Perspectives by Rev. Norine Gullons

Jesus is Lord!

Are you a Christian? Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life? Too many people say they are Christians without any consideration to the relationship they actually have to the Christ they are identifying with. 

Jesus is identified in the Bible as the Lord. This designation is not to be taken lightly as both the Father and the Son are very serious persons. The fact that even a word of idle talk is subject to judgment necessarily implies that God does not speak or write an idle word (Matthew 12:36), and that the biblical references to Jesus as Lord are not without grave significance. 

The Bible identifies Jesus as Lord in a very concrete and enduring way. Jesus’ designation as Lord is in no way like the often vacant titles we sometimes use in today’s society. Jesus Christ is Lord in fact and whether or not a person has respect for that fact has grave consequences. 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. – Romans 14:10-12

Notice that in the scripture quoted above Christ is identified as both the LORD and God being spoken of in the interpretive quote of Isaiah 45:23.  It is Christ the Lord’s judgment seat before which “every knee shall bow … and every tongue shall confess.” It is the Lord Jesus Christ to whom “each of us shall give account of himself.” 

The context of Romans 14 makes it clear that this scripture is referring to Christians in particular. 

As a Christian, Jesus is the Lord over your life, and how you responded to that reality will determine how He will judge your life. 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. – 2 Corinthians 5:10

Have you ever said to someone, or had someone say to you, “who are you to judge me,” or “you have no right to judge me?” No Christian can say that to Jesus. Jesus has the right to judge you because He is your Lord and your God. (John 20:28) 

When you became a Christian you embraced the confession that Jesus is your Lord? Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

I once spoke to a small group of men about the promises they made to their brides on their wedding day. None of the men were sure about exactly what they promised, and all of them looked guilty because they were divorced and knew they had broken whatever promises they had made. They were all adulterers in the biblical sense violating the covenants they had made. 

I believe the problem began with the fact that not one of these men ever took the promises they made seriously, and from the very beginning they were willing to break those promises. 

How seriously do you take your relationship with Jesus your Lord? What did you say to Him when you became a Christian? Are you faithful to Jesus’ Lordship over your life?

Take time in prayer today to speak to your Lord, Jesus the Christ, and reaffirm your commitment to Him as your Lord.

Rev. George Frey

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Canada passed an ominous milestone Easter weekend when the number of COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began in this country reached 1,000,000 people. That means one in 38 people in Canada has had a known […]

PARTICIPANTS?

Currently, here in Canada, non-profit corporations have been required to file documents of continuance with our government. In the process of this filing, I am aware of at least one church that has redefined what we normally call members of the church, as participants of the church. 

Initially this did not sit well with me, since as long as I have been aware of the church, those in it had been called members; and this change seemed to be driven by certain changes in corporate law for non-profits. It did not seem to me to be a biblical change. (here I have reasoned from tradition)

However as I considered this matter over several months, I realized a certain value to designating those once called members of the church as participants. 

Suppose, that the key departure from biblical church in our day, was the lack of involvement by its members. Suppose, that the idea of membership in the local church, no longer conjured up the idea of personal sharing in responsibility for the support and progress of the local church’s vision and mission. Suppose, that for most people, church membership means primarily benefits, with little or no responsibility.

In fact, the forgoing suppositions seem to be well confirmed by every survey of the western church over the past decade. From biblically defined financial support, to church attendance, and adherence to a biblically defined world view and lifestyle; what it means to be a member of a local church no longer seems to call for committed involvement.

If the surveys of the past decade are accurate, the key departure from a biblical pattern of church, that separates the church from being what is envisioned in scripture, is the departure from a biblical quality of participation by its membership. 

We must recapture a biblical quality of participation in the local church. Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, has a vision and mission for His Church. The quality of each members participation in the church is not left to contemporary designs, but rather is made clear in Scripture. 

It is our hope that we will all respond to the biblical encouragement to be participating members or our local churches, fully involved in the actualization and conduct of Jesus’ vision and mission for His Church.

George T. Frey, Jr.

pastor @faithchristiancenter.ca

www.faithchristiancenter.ca

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