April 19

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” —ACTS 2:36

Many people tend to speak in very subjective terms when talking of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We talk about “making” Christ Lord of our lives; however, the Bible speaks in objective terms. It speaks of the Lordship of Christ as an objective truth, which does not become true because we believe in Christ and submit to Him, but remains true whether we believe in Him or not.

Imagine you were driving along a road and the speed limit said “30 mph”, but you are travelling at 50 mph. A patrol car pulls you over, an officer steps out and approaches you. “Do you realize how fast you were going?” he asks. “Yes, I do,” you reply, “but I want to ask you a question. Who decided that I should not exceed 30 mph on this road?” The officer answers, “It’s government legislation.” You breathe a sigh of relief and say, “Well, then it does not apply to me, because I do not like this government, do not agree with it and did not vote for it.” Despite your adamant protests, you would be duly fined, because whether or not you agree with the government does not make its laws invalid. The laws are an objective reality, and the issue is not whether you agree with it or not, but that you submit to it.

Similarly, the Lordship of Christ must be understood as an objective reality. He is not Lord because we make Him Lord, but because God has made Him Lord, and whether we like it or not, all of history is going to end up at His feet and be answerable to Him. Paul tells us, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). 

The Bible teaches that the Lordship of Jesus Christ is an established fact; so much so that in the course of time every person who ever lived will come to recognize this as truth. The issue is not one of making Christ Lord, but of submitting to Him as Lord. We may refuse to submit to His authority, but we are still subject to Him along with all of humanity. We have one basic choice with Jesus Christ; submit to Him freely or under compulsion when “every knee will bow and every tongue confess”. If we wait until then, it will be too late. That’s why it’s imperative everyone hears the Gospel.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to live under your authority, and remain true to the fact You are Lord, not only of my life, but of all creation. 

TO REFLECT UPON: Are there areas in my life in which I need to submit more fully to the Lordship of Christ?