Like I said in the first publication of this topic, that there is a time to probe the debatable, fringes of Christian belief and practice, where Christian think hard-but agree to think and let think, live and let live. There is also a time to reaffirm the basics, those beliefs, experiences, and moral understandings that have formed the common core of Christian Faith over the centuries. In this second series of the topic, we are going to look at the sub-topic that says:
Belonging to our Lord and Saviour
To become a Christian is to receive the Holy Spirit (the third person in Trinity), to begin dying to a self-centered life and rising to one centered in Christ.
(1) Jesus Christ is Lord
The New Testament’s most ancient creed is the one we still affirm in Church membership vows. We too become Christians by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Master (Acts. 10:36, Rom. 10:9, 1 Cor. 12:3, Phil. 2:11). Because of Jesus resurrection Peter proclaimed, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts. 2:36).
The Old Testament uses the word “Lord” to refer to God or Yahweh. To profess that Jesus Christ is Lord is to believe, that in Jesus, God has come among us. “The word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14).
Most Baptisms in the New Testament, times were in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, (Acts. 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5, Gal. 3:27, Rom. 6:3) though in the later such period the Church began to baptise in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Either way, in believer baptism one publicly confessed the authority of Jesus Christ.
Through the Son, by the power of the Spirit, we come to know the Father (Jn. 14:26, 15:26, 16:7, 12-14). Because Jesus Christ is the true revelation of God, a definite acknowledgement with the mind BECOMING A CHRISTIAN, A BIBLICALLY ECUMENICAL PERSPECTIVE and an explicit confession with the lips are required, (1 Cor. 12:3, Rom. 10:9), but we need more than knowledge. Truly to accept Christ as Lord, is to belong to Him. He becomes our master, we, His servants.
To turn to Christ is to turn from idols “For although there maybe so called gods in heaven or on earth – as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and ‘lords’ – yet for us there is one God, the Father from whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Cor. 8:5-6).
In early centuries of the Church, allegiance to Jesus Christ caused Christians to reject emperor worship. Similarly today Christians must not endorse uncritically the policies of their nation, nor give heart and soul to the quest for wealth, to attaining vocational success, to a political party, or to anything else that would demand undivided allegiance. Genuine devotion to Christ relativizes, makes less than absolute, all lesser loyalities. Truly to confess Christ as Lord is to affirm that He alone is Lord.
Contrary to superficial talk about easy freedom, the New Testament attests that it is only as Jesus Christ captures our hearts and minds that we are set free from bondage to the gods of this world. (Rom 6:16, 1 Cor. 7:23). If we are not giving undivided allegiance to Christ, we are inevitably worshipping idols.
(2) Jesus Christ is Saviour
Christ becomes our Lord only by becoming our Saviour. The Church’s head is also her Reedemer. (Eph. 5:23, 2 Tim. 1:10, Titus 1:4, 2:13, 3:6, Acts. 5:31, 13:23, 2 Pet. 1:1, 11; 2:20, 3:2, 18). God calls us to costly discipleship as He relieves us of our greatest burden – our guilt.
It is debatable which is harder to confess – “Jesus Christ is Lord” or “Jesus Christ is Saviour,” for we recognise Christ as our Saviour only as we realize our desperate need. If we think everything is just fine between, us and God, we are incapable of believing, that Jesus Christ is our Saviour – He who forgives our sins (Act. 5:31). If we seek from Jesus only moral instruction, He may be our helper – but not our Redeemer, Rescuer, Deliverer. Only as brought low by God’s judgement can the Good News lift us up. “Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretched like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”
As names are important to Africans, so the name “Jesus” is significant. It was in its Hebrew form an Old Testament word for God as Saviour. Jesus’ name according to Matthew’s Gospel means: “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).” Only because we “live by faith in the Son of God, who loved (us) and gave Himself up for (us)” can we now be crucified with Christ (Gal. 2:20).
Only because “we are convinced that one has died for all, therefore all have died” can we now become God’s new creation (2 Cor. 5:14-15, 17; 1 Pet. 2:24).
“Do you know that your sins are forgiven?” “Do you trust your future into God’s care?” knowing that Jesus Christ is the world’s Saviour is not enough. We also need the assurance that He lived and died for us.
We can personally experience the Saviour’s forgiveness (Jn. 4:42). No one’s religious experience need be just like anyone else’s and no one’s can be – for each of us is unique. It is nevertheless true that a person becomes a Christian by taking to heart God’s pardon in Jesus Christ.
