Jesus is Lord
“Jesus is Lord”
In the early church, this was not just a phrase—it was a bold
confession of faith. At the time, the Roman Empire demanded that people say,
“Caesar is Lord,” pledging loyalty to Rome. But Christians, transformed by the
gospel, proclaimed a different Lord: Jesus. This was a radical act
because it meant rejecting the authority of Caesar and recognizing Christ’s
lordship instead. It was a public declaration that Jesus is most precious.
A powerful example is Polycarp, the Bishop of Smyrna. He lived during the 2nd century and was a disciple of the Apostle John. When he was 86, Polycarp was arrested during a time of intense Roman persecution. He was brought before the Roman authorities, and they demanded that he renounce Christ and declare “Caesar is Lord.” The authorities promised that if he swore allegiance to Caesar and denied Christ, his life would be spared. But Polycarp refused. Instead, he famously said, “86 years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” He chose to proclaim “Jesus is Lord”, even if it cost him his life.
Salvation Journey
Today’s scripture, Ephesians 2:1-10, is one of the most important
passages in the Bible, because It tells us about our salvation journey in a
nutshell. Salvation is the transformative journey from “I am Lord” to “Jesus
is Lord.”
The Bible says that we were once spiritually dead because of our sins (v. 1). What does that look like? The spiritually dead live as the lords of our own lives. They do what they want, when they want, and build their own little kingdoms (v. 3). At the foundation of their lives is self – “I am Lord.” And you know what? We’ve all been there.
Think about Lazarus. He was dead in his tomb for four days. He wasn’t partly alive; he was completely dead. But when Jesus came to him and called, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man arose and came to life. In the same way, we were all spiritually dead, living for ourselves and doing our own thing. But God, in his great mercy, reached out to us and made us alive in Christ. That’s when the foundation of “self” is exchanged for “Christ.” For the first time, we begin to delight in Christ, we make much of Christ, and we surrender our self-centered lives. We declare with joy, “Jesus is Lord!”
Who Is Your Lord?
So, how can we tell if "Jesus is Lord" or "I
am Lord"? Throughout the Bible, we see stories of people wrestling with
this tension. Let me share two key stories from the Bible.
First, we have the story of the young rich ruler in Mark 10:17-27. He comes to Jesus and asks, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus tells him to keep the commandments, and the young man proudly says he has kept them all since this youth. But then Jesus points out the one thing that shows who is really lord of his life: his wealth. Jesus tells him to sell everything, give it to the poor, and follow Him.
The rich young ruler couldn’t do it. His wealth and possessions were his lord, not Jesus. Even though he wanted eternal life, his heart was divided. He couldn’t let go of control. “I am Lord” was still reigning in his life. His trust was in his money, not in Jesus, and so he couldn’t fully surrender to Jesus as Lord. It’s a sad story.
The second story is more encouraging. It’s about the Apostle Paul in Acts 9:1-22. Paul’s transformation is a powerful example of moving from "I am Lord" to "Jesus is Lord." Before his conversion, Paul (then Saul) was persecuting Christians, believing he was doing God’s will. He was full of pride, control, and self-righteousness. His life was driven by his own sense of purpose, not by submission to God.
But on the road to Damascus, Paul encountered the risen Christ. In that moment, for the first time Paul realized he had been living with himself as lord, trying to control his own life and even the lives of others. Jesus asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4). Blinded and humbled, Paul surrendered to Jesus as Lord. This was the beginning of his completely transformed life.
So, how do we know “Jesus is Lord” or “I am Lord” in our lives? These two stories teach us that when "I am Lord," we hold on to control and trust in our own efforts. But when “Jesus is Lord”, we let go of control, trust Him fully, and follow His lead, even when it’s difficult or costs us something. When “Jesus is Lord,” we can say, like Paul, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).
Jesus Is My Lord!
Recently, I heard a story about a college student who
answered a telemarketer’s call. This atheist student planned to mock the caller
for her friends’ amusement. Using a fake accent, she pretended to be a Christian.
But, the man on the other end of the call, instead of engaging in her joke,
shared his genuine faith story. He opened up about how Jesus had transformed
his life—freeing him from alcoholism, healing his marriage, and filling him
with hope. He shared how God’s grace brought him from death to life. He shared
how his foundation shifted from “self” to “God.” His joy and peace were so genuine,
so contagious. She didn’t know what to say. At the end of the call, the student
felt humbled. She realized that she, too, longed for that same joy and peace.
C.S. Lewis once wrote about how God transforms us. He said that when we come to God, we might expect Him to just fix a few things—patch up some leaks, fix the plumbing, maybe stop some drafts. We think we need small improvements to make life better. But then, God starts knocking down walls, tearing up floors, and adding new wings. And we wonder, “What is He doing?”
It’s because God isn’t just making repairs—He’s transforming us into something far greater than we could ever imagine. He’s building us into a palace, a place where He intends to live with us.
This is what Ephesians 2:1-10 is all about. God's grace doesn't just fix a few broken parts of our lives. It radically transforms us from the inside out – from “I am Lord” to “Jesus is Lord”. We were once dead in our sins, living for ourselves. But through God’s grace, we are made into new creations. He is building us into something beautiful, where He can dwell.
So, let me ask you – who is your Lord? Wherever you are on your journey, Jesus is with you. Today you may be walking through unexpected or even painful paths. But Jesus knows what he is doing. He’s shaping you into his masterpiece. Trust him and follow him. Give him full control, and let him turn your life into something beautiful. Let this be our prayer:
Into my heart, into my heart
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus
Come in today, come in to stay
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!
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