The Next Step – Jesus My Lord

Welcome back, my friend. Last month in our series, “The Next Step – Living Your Life through Jesus”, I discussed why Jesus Christ, God the Son, died so that you might be reconciled and reunited with God the Father.  I hope you understand the tremendous impact that Jesus’ death had on your life.

Your Heavenly Father, without hesitation and because of His tremendous love for you, sent His one and only Son, Jesus, as the ransom payment for you.  Jesus’ death and resurrection freed you from your captor, Satan, the devil, who through sin had held power over death.

Never lose sight of the fact that although forgiveness of your sin was “free” (you couldn’t do anything to earn it), in reality, it wasn’t free.  Jesus Christ, your Savior, willingly died to pay your debt for sin. So while it is free to you, it was not free to God — it cost Him everything. (John 3:16)

Your belief in Jesus Christ not only brought you salvation but also brought you peace with God. The battle between you and God is over.  

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”  Romans 5:1 (NLT)

You are no longer guilty of offending God by your sinful nature. 

“yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.” Romans 3:24 (TLB)

Through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ you are no longer an enemy of God and now have perfect peace with Him. This peace can only mean one thing.  You have been freed from the control of your old lord and master, Satan.  In my first lesson “Hardwired to Sin” you learned that you belonged to him and you served him as your lord until you heard and believed the Good News.

In “Rewired to Love, Part 1”, you learned that Satan will always be in control of your fleshly Old Nature, so he will always have a foothold in your life if you let him.  Remember what the apostle Paul said;

“because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God’s laws and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their old sinful selves, bent on following their old evil desires, can never please God.” Romans 8:7-8 (TLB)

So if Satan is no longer lord of your life, who is?  Common sense should tell you by now there can only be one answer to that question. God’s Word tells us; 

“You have been bought and paid for by Christ, so you belong to him—be free now from all these earthly prides and fears.  1 Corinthians 7:23 (TLB)

The Apostle Paul goes on to tell us, 

“18 And now you are free from your old master, sin; and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.” Romans 6:18 (TLB)

This topic of being a slave is a key component to “Living Your Life Through Jesus.”  I will devote next month’s series entirely to this topic so you can understand exactly what God’s Word is saying regarding how to live your new life.

You already know that when you followed Satan’s worldly philosophy — I look out for Number One, I bow to no one, I am my own god — it only led to disappointment and destruction in your life. By following Satan you had already predetermined where your final resting place would be for all eternity.

Let’s see how your old lord Satan stacks up against your new Lord Jesus Christ.

• Your Lord Jesus Christ has been given the authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18).  Your lord Satan for the time being is the ruler of this earth and the air around us, but he will eventually lose that. (Romans 16:20)
• Your Lord Jesus Christ created everything around you, including you (1 Corinthians 8:6).  Your lord Satan is a fallen angel that was created by God. (Ezekiel 28:12-14)
• Your Lord Jesus Christ will be the final judge of all people, those living and those who have died (2 Timothy 4:1). Your lord Satan will also be judged by Jesus Christ. (Revelation 20:10)

Once again let me remind you of all the disappointing and destructive emotions and actions Satan brought to your life when you followed and served him. 

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.  Galatians 5:19-21 (MSG)

My friend, it’s time for you to stop following or even wasting your time listening to your old lord, Satan.  He was a loser from the word go, along with all of his demonic minions.

So let me ask you again, why you would rather keep following lord Satan when by following your Lord Jesus Christ you can have peace and love in your life.

“It is because the truth is in us and will be with us forever. Loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace are ours as we live in truth and love. These come from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of the Father.” 2 John 1:2-3 (NLV)

The Apostle Paul puts it this way, 

“So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?”  Galatians 4:9 (NLT)  He is referring to Satan’s useless spiritual principles.

It’s your choice whom you decide to call the Lord of your life. But you must pick one side or the other. Jesus gives us this warning

“No one can serve two masters [lords]. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow [be devoted/loyal to] one master and refuse to follow [despise] the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches [money;  mammon].” Matthew 6:24 (EXB)

Understand whatever you decide, God will not interfere with your decision; it will be of your own free will. Choose wisely because this will determine your mental outlook for the remainder of your life. I contend that if you call yourself a Christian and you’re not experiencing peace and love no matter what your circumstances, then you just may have chosen the wrong side.

One last thought on this topic before you make your decision about who to serve.  Although your battle with God is over and you are no longer guilty of offending Him, my friend, your battle in this life is not over and this one will be a fight to the finish.

As a child of God you are now in the cross hairs of Satan and his demonic minions.  He’s not happy with your decision and will now work 24/7 to destroy your testimony and bring hardship to your life every chance you let him.   The Apostle Paul gives us this piece of advice

“God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them.”  Ephesians 6:10-18 (MSG)

Just like me, you’re going to need His help.  Are you still straddling the fence???

God My Father

Let’s come full circle now and finish up learning just how much God your Father, the creator of everything, loves you.  Some of you may think that I should have started with God the Father.  I can only say that understanding God the Holy Spirit and God the Son is as important as understanding God the Father.  Why is that?  Each of them is God and the role that each has played in your salvation has been God the Father’s eternal plan.

The only way I can describe the Love of God to you is to turn to His Eternal Word and let Him through the scriptures explain it. I have joined together some of my favorite scriptures that best describe His Love to me. I hope you will agree once you’ve read them.

All of the scriptures you’ll read below come from The Message Bible, its “contemporary style keeps the language of the Bible current, fresh and understandable.” I hope you will agree.

Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Ephesians 1:4   But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. Romans 5:8   This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. 1 John 4:9 

What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to. 1 John 3:1  

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Colossians 3:12-14

Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations.  Deuteronomy 7:9

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: “They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.” None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.  Romans 8:38-39

There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!           Romans 5:3-5

Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods, His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords. His love never quits. Psalm 136:1-3

Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!  Romans 15:6

Last month we looked at Jesus My Savior and this month I’ve talked about Jesus My Lord. You may have some important decisions to make about your life style. I’m now going to begin talking about topics that may make some of you uncomfortable and challenge the way you’re thinking about what it means to be a Christian. Please stay with me because each lesson going forward is meant to help you understand what it means to take the Next Step – Living Your Life Through Jesus.

Join me next month as I discuss, Whose Slave are You?  

Until next month, my friend, may His mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.