Understanding Christ: Savior, Lord, and His Authority

Devotional

Day 1: The Dual Nature of Jesus: Son of David and Son of God

The dual nature of Jesus Christ as both the Son of David and the Son of God is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. This duality is not merely a theological concept but a profound truth that affirms Jesus' fulfillment of Messianic prophecies and His divine authority. As the Son of David, Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, establishing His rightful place in the lineage of David. This lineage is crucial as it connects Jesus to the promises made to David, highlighting His role as the long-awaited Messiah.
Yet, Jesus is also the Son of God, a truth declared with power through His resurrection. This divine nature sets Him apart, affirming His authority over all creation and His role in the divine plan of salvation. For early Christians, proclaiming Jesus as Lord was a bold declaration of His divine authority, often leading to persecution. Understanding and embracing this dual nature is essential for believers today, as it forms the foundation of the Gospel and shapes our relationship with Christ. [01:23]

Romans 1:3-4 (ESV): "Concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord."

Reflection: How does recognizing Jesus' dual nature as both human and divine impact your understanding of His role in your life today?

Day 2: Affirming Christ's Full Humanity and Divinity

The early church faced numerous heresies that challenged the nature of Christ, leading to the development of creeds and confessions to affirm His full humanity and divinity. This recognition is vital for maintaining the integrity of the Gospel message and the believer's faith. Understanding Jesus as fully human means acknowledging His experiences, emotions, and struggles, which allows believers to relate to Him on a personal level. His humanity makes Him approachable and empathetic, having lived a life similar to ours.
Conversely, affirming His full divinity means recognizing His authority, power, and role in the divine plan of salvation. This dual recognition ensures that the Gospel message remains intact, as it is through Jesus' humanity and divinity that He accomplishes His redemptive work. For believers, this understanding is not just theological but deeply personal, as it shapes their faith and relationship with Christ. [05:17]

Colossians 2:9 (ESV): "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily."

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your understanding of Jesus' humanity and divinity in your daily walk with Him?

Day 3: Jesus as Lord: Divine Authority and Sovereignty

The title "Lord" ascribed to Jesus signifies His divine authority and His exalted position as the ruler of the universe. This understanding is crucial for believers, as it calls them to acknowledge His sovereignty in their lives and to live in obedience to His will. Recognizing Jesus as Lord means more than just a verbal confession; it involves a heart posture of submission and reverence.
This acknowledgment of His lordship is not optional for believers but an integral part of their faith journey. Accepting Jesus as Savior inherently involves recognizing His authority, as His redemptive work is inseparable from His divine rule. For early Christians, proclaiming Jesus as Lord was a radical declaration that often led to persecution, yet it was a testament to their unwavering faith and commitment to His authority. [15:04]

Philippians 2:9-11 (ESV): "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Reflection: What specific areas of your life do you need to surrender to Jesus' lordship today?

Day 4: Faith as Obedience to God's Command

Faith in Christ is an act of obedience to God's command, highlighting that sin is fundamentally disobedience to God. True faith involves submitting to Christ's lordship, recognizing His authority, and living in accordance with His will. This obedience is not merely about following rules but about aligning one's heart and actions with God's desires.
For believers, this means that faith is active and dynamic, requiring a daily commitment to live out God's commands. It involves a conscious decision to turn away from sin and to pursue righteousness, trusting in God's grace and guidance. This understanding of faith as obedience challenges believers to examine their lives and to seek ways to grow in their relationship with Christ. [41:09]

James 2:17 (ESV): "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: How can you actively demonstrate your faith through obedience in your daily interactions and decisions?

Day 5: Indivisibility of Jesus as Savior and Lord

Accepting Jesus as Savior inherently involves acknowledging Him as Lord. His redemptive work is inseparable from His authority, and believers are called to live in obedience to Him, recognizing His ownership and lordship over their lives. This indivisibility means that one cannot truly accept Jesus' salvation without also submitting to His rule.
For believers, this understanding calls for a holistic approach to faith, where salvation and lordship are intertwined. It challenges them to examine their lives and to ensure that their faith is not compartmentalized but fully integrated into every aspect of their being. This recognition of Jesus as both Savior and Lord is essential for a vibrant and authentic Christian life. [22:38]

Titus 2:13-14 (ESV): "Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

Reflection: In what ways can you more fully integrate Jesus' role as both Savior and Lord into your daily life and decisions?

Sermon Summary

In the opening chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul presents a profound declaration about Jesus Christ, emphasizing His dual nature as both the Son of David and the Son of God. This duality is central to understanding the Gospel and the Christian faith. Jesus, born of the seed of David, fulfills the prophecies of the Messiah, yet He is also declared the Son of God with power through His resurrection. This truth was pivotal for the early Christians, who faced persecution for proclaiming Jesus as Lord, a title that signifies His divine authority and supremacy over all creation.

The early church grappled with various heresies that challenged the nature of Christ, leading to the formation of creeds and confessions to affirm His deity and humanity. The recognition of Jesus as both fully human and fully divine is essential, as it underpins the entire Christian faith. The title "Jesus Christ Our Lord" encapsulates His role as Savior, Messiah, and Sovereign. Jesus, the man born of Mary, is also the Christ, the anointed one, fulfilling the roles of prophet, priest, and king. His anointing by the Holy Spirit at His baptism signifies His divine mission.

