If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9 NIV
We sometimes hold things to be true but are hesitant to say them aloud. Following up on the idea in James of taming the tongue, that is often a prudent practice. However, there are exceptions, for example, speaking out against injustice and abuse. Put another way, speaking up for those things that are right in God’s eyes.
We also need to be willing to declare Jesus is our Lord. When we declare something, we do so openly, proudly, and publicly. The Merriam-Webster dictionary it as “to make known formally, officially, or explicitly.” We share that Jesus is Lord boldly because we feel his presence and can attest to what he’s done in our lives. We declare because we are his followers.
Before we say it, though, we need to believe it. Not just that Jesus Christ lived and was a good man saying great things (he was), but also that he died to atone for our sins and rose again. The resurrection is essential. It is in conquering death that Jesus offers us eternal life. In believing Christ has risen, we acknowledge he is the Son of God; we accept that we are redeemed, and through this, we have the hope of tomorrow.
God, we give thanks for your Son, Jesus Christ. We declare him as our Lord, the ruler of our lives. We believe he came from you, walked this world to demonstrate righteousness, and gave his life for our sins. We believe it didn’t stop there, but that he conquered death -- you raised him from the dead. You did all of this for us, your people whom you love. Please help us to be bold in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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