But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8)

Jesus Is My Lord – Maybe

There is a fundamental truth that every child of God must accept in coming to Jesus Christ. It is essential to have faith in Him and to believe he lived, died, and was buried and raised the third day by the power of the Father. His teachings must be accepted as the divine word of God. The miracles preserved by the Holy Spirit declare He is the Son of God. All the prophets point to Jesus as the fulfillment of the Seed promised given in the Garden of Eden. Jesus is the Anointed One and Messiah. All authority has been given to Jesus, and His gospel is the power of God unto salvation. For the most part, these aspects of the life of Jesus are readily accepted by most believers. The language of believers is filled with Jesus is Lord, but many do not understand what they mean when they say Jesus is their Lord.

The term “Lord” is foreign to most Americans and is actually an objectionable term. Back in 1776, the patriot Americans kicked King George out of the country for imposing taxation without representation. In the political sphere, this is not very appealing to lord over a people taxes without consideration of individual rights. Freedom-loving souls want the democracy of free speech, allowing them to exercise their rights and privileges in a society open to individual choice. This is desirable for citizens of any country, but amazing as it might sound, this is not how the kingdom of God is structured. One Lord and one King rule the nation of God’s people. His word is all the word that matters. The will of King Jesus is the only will. None of the laws of Lord Jesus can be countermanded. What Jesus said is all authority. There is no free speech in the kingdom of Christ. When a man and woman obey the gospel of Lord Jesus, they give up all (that is spelled A-L-L) rights, privileges, and opinions. There are no appeals, no changes in the directives, and no courts to reverse the laws or change the laws of God. When the Father speaks, the children listen and obey.

When God raised Jesus from the dead, He gave His Son ALL authority. In the act of baptism, when God raises the sinner from the body of death, the saint has NO authority. He now becomes a slave to Lord Jesus to serve Him and obey Him in every word. Like a soldier in an army, the child of God becomes a soldier of King Jesus with the laws of God guiding every part of his life. When an individual decides to join the military, they take an oath to serve, protect and obey the military laws of justice. Disobedience to the Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM) will bring judgment against the offender. In the army of King Jesus, there are no lawyers, appellate courts, review boards, and trials to change the will of the Father. Jesus is Lord, and that is the final word.

To put into practice the Lordship of Jesus is more than just saying Jesus is Lord. Too often, people who want to be a disciple of Christ do what is required of them as long as it is not expected they bow in service to one Lord. They live their lives as Christians but never submit to the will of the Lord Jesus, who is King Jesus. Serving Jesus as Lord means the Christian does what Jesus tells them to do because He is the only ruler. In the monarchy system of divine government, the kingdom of Christ has only one King, and He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Citizens of the kingdom of Christ are expected to be fully obedient, submissive, and subservient.

The apostle Paul defined the Lordship of Christ in his life when he said he suffered the loss of all things. Paul said Jesus was “my Lord” because he accepted the rule of Lord Jesus in every part of his life. The apostle emptied his life to serve the Lord Jesus. Christians must pattern their lives as Paul did to the lordship of Jesus. There can be no half-hearted service to the Lord. He demands all. When Lord Jesus speaks, the Christian obeys. Is Jesus your Lord – really?