Monday, February 27, 2012

A Thought


“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’.”  Romans 1:16-17

To proclaim Christ as “Savior” and “Lord” is a much broader statement than to merely acknowledge the existence of Jesus of Nazareth.  Just as baptism is no magic rite and Holy Communion no magic potion, proclaiming Christ as Lord says something much bigger because it the beginning of the Journey that marks a substantial difference between simply “believing” and absolutely “trusting”.  To only “trust” the Lord for our salvation when the Day of the Lord appears?  Surely we are not so prideful as to suggest we will not need the Lord before then?!

Therefore the proclamation of Christ as Lord means embracing everything He taught – the Gospel, the Good News which includes the Law! – and continues to teach through the Holy Spirit.  It means walking the Lord’s path everyday and never moving away.  It means not being so busy with life’s “busyness” that we forget the Lord regulates every facet of our lives.  It means we will be challenged along the way by external forces and tempted to try another route by internal desires.  Our proclamation is made each time we encounter these obstacles in how we respond.

Stand fast in the Lord this day and each day as He stood fast for His beloved “even unto death”, remembering that faith is a journey; not an event.

Blessings,
Michael

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