:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

As a follower of Jesus I believe the just shall live by faith. I have confessed with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord.

Faith matters.

And that leads us to what we have faith in. If NT Wright’s assessment of the Gospel (see What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity?) message is correct, then the Gospel hinges on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. James reminds us that no one can proclaim Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit of God. Wrapped up in this idea of believing in the Lordship of Christ is the Gospel story of incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and eventual return.

So we believe we are just because we live by faith.

We have faith in the Lordship of Jesus.

And then we face the challenge of putting our money where our mouth is. In short, I’m referring to the letter by James that proclaims faith is ineffective and useless, incapable of saving us if we don’t back it up by living out what we believe.

This leads us to the question, “What are the implications of the Lordship of Jesus to our everyday lives?” Surely we want our faith to be effective, alive, and genuine, and so this Lordship issue is quite pressing for us. If I truly believe that Jesus is Lord over everything—that every area of my life must be surrendered to him and the new life of his Kingdom—then I am called to a new way of living, of assigning worth, of working toward justice beyond my own needs, and of connecting with the life in God’s Spirit.

I’m processing this, and to be frank it’s a tad uncomfortable. How I spend my time, money, and influence are some departments in my life where Jesus wants to bring his Kingdom. The question that remains, “Will I partner with him?”