The Authority Of Jesus

"When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, 'What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?' Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons begged Him, saying, 'If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.' And He said to them, 'Go.' So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine." - Matthew 8:28-32

Seem like an odd verse? The point is that even the demons recognized the authority of Jesus as Lord of All. I once read somewhere that if "Jesus is not Lord of All (in your life), then He is not Lord at all." That is a hard truth. A pill that I think most Christians would have a hard time swallowing. Do you remember the conditions for salvation? Let me refresh your memory.

"if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." - Romans 10:8-9

Do you see the two parts of belief that leads to salvation? First - confess (which means to agree with God the Father) that Jesus is Lord. The same Lord with the same authority that even the demons submitted to. And Second - Believe that God the Father raised Him from the dead - having died for the sins of mankind and raise on the third the victor over death. Jesus asks us the same question He asked His disciples.

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” - Luke 6:46-49

The answer is that we want to "cherry pick" the scripture. We do obey some of the Word, but there are other parts that we see as optional, discretionary or just ignore them as it they did not apply to us.  It is then that we prove that Jesus is not really Lord of all in our lives. A hard word? Yes. I really don't like typing it because it cuts me to the quick as well.

It is like Paul's lament in Romans chapter 7 where he affirms that only Jesus, the Lord of all, can come to our aid!

"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ...  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ...  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!" - Romans 7:15,18-20,22-25 

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone