Exodus 15:18
The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.
I wish to discuss an essential truth that binds us all as
followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a truth as profound as it is pivotal
- the affirmation and confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Now, this confession is not merely a set of words we utter
during our worship services, but it is the very foundation upon which our faith
stands, the very core of our spiritual life. It is an affirmation that shapes
our lives, guides our paths, and gives meaning to our existence. From the
moment we arise at dawn until the second we rest our heads at night, this truth
guides us, steers us, and continuously reshapes us.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 10, verse 9, made
a profound proclamation: "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." Brethren, let it not be lost upon us that believing in the
heart and confessing with the mouth go hand in hand. It is a spirituality that
is holistic and embodied—it involves our entire being.
Confessing Jesus as Lord means acknowledging His total
lordship over our lives. It means surrendering to His Holy guidance in our
actions, words, and deeds. We submit to His authority, relinquishing control,
trusting His divine plan, and surrendering our anxieties and fears at His holy
feet. Jesus tells us in Luke 6:46 this is more than idle lip service: “And
why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?”
Furthermore, declaring Jesus as Lord signifies our resolve
to live according to His teachings, upholding love, compassion, humility, and
forgiveness as the pillars of our existence. It means loving our neighbours as
ourselves, forgiving those who have wronged us, and living a life of service
and dedication to others.
My dearest brothers and sisters, confession of this truth is
not just lip service but a life choice. It is a commitment, an act that may, at
times, be counter-cultural and difficult. The world may present us with
numerous temptations and challenges, but we must stand steadfast in our faith,
anchored in the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Remember the words in Philippians 2:10-11: "That at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father." Do we not, then, in confessing Jesus as Lord, bring
glory to our Heavenly Father?
It is, therefore, incumbent upon us as Christians to be
courageous in our confession, not only in our private prayers but also in our
public lives. We ought to proclaim Jesus as Lord in our homes, workplaces,
communities, and everywhere we go, for this confession brings light to the dark
corners of the world and ushers in the kingdom of God.
Beloved in Christ, the journey towards continually
confessing Jesus as Lord may not be easy. Indeed, it may require us to pick up
our cross daily and follow Him in obedience. But be assured that the path that
leads to Christ is the path that leads to eternal life.
Let us therefore pray fervently for God's grace to
strengthen us, that we may be ever firm in our confession of Jesus Christ as
Lord. And as we confess, let our lives be a testament to this truth, radiating
the love, peace, and joy that come from recognizing and proclaiming Jesus as
our Lord and Saviour.
May the Lord guide us, strengthen us, and bless us as we
strive to live out this confession each day of our lives. In the name of Jesus
Christ, our Lord, we pray, Amen.