The Greatest Cost

The Redemptiveness of Christ\’s Lordship

This is the fourth in a series on the pursuit of characteristics of Kingdom Living. One of the most difficult and most controversial aspects of faith is the idea of submission to the Lordship of Christ.

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be my disciple he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

The cross road is not necessarily an honorable or a pleasant road. Rather it is a costly road of Lordship.

Why is it so difficult? Because this is a foreign concept in 20th century America. It is diametrically opposed to the philosophy of the day. We have rights and we plan to hang onto them as long as we are able. It establishes itself in the home, it runs over into the church, and it seeps into every segment of society.

In Acts 14:22 the apostles, in strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith said \”We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God\” This is a great cost, but it is not an optional way for the believer. It is the only way.

Romans 14:5-12 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God\’s judgment seat. 11It is written:

\” \’As surely as I live,\’ says the Lord,

\’every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.\’ \”

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Back to vs. 9 “For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

There were two disputes involved here. And, much like the church today, these issues under dispute did not seem to be very important. Yet it is the least important things that split the church today.

The issue then was meat and holy days. Notice however how Paul responds to this. He does not take sides concerning the issues. That is because he knew that the answer to unity in that church is not in the summing up of the issues, the answer is whether or not we have surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The issue then and now is, “Is Jesus Christ Lord of the Assembly” You see, where Jesus Christ is Lord, there will not be disputes over unimportant issues, because His word will be final.

I would venture to say that you can go to any church in any denomination, anywhere in the world and I guarantee that there is not a dispute which cannot be settled when the scrapping parties submit themselves to the sovereign Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is the supreme message of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. And in that final day when everything is consummated and all matters are ended, all of creation – everything that is above in the heavens, everything on earth and everything below will bow down and proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

That is the apex to which all destiny moves.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ. What does this mean?

Lets try to unpack this from Romans 14. The first thing the text points to concerning this subject is:

I. The Redemptiveness of His Lordship

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

Involved in this redemptiveness are three awesome truths.

1. Christ died that He might purchase us as Lord.

This is such an overriding theme of the New Testament church. It was something that they preached over and over again so that they could get a hold of it.

Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

1 Cor. 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Cor. 7:23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Galatians 3:13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: \”Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.\” 14He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Ephes. 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God\’s grace

1 Peter 1:18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,

Rev. 5:9 And they sang a new song: \”You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

No matter who you are, your status in life, or your particular brand of faith, every person who professes faith in Christ must realize that when Christ died He bought us outright. He bought our eyes that we may see His glory. He bought our hands that we may use them to accomplish His purpose. He bought our feet that we may walk in paths of righteousness and go where He wants us to go. He bought our lips that we might testify of His glory and his grace and that we might sing His praises. He bought our hearts that we might love Him unconditionally. He bought our personality that we might reflect His joy and His radiance, and His patience.

He bought us outright!

And until we realize that and come to grips with it and quit trying to take our lives back off the altar of sacrifice we cannot be faithful ambassador’s to His Kingdom.Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,

1 Cor. 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

And this power is only available to those who are sold out to the Lordship of Christ in their lives. Anything less is an anemic and pathetic faith who’s only hope is escape from the fire and nothing more.

Christ died that He might purchase us as Lord, once and for all.

In the second place here,

2. Christ Rose that He might pardon us as Lord.

“…. returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

1 Cor. 15:17-20 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

There is only one that can pardon us from our sins and that is Jesus. He rose that He might be our pontiff. Our bridge builder between unholy man and Holy God. He is our High Priest, forever interceding with the father on our behalf. The devil tries to condemn us and destroy our souls but Jesus Christ is there on our behalf.

The problem lies in that one cannot accept what He does until you accept who He is.

I agree with what the great Sydney Hudson Taylor said about this issue. “Jesus Christ is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all”

He rose to pardon us as Lord, yet we cannot accept what He does until we accept who He is.

There is one more step in this idea of the Redemptiveness of His Lordship.

He died to purchase us as Lord. He rose to pardon us as Lord. third place,

3. He Lives to Posses us as Lord.

Our text says He died, He rose, He lives.

The great concept of Christianity is that the Christian is an indwelt man. God made us to be inhabited. He made Adam that He might inhabit him by his spirit. It was when Adam sinned that the indwelling consciousness of God disturbed his inner being. We were made to be inhabited. As the philosopher said, “there is a God shaped void in every person that must be filled with God. And if man is not filled with God he is filled with self and ultimately the devil. And make no mistake about that.

We were made that we might be possessed by Christ as lord. And inherent in that very word used in the Greek New Testament, the word Adonai, is the idea of ownership. The idea of proprietorship.

This is why Paul could say, “Yes, I know the glorious truth that Christ died for me according to the scriptures. I know that Christ rose again according to the scriptures and that my sins are pardoned, but I have learned an even greater truth. Not only did Christ die for me, but I died with Christ. And yet I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live on a different basis altogether. I live by faith, yes the very faith in the indwelling Son of God who created it. Faith in the indwelling Christ who loved me and gave himself for me.

Dietrich Bonhoffer in his book. “The High Cost of Discipleship” speaks of cheap grace. And I am convinced that we are reaping the harvest in our nation today, in our churches today, in our homes today, because we have preached cheap grace. The grace that says that law has no demands on my life. We have lost our way theologically. We teach that Christ has died to do away with the law. That is false. Christ died to deal with the curse of the law. Christ died to deliver me from the condemnation of the law. But Christ did not die to deliver me from the implications of the law. He died that in me the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled, as I walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.

Therefore, Paul says, “I frustrate not the grace of God, I am living by the indwelling Christ.”

Christ died to purchase me. He rose to pardon me. He lives to posses me.

When Christ lives to be Lord, He lives to be Lord.

This is the redemptiveness of the Lordship of Christ.

And because He died to purchase us and because He rose to pardon us and because He lives to possess us, we must yield to Him. We cannot put this off. He does not give us that option. We must say today either I acknowledge you as Lord, or I reject you completely. Christ is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all. If the story of the rich young ruler does not bring that solidly home to us, then we are in deep trouble.

At a crusade meeting in England led by the notable British theologian Dr. Scroggin.

He had preached on the matter of Lordship. A very challenging message after which there were many who responded to the invitation. Among them was a young girl who was weeping. She told Dr. Scroggin that she wished to surrender who life totally to Jesus but she was afraid. She did not want God to do with her life as He chose. He may send her to Africa and she was afraid of that. He may plan for her to remain single and minister for him on the mission field and she was afraid of that. Dr. Scroggin listened, and then he took his bible and turned the pages to Acts 10:12-15

The story of Peter when Jesus came to him in a vision and told him to eat all of those unclean animals, Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.\” 14\”Surely not, Lord!\” Peter replied. Dr. Scroggin pointed to those words and told her that was the greatest contradiction of terms. It is impossible to say “Surely not”, and “Lord!” in the same sentence. You must either say “surely not” or, “Lord” He gave her a pencil and told her he would leave her alone for a while, and that she should search her heart and make her decision by canceling out either the words “surely not” or “Lord.”

He went into another room and prayed. When he came back he walked quietly up behind her, and looking over her shoulder he saw that she had scratched out the words “surely not” and through her sobs she was repeating the word, “Lord!, Lord!, Lord!”

Is he Lord of your life?