“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”. – Romans 10:9
Augustine wrote, “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.”
When we confess with our mouths that “Jesus is Lord,” we are acknowledging his absolute, unlimited, and universal authority over all creation. This term ‘Lord’ is translated as ‘Jehovah’ in the Old Testament. Jehovah is the highest and most sacred name for God used by the Jewish people. Jehovah speaks of self-existence, eternality, and God’s desire to reveal Himself to humanity in such a way that we can know and relate to Him.
In declaring “Jesus is Lord” we are also recognizing his ownership. Scripture teaches that we were “ransomed” (Mark 10:45), “bought” (II Corinthians 6:20) and “purchased” (Revelation 5:9) by the death of Jesus so that we could be set free from the slavery of sin to “become slaves to God” (Romans 5:22). Therefore, surrendering ourselves to his ultimate control. The Apostle Paul sets a beautiful example for us in writing, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Confessing, declaring, and affirming Christ lordship is only one part of the equation, Paul continues by stating, “and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead” (Romans 10:9). Confessing is the intellectual assent to the truths of the gospel but “believing in your heart” is a volitional act of your will. It is an entrusting of one’s life and eternity to the risen Lord and living Savior. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very center of the Christian faith. One Author wrote, “Apart from the resurrection Christianity would be little more than a well-intentioned ethical system.” We see the resurrection is at the heart of the apostles preaching, Peter declared, “The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins” (Acts 5:30-31).
Confession is the verbal expression of our deepest convictions, and yet our sincere beliefs will always lead to us to personal transformation (Romans 6:1-7). This is not an ‘either/or’ statement but a ‘both/and’ truth. We must confess and believe that the Lord Jesus is alive and he has active authority over lives. Therefore, we can make this very personal confession that Jesus is my Risen Lord and my Living Savior.
My prayer for you this Christmas as we end such a difficult year is that we will not be people who consume Christianity but we will be people consumed by the living Lord Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your encouragement, personal support, and financial commitment to Converge MidAmerica as we start and strengthen churches that declared that Jesus Christ is LORD!