4) How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

4)  How do you interpret the statement Jesus Christ is Lord?

            The confession that Jesus is Lord was one of the earliest confessions of the faith.  The title had been applied to God by the Israelites and was used by the early Christians to connect Christ with God (McGrath,443).  In proclaiming Christ as Lord, one proclaims that Christ is above all and over all.  It seems that often this confession has been limited to personal faith, without connection to the larger world.  However, saying that Jesus is Lord has implications for all of creation, including individuals, the church, society, and the natural world.

            In the personal sphere, proclaiming Christ as Lord means that my life is not my own, but it belongs to Christ (1 Cor. 3:23).  This means that I submit every area of my life to his authority, including my relationships, my finances, my family, and my time.  If Christ is Lord, then I will dedicate my life to bringing him glory.

            Christ is also the Lord of the church (Col 1:18).  Christ is the one who holds the church together and forms the church through the bond we have in his death and resurrection.  Bonhoeffer argues that “our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done” (25).  The Articles of Religion also confess that “the Christian church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ” (Discipline 67).  Scripture proclaims that we are the “body of Christ” (Eph 1:22-23) and that Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 5:23).  The church must submit to Christ’s authority.

            Christ is also Lord of thrones, dominions and rulers (Col. 1: 16).  Christ is over all powers and authorities.  This also means that Christ is redeeming society and will one day reign as King (Rev. 21).  If we proclaim Christ as Lord, then we should work to bring his Kingdom by working on behalf of the oppressed and the poor and establishing justice on the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit.

            Christ is also the Lord of creation (Col. 1:17).  All things were created by him, and he is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.  Since redemption is extended to creation, then Christ as Lord of creation means that we are called to a stewardship that respects the created world.  We have been given dominion over creation in order to care for it, and we are called to exercise good stewardship by not abusing the natural world.