What Does It Take?

    We live in a time when many choose to call themselves "Christians" but don't know why. Others once prayed a prayer and think that words are enough. With so many people saying they are Christians and still living lives that are just like most of society it is easy to see how so many have lost sight of what following Jesus really is.

 

"that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)

 

    What does it mean to confess? (click it to see) Simply put to confess means to admit or state the truth. So if we confess the Lord Jesus than we are saying He is really the Lord Jesus. But what does that mean? Jesus is His name, it was given to Him before His birth. "Lord" is his title. Just like Dr. Soandso, Dr is the title. It says who he is. Now down through history there have been many lords, it was a title given by the government of the time to tell everyone that that person had the power and authority. There is however, one difference we need to see. Lord vs lord. Did you see it? Lord and lord. Can one capitalized letter really make a difference? To keep it simple, Yes!

    Lord, means that Jesus is the one and only, the ultimate, the only one with total control and authority. That is what Lord means. That is what we must confess with our mouths. We must confess that Jesus is the only one who has the true control and power over everything. If Jesus has power and control over everything that means He has power and control over our lives also. This is where some people (a lot of people) get off track. A lot of people will say "Lord Jesus" but they will not confess His as Lord Jesus. A confession would mean that it is true. A confession would mean that Jesus really is Lord, and if Jesus really is Lord then I need to be doing what He says to do. That is the first part.

    Next "believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead,". If Jesus was dead and buried and left in the tomb then it does not matter if He is Lord. No one has to listen to a dead person. But if you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead then everything changes. If Jesus is Lord and He is alive then He can really be followed. We don't follow a Jesus that was written about in history. We follow a Jesus who is alive and powerful today.

    If you believe that Jesus is alive and you confess (admit the truth) that Jesus is Lord (Lord makes Him the ultimate and total authority) then you will be different. You will be different because you will not live like everyone who walks this earth answering only to their own morals and consciences. Your life will be under the direction of a living, powerful, real Lord whose name is Jesus.

Today, where does your life stand?

• Do you "confess" Jesus as Lord or do you simply say that He is?
  
• Do you live your life like Jesus is dead and all His words mean nothing or do you listen to hear His words every day?
  
• When you hear Jesus speak do you listen?
  

It is not about what we do, we can never be good enough to be right with God but if we turn to Jesus as the only Lord He can make us right with God and it will change everything we do.