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| Volume 25 Number 3 March 2023 |
Page 14 |
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| Volume 25 Number 3 March 2023 |
Page 14 |
Jerry R. Kendall
“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 NKJV). Consequently, “Jesus is Lord, my redeemer. How He loves me! How I love Him!” There are tremendous biblical truths embodied in the beautiful words of this song. The Lordship of Jesus implies several important essentials in regard to the relationship that He maintains to each Christian and to the church.
The word “Lord” has among its many meanings, “a person having great power or authority; owner; ruler; master.” As used in the Bible, “Lord” means the relationship found between master and servant, between the king and his subjects, and between the head of the family and each family member (1 Peter 3:6). Jesus plainly defined the practical implications of the term when He said, “But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as “Lord” ought to manifest itself in obediently doing what He commands.
Those listening to Jesus the Lord while He was upon earth had the same difficulty that plagues our lives. They were willing to give Jesus this title pointing to honor, respect, competency and power, but they still wanted to live as they chose and not be accountable to Him as their Lord. They felt it should be enough to elevate Him without having to then subject themselves to Him. They desired Him as their Savior but were not obediently making Him Lord of their lives.
Many people may be admired, deeply appreciated and considered in some ways superior to others. However, they will only influence our lives, not have complete control over them. We reserve the God-given right to the final decision regarding who will be our “lord.” This is how it was with many who listened to Jesus. They saw Him as a great teacher, a good person, a thought-provoking man, a compassionate person and one whose authority influenced them, and yet, not one who controlled their lives. Because of this, Jesus was not their Lord.
Jesus as Lord implies loving obedience and that His Word will have the final say in our lives. Our purpose becomes the overwhelming need to know His will in precept, principle and practice. It is our total aim to please Him. We will desire to honor what He has said, not simply what others are saying about Him (Matthew16:13-16).
Jesus is Lord! We must place Him in our hearts. We must not be ashamed and hide from others the One to Whom we owe complete allegiance. We must let others see He is our Lord, and not just by words spoken (Matthew 7:21-22) but by deeds in our lives. May our thoughts, words, lives and actions be pleasing to our Lord Jesus Christ! When we call Him Lord correctly, it means we belong to Him because of the price He paid, realizing He bought us with His blood.
The Magnificence of God
Terry Wheeler
Due to denominational error, the Lord’s people have stressed hard the necessity to worship the Lord according to the pattern of the New Testament, and rightly so (1 Corinthians 4:6). There is the how, but what about the why?
To answer this with a wave of the hand and grunt, “Because it is commanded,” admits a spiritual ignorance that is not pretty. We respond to God just because He says so? Really?
Humanity has a hunger for God. We don’t just wonder; we ache for His fellowship. To have His attention is a delight. To act like the only relevance that we have toward God is a rule book calls into question our very understanding of what we call God Whom we worship.
The Word of God is the one true revelation we have, but what it reveals is much more than commands. Psalm 8 begins and ends with what can be said is a call to worship, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (v. 1 NKJV). Revelation 4 also reveals the magnificence of God.
The Name is excellent because the One so called is excellent. His glory fills creation because God is magnificent. “…Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). To contemplate God in spirit and truth drives us to our knees in fear, amazement, breathless wonder and humble realization that we get to know Him (Job 42:5-6).
Why worship God? Because He is God!
[Editor’s Note: Because He is God, we worship Him and do so in His own appointed way. This is the essence of John 4:23-24, which reads, “…True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” It’s not a question of worshipping God either in spirit or in truth. It’s both! ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]