In a Word, Lordship

I've stated previously that Paul is directing our eyes