Paul wrote, "No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). Today, we hear a lot of preaching and teaching about "making Jesus Lord of your life." I want to share some of my thoughts on that.
First of all, Jesus is Lord, whether you realize it or not.
Second, no one can call Him Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
Third, you cannot "make Him Lord" of your life except through the power of the Spirit.
Fourth, we who preach and teach cannot force or motivate others to make Jesus Lord of their lives, except through the Spirit.
Fifth, we who preach and teach must first of all make Jesus Lord of our lives and set an example before God will use us to help others make Jesus Lord of their lives.
Sixth, we must be filled by the Holy Spirit so He can move through us like "rivers of living water," convicting others to make Jesus Lord of their lives.
The bottom line is that we must preach and teach believers how to be filled and how to walk in the Spirit if they are going to make Jesus Lord of their lives. Doesn't that make sense?
Years ago, I pastored a church in which the pastor before me had graduated from the same seminary I attended. The church was dead and depressed. The pastor preached the Word, but he had never taught the people about the Holy Spirit. In the first few months, I preached "how to be filled with the Spirit" and "how to walk in the Spirit." And the church came alive! People began to walk in the Spirit. Church attendance doubled. People began to witness. Souls were saved. Jesus was exalted. That, dear people, is what most churches desperately need today.
Realize He is Lord. Renounce yourself as Lord. Respond to Him as Lord and fall on your knees, for He loves you.
Prayer: Father, help us to know what it means to truly make Jesus the Lord of our lives. Fill us with Your Spirit and help us to walk in the Spirit daily. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Quote for the Day: "Lord, take me where you want me to go. Let me meet the people you want me to meet. Tell me what you want me to say, and keep me out of your way." —Author Unknown
