You spoke to him through me, and for Your power that You give so freely to live as You desire. May all of us in this church continue to grow in submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, so that we may leave no foothold for the devil but rather walk in Your victory, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!