Winter 1990

Food For Thought
Wade E Taylor

We should be able to say, with heart assurance and the witness of the Holy Spirit, that we personally know Jesus as our Lord Jesus Christ.

Multitudes know Jesus as Saviour. These openly acknowledge that Jesus shed His blood upon Calvary's cross in atonement for their sin. These walk in the joy of knowing that their sins have been forgiven. The name "Jesus" has become precious to them. "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" Matt 1:21b.

Many know Jesus as "Christ." This speaks of the "The anointed One," or the "anointing," and finds its full expression through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. These have received the gift of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ thepower of God, and the wisdom of God" I Cor 1:24. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," Acts 1:8a.

Fewer know Jesus as "Lord." To make Him Lord means that we have submitted ourselves to the rule of His Kingdom. Now we experientially know Him in the fullness of His Name. He has become our "Christ" "Lord" and Savior" Each aspect of His Name has become a reality within our spiritual life and experience.

Salvation is a free gift, it cannot be earned. All that we need do is to believe that Jesus died upon the cross in our behalf and accept the salvation that He has amply provided for us. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" Eph 2:8-9.

We can be healed. "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" Isaiah 53:5. All we need do is believe that Jesus bore stripes for our personal healing and receive the benefit of this gift of healing that has been given to the Body of Christ. "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit" 1 Cor 12:8-9.

Heaven is not to be the goal for our Christian experience. Rather, it is included as a part of our redemption. "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" 2 Cor 5:1.

We can be saved, healed, used in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and go to heaven; receiving all this as a gift that has been adequately provided for us through the redemption that was wrought upon Calvary's cross in our behalf.

However, there is something of great value that can be added to this gift of full salvation. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" Matt16:24. Salvation is a commandment, "Ye must be born again." Our submission to His Kingdom rule over us is an act of obedience. "If any man ...". The "If" tells us that this is a choice that we can accept or reject; we will remain saved and go to heaven.

This cross that we are to take up is not the cross that Jesus died upon. Rather, it speaks of taking up a cross that cuts against our will. We are to die to our self-life upon a cross that we form of our own choosing. Our ways are contrary to and "cross" His will for us. We must choose to die to our own ways and merge our lives into His life, becoming one with Him.

If we choose to make Jesus our Lord, We must submit ourselves; body, soul, and spirit, unconditionally to Jesus who unconditionally gave Himself for us. We are to take all of the salvation "gift" benefits that are freely provided for us through the atonement, and take up our cross that cuts against our will and through this return all He has given us back to Him. In dying to our own ways and choosing His way for us, we are taking up our cross and making Him "Lord" of our lives.

To experience savior means that I have received Jesus. To experience the Christ means that I take all that He has freely given to me, To experience Lord means I have submitted to Him and have given my all back to Him. Salvation: I have Jesus. The Kingdom: Jesus has me.

A lot of people have Jesus, but Jesus does not have very many people. Few take their life and unconditionally give it to Him. To do this means that we submit to His governmental rule and become a subject of His Kingdom. Now we have come to the place in our spiritual experience where we have an implicit trust in the fact that He can guide our life far better than we can. Now we experientially know Him as "Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The requirement for entering His Kingdom is not beyond the ability of anyone of us. "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" Matt 5:3. Being "poor in spirit" means that we have unconditionally set aside all of our own ways and have submitted ourselves to His rule over us. What He will do with our life will be of far greater value and bring vastly greater fulfillment to us than anything that we could ever do with our own lives.

What should I do to make Jesus Lord of my life? Get alone with Him and then very explicitly, unconditionally submit your right to your own life to Him. Carefully give Him the total right to govern your life. In very direct words, pronounce Jesus Lord and Savior and Christ over your life.

You will never be sorry that you did this.