Fall 1994

Going Beyond
Wade E Taylor

An innumerable multitude knows Jesus as their "Saviour." These openly acknowledge that He shed His blood upon Calvary's cross in atonement for their sin and in some measure live a committed Christian life. The name "Jesus," has become precious to them.

Many of these also know Jesus as the "Christ." This speaks of the One Who is "Anointed" (Jesus), or of the "anointing." These have received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, have experienced touches of His presence, and in some measure have been used in the operation of Holy Spirit gift ministries.

There are fewer however who know Jesus as their personal Lord. To make Him our "Lord" means that we have crucified our self life, given up all right to our own lives, and have unconditionally submitted ourselves to the governmental rule of His Kingdom.

To know Him in this way is to personally experience Jesus in the fullness of His Name. He has indeed become to us, "THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST." Each aspect of His Name has become a personal reality within our spiritual life and experience.

Heaven is not the goal of our Christian experience. Rather, it is included in our redemption as our inheritance.

"For we know that, if the earthly house of our
tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building
from God, an house not made with hands, eternal,
in the heavens." 2 Corinthians 5:1 Worrell.

Thus, there is "more" than our being saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit and being exercised in ministry and in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and knowing that we will be in His eternal presence at the end of our sojourn here. The redemption that was wrought upon Calvary's cross has adequately, freely provided all this for us.

This "more" is something of great value that is to be added to all that has been freely provided for us, which requires an action on our part.

"Then said Jesus to His disciples, If any
one wishes to come after Me, let him utterly
deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me" Matthew 16:24 Worrell.

Salvation is essential for us to enter heaven ("You must be born again"). However, our submission to His Kingdom rule is conditional - "If any man". This "if" tells us that there is a choice, which we are free to either make or avoid, without affecting our salvation.

Since our ways are contrary to, and "cross" His will for us, we must die to our own ways if we are to fully follow Him. We do this by dying to our "self life" upon a cross, which we form of our own choosing. We ourselves must take up this cross. As we do this and merge our lives into His life, we become one with Him.

If we choose to make Jesus our Lord, we must totally submit ourselves - body, soul, and spirit, unconditionally to Jesus, who totally gave Himself for us.

We are to take all of the salvation "gift" benefits that were freely provided for us through the atonement, plus ourselves, and give all this 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 "salvation" means that I have repented, was cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, and have received Him as my Saviour.

To experience the "Kingdom" means that I have taken all that He has freely given to me, plus my right to my own life, and have given all this unconditionally to Him.

Thus, Salvation I have Jesus; the Kingdom Jesus has me.

Now I know Him experientially as "My Lord, Jesus Christ." He has become Lord of my life and I have yielded control over the totality of my being to Him. Once I have done this, I will gradually come to know that I am far ahead of where I would have been, if I had tried to make my own way through life.

The requirement for entering His Kingdom is not beyond the ability of any one of us.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the Kingdom of Heaven." Matthew 5:3.

Being "poor in spirit" means that I have set aside all of my own ways and have unconditionally submitted myself to His governmental rule of my life. Now, whatever He may do with my life will produce that which is of far greater value than anything I could ever attain, apart from Him.

To personally, specifically, make Jesus Lord of my life, I must,

1. Find a quiet place in which I can be alone with Him.

2. "Wait upon Him" until I become inwardly quiet before Him. While maintaining an attitude of worship, thank Him for His presence and for all His blessings.

Now I am ready to vocally, explicitly relinquish the "right" to my own life and unconditionally turn it over to Him. As I do this, I am giving to the Lord full permission along with the total right to govern my life as He chooses.

3. Then, in very direct words, say to Him, "Jesus, I pronounce you "The LORD, Jesus Christ of my life." Now, ask Him for the outworking of all that this means, both within and through me.

From this moment onward, my life is His. He is free to bring me into the fullness of all of the potential that He had seen to be within me.

I have given Him the right to accomplish this. He indeed has become to me, "The Lord, Jesus Christ."