Moreover, the term "Lord" ascribed to Jesus equates Him with Jehovah, affirming His divinity and His exalted position as the ruler of the universe. This understanding is crucial for believers, as it shapes their relationship with Christ. Accepting Jesus as Savior inherently involves acknowledging Him as Lord, for His redemptive work is inseparable from His authority. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that faith in Christ is an act of obedience to God's command, highlighting that sin is fundamentally disobedience to God. Therefore, true faith involves submitting to Christ's lordship, recognizing His authority, and living in accordance with His will.

Key Takeaways

1. The dual nature of Jesus as both the Son of David and the Son of God is foundational to the Gospel. This truth affirms His fulfillment of Messianic prophecies and His divine authority, which is central to the Christian faith. [01:23]
2. The early church's struggle against heresies underscores the importance of affirming Christ's full humanity and divinity. This recognition is vital, as it ensures the integrity of the Gospel message and the believer's faith. [05:17]
3. Jesus' title as "Lord" signifies His divine authority and His exalted position as the ruler of the universe. This understanding calls believers to acknowledge His sovereignty in their lives and to live in obedience to His will. [15:04]
4. Faith in Christ is an act of obedience to God's command. Sin is fundamentally disobedience to God, and true faith involves submitting to Christ's lordship, recognizing His authority, and living in accordance with His will. [41:09]
5. Accepting Jesus as Savior inherently involves acknowledging Him as Lord. His redemptive work is inseparable from His authority, and believers are called to live in obedience to Him, recognizing His ownership and lordship over their lives. [22:38]
** [22:38]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:12] - Introduction to Romans
[01:07] - Jesus: Son of David and Son of God
[02:28] - The Significance of Jesus Christ Our Lord
[04:00] - Early Christian Persecution
[05:50] - Jesus' Dual Nature in Scripture
[07:35] - Messiah: Son of David and Son of God
[09:05] - Jesus: Savior and Anointed One
[11:43] - Jesus' Anointing and Mission
[13:22] - Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King
[15:21] - Jesus as Lord and His Authority
[17:20] - Exaltation of Jesus
[19:06] - Jesus Christ Our Lord: Personal Relationship
[21:14] - Indivisibility of Jesus as Savior and Lord
[26:32] - Paul's Apostleship and Mission
[31:34] - Obedience of Faith
[37:50] - Sin as Disobedience
[43:18] - Faith as Obedience to God
[47:10] - The Task of Evangelism

Sermon Clips

The early Christians delighted in this name in this designation they like to use it they were fond of using it because it in and of itself reminded them of the things that were absolutely vital to their faith and to their whole position it was the thing that made them what they were as Christians. [00:03:15]

The central matter therefore is that Jesus is the Christ or as the author of The epistle to the Hebrews puts it Jesus Son of God now I read that short section from the 22nd chapter of The Gospel According to St Matthew because we are reminded there that our Lord himself was concerned to teach and to emphasize exactly the same thing. [00:05:30]

The Messiah when he came would be of the seed of David but unfortunately with their materialistic and materializing ideas they had come to think of him only as a man so our Lord puts that question to them what think ye of Christ whose son is he and they say to him the son of David and they stop at that. [00:06:02]

The Messiah is at one and the same time son of David and also Lord Son of God Eternal Son of God that was the claim that he made for himself and these Pharisees you remember were not able to answer him a word neither does any man from that day forth ask him any more questions they couldn't answer. [00:07:23]

The Christ is the anointed one and therefore the claim that is made here as is made everywhere in the New Testament is that the Lord Jesus Christ was specially anointed by God for this peculiar work it had been prophesied in the Old Testament that the Messiah would be a prophet a priest and a king. [00:10:49]

He is the priest the anointed priest that again as I remind you is the great argument of the epistle to the Hebrews we have such a high priest seeing therefore Brethren that our high priest great high priest hath passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God there it is that's the high priest that becometh us. [00:13:22]

Jesus is Lord what it's really saying is that Jesus is Jehovah he is Everlasting Eternal God he takes you directly to the very heart of the great doctrine of the Trinity but we must also remember this that when we say that he is Lord we are also thinking of him as the god men who having risen from the dead. [00:15:04]

The Risen Lord said to his disciples all power is given unto me in heaven and earth go ye therefore and preach the gospel discipling the Nations and baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost now that's a statement that he is the Lord above everything. [00:15:49]

The person is indivisible the one person is the Lord Jesus Christ or Jesus Christ the lord now the Apostle himself of course in writing to the Colossians you'll find it in Colossians 2:6 puts it quite specifically here's a text that you very rarely hear and which is so sadly forgotten as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him. [00:22:04]

You cannot take him as Savior only because he saves You by buying you with his Precious Blood and if you believe that you must know at once that he's your lord you see that's where the whole danger comes in doesn't it that's the danger you see of dividing justification from sanctification. [00:23:13]

Sin is the transgression of the law sin primarily is rebellion against God sin what is sin well I'll tell you what Sin is Sin is ref refusal to listen to the voice of God sin is a turning of your back upon God and doing what you think that is ultimately what sin is. [00:37:50]

The task of evangelism is to tell men and women the record that God has given concerning his own son that he is Jesus Christ the Lord God has declared him he's proved it by raising him from the death and I am increasingly convinced that all our troubles and problems arise from the fact that this is not being preached in this way. [00:47:10]

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