A Call to the Lordship of Jesus Christ . All of us who are members of the community of faith need to serve under the Lordship of the One who has called us to be faithful followers and servants.
Do you remember the bullet points from an article by Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, entitled 10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship of Christ?
1)Christ is Lord over all because He is God.
2)Christ is Lord over all because in His human nature He has accomplished perfect obedience, has won salvation for us, and has been given universal dominion as a reward.
3)Christ claims authority over both believers and unbelievers.
4)We are to obey Christ in all things.
5)We are to serve Christ all the time, in all of life, with all our heart.
6)The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
7)Serving Christ makes a pronounced difference in every area of life.
8)Because of Christ’s lordship over the world, we can sometimes learn and cooperate with unbelievers in short-term projects.
9)Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
10)Through Christ, God establishes a pronounced distinction between the church and other institutions on earth.
Let’s examine the ninth one:
Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
When we celebrate the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we recognize we are all under this authority as His servants. We also must realize God grants authority and responsibilities to others. As Dr. Poythress writes, “Authority comes from God; it is not merely a human invention. All human authority is limited because it is delegated by God through His Son.”
The Scriptures teach civil authority is ordained by our Lord. Paul challenges the Romans: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
We need to remember this as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be respectful—even when we disagree with some of our government leaders. Remember, Paul wrote this to believers in Rome who were being persecuted by the emperor.
We also need to recognize the authority of our leaders in our churches as well.
Listen to these words from the writer of Hebrews:
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
--Hebrews 13:7, 17
If we are disrespectful of authority or defiant of authority, we cannot really claim to be living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Remember, Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
This God-given authority, and the responsibilities that go with it, is from God—for our protection, for our benefit, and for His glory.
Remember that next time you see those flashing lights behind you on the road! Thank God for that authority—and slow down!
Do you remember the bullet points from an article by Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, entitled 10 Things You Should Know about the Lordship of Christ?
1)Christ is Lord over all because He is God.
2)Christ is Lord over all because in His human nature He has accomplished perfect obedience, has won salvation for us, and has been given universal dominion as a reward.
3)Christ claims authority over both believers and unbelievers.
4)We are to obey Christ in all things.
5)We are to serve Christ all the time, in all of life, with all our heart.
6)The means of grace guide us and equip us to grow in serving Christ.
7)Serving Christ makes a pronounced difference in every area of life.
8)Because of Christ’s lordship over the world, we can sometimes learn and cooperate with unbelievers in short-term projects.
9)Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
10)Through Christ, God establishes a pronounced distinction between the church and other institutions on earth.
Let’s examine the ninth one:
Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
When we celebrate the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we recognize we are all under this authority as His servants. We also must realize God grants authority and responsibilities to others. As Dr. Poythress writes, “Authority comes from God; it is not merely a human invention. All human authority is limited because it is delegated by God through His Son.”
The Scriptures teach civil authority is ordained by our Lord. Paul challenges the Romans: “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)
We need to remember this as followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be respectful—even when we disagree with some of our government leaders. Remember, Paul wrote this to believers in Rome who were being persecuted by the emperor.
We also need to recognize the authority of our leaders in our churches as well.
Listen to these words from the writer of Hebrews:
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
--Hebrews 13:7, 17
If we are disrespectful of authority or defiant of authority, we cannot really claim to be living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Remember, Christ gives distinctive authority and responsibilities to people in various spheres of life.
This God-given authority, and the responsibilities that go with it, is from God—for our protection, for our benefit, and for His glory.
Remember that next time you see those flashing lights behind you on the road! Thank God for that authority—and slow down!
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