The Hebrew writer said “let us hold
fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (10:23). What we
confess is that Jesus is Lord and that confession is unto salvation (Rom.
10:9,10). We are saying that Jesus has authority over our very lives
and we are his slaves (Rom. 6:16). That Jesus is Lord is the message of
the Gospel. God made Him “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Paul wrote to the
Philippians that every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is
Lord (Phil. 2:9ff). Jesus said “all authority has been given unto Me” and
they were to go make disciples for Him (Matt. 28:18). To acknowledge Jesus
as Lord is not simply to acknowledge the fact of his Lordship, but that He is
accepted as my Lord.
Early Christians acknowledged
Jesus’ Lordship even in the face of persecution. In the ancient writing,
Martyrdom of Polycarp, a Believer is being encouraged to save his life by sacrificing to
the Roman Caesar. It follows, "And the police captain Herod and his father
Niketas meet him and removed him into their carriage and sat by his side, trying to
persuade him and saying: 'But what harm is it to say ‘Lord Caesar’ and to offer
sacrifice and so forth, and to be saved?' But he at first did not answer them, but
when they continued he said, 'I am not going to do what you council me.'. . .'eighty and
six years have I been his servant...and how can I blaspheme my king...'” The
threat of death could not make Polycarp turn from Jesus his king.
The Christian confesses that Jesus is
the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). It is an acknowledgement that He is God’s chosen
king (Ps. 2:6-9). When Nathaniel called Jesus the “Son of God” he was
acknowledging him as the “king of Israel” (Jn. 1:49). Peter said,
“thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Martha made a similar
expression (Jn. 11:27). When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, we are
acknowledging that He is our King! When we acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, we
are acknowledging he is our Lord! This is the Christian Pledge of Allegiance. Let us
hold fast this confession of hope without wavering. ~ Dan Mayfield