Lordship

​Haughty hears Wisdom reveal what’s at stake
but he scorns being told what path he should take.
“Turn right,” says the Son, but left the man goes.
“I like it my way, the way that I chose!”
Off the edge he plunges with a cry of dismay
For left without Wisdom there is no right way.

Meditation
Luke 6:46--Why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and don’t do the things I say?
 
There is great danger in pressuring people to obey Christ.  God did not call us to condemn or save souls He called us to share the truth about His Son.  The threats of hell will hardly deter a will set on self-determination.  Only the Holy Spirit can reach inside the heart of a person and remove the blinders that cause one to falsely see God’s authority as unjust and therefore worthy of resisting.  The paradox of Christianity is that freedom comes through submission to the leadership of Jesus Christ.  This profound mystery is revealed supernaturally and not by gimmick, eloquence or the profuse emotion of sincere saints.  

Our privilege is to model and share the benefits of serving a Savior whose leadership if followed results in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control”(Ephesians 5:22,23)—the fruits of His Spirit.  If a person has no interest in these fruits then there will be no desire to submit to God’s will.  

Everyone on this planet bows to a lord.  If I say I am free and bend to no one I may perceive I am my own master.  Yet by claiming independence I fall under the jurisdiction of Satan (John 12:31), who chose to usurp God and in total rebellion manipulated Adam and Eve into disobeying God’s specific instruction.  

God blessed two adults with an awesome creation.  They were to govern paradise!  The only command they were given was to abstain from eating the fruit off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Adam and Eve determined their own will was master.  A mankind focused on the tree of independence cannot see the forest of God’s eternal power and divine nature.  
​
If those who reject Christ to follow self or some other lord, experience the same enduring unspoiled fruits described above, they should be commended.  I have yet in life to find such a person with such fruit who has refused to kneel before the authority of Jesus.  The power of His lordship is demonstrated in changed lives! No person with integrity will dismiss the value of godliness achieved by submitting to a worthy King.  Those who desire His love will make Him Lord to His glory!
 
Inspiration
At heart people are antagonistic to the lordship of Jesus Christ.—Oswald Chambers in The Pilgrim’s Song Book
 
©1999 Daniel York  ARR.  Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)