(3) Living in Hope
As we know ourselves forgiven, we are enabled to live in hope – for our Saviour “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.” (2 Tim. 1:10, Titus 2:13, 2 Pet. 1:11, 2 Tim. 2:10, Acts 4:12, Rev. 1:18).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. By His great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection, of Jesus Christ from the dead and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet. 1:3-5).
We may live to be hundred or drop dead today. Either way – or however else – in and through Christ we are secure in God’s care. Believing, that Christ is our Saviour and seeking to honor His Lordship – we live in hope.
On our own we have no basis for the hope of eternal life. Sinners deserve damnation – not salvation. Sinners deserve to rot in the ground, not to fly off to heaven. Yet forgiven sinners can look at the grave and still smile and laugh and whistle. The Holy Spirit assures us that God in His love has adopted us in Christ and has made us heirs of life eternal (Rom. 6:15-17, Gal. 4:6-7, Cor.1:22, 55:5, Rom. 6:8, 8:23, Col3:4). Accepted and claimed by Christ – today become the day of our salvation.
Because Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour, we know that in life and in death, we belong to Him. “None of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to Himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rom. 14:7- 9). “I am sure that neither life or death, nor principalities, nor present, not things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39).
(4) The Way of Costly Witness
There is, however a catch, a stipulation, a provision; look at what happened to Jesus Christ. He was nailed to a cross, rejected by the world he came to save. To be rescued by His Messiah, to come under His Lordship and follow Him is to take up our crosses and lead lives of costly witness. When Paul spoke about receiving the Holy Spirit and an eternal destiny, he went on to say, “provided we suffer with Him in order that we may be glorified with Him” (Rom. 8:17). Uniquely Christian suffering occurs as Christians witness to Christ.
Having become God’s own people, we are to declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called (us) out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). The same divine power and presence that lead to conversion also equip us for witnessing (Acts.1:8). Paul says the risen Lord appeared to him to call him to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. (Gal. 1:15-16). Similarly in becoming Christian’s necessity, is laid up on us. Woe unto us if we do not preach the Gospel (2 Cor. 5:17-21, 1 Cor. 9:16).
Preaching the gospel, however, is not a matter of mere words, and this raises a problem. For many of us there is little about our lives that are distinctively Christian. Most of us are better evangelist for our personal economic goals than for Jesus Christ. Yet as those who have responded to Christ we have only one responsibility; to witness in word and deed to Him. (Matt. 4:2, 10:7-8, Luke 9:6). We must struggle to manifest the freedom that is ours in Him, strive to do all in the name of Jesus Christ. (Col.3:17).
An additional problem is that often those who do the most talking about Jesus are the ones who minimize disciples. Some years ago (in United States) I listened to an evangelism programme on TV presented in connection with a nationwide mass evangelism campaign. I agreed with much that was said – we read the same book! What bothered me was that no one said conversion involves taking a cross and following a Crucified Lord, being willing to suffer in costly discipleship. I suspect the omission was not accidental, for it is easier to get “conversion” decisions if discipleship, is ignored. But are such decisions for Christ? If so they are in spite of the evangelists who do not warn that believing in Christ entails honoring His Lordship.
Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which one of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laud the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to mock him saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish. (Luk.14:27- 30) if such warning, scare away those offering only slight commitment; they encourage those who would surrender their entire lives. Such admonitions help people realize that devotion to Christ is all-or-nothing. He gave his life; he demanded ours!
In Christ missionary charge He told Christians (His disciples) to go forth to make more disciples of all nations, teaching people to observe all He has commanded (Matt. 28:18-20). Christ wants disciples! The Crucified One calls us to self-denying discipleship, thereby in losing our lives we find authentic life (Mk. 8:34-35) “If the world hates you, know it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world…………. the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me they will persecute you (John 15:18-20, Matt. 10:24-25). “For to this, you have been called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow His steps” (1Pet. 2:21). “ Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share in Christ suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed(1Pet. 4:12-13, 2Cor.4:7-11).
Real Christians always will be oppressed to some extent by the world. The Christian nature of our existence is doubtful to the degree that we experience no affliction, coming to terms with the world through appeasing compromises (Barth). If a person can be talked out of commitment, they should wait, wait until they can commit themselves heart and soul to Jesus Christ as their only Saviour, their only Lord. If in spite of the warnings one is ready to follow Christ even though the valley of the shadow – they must do so. Nothing else ultimately matters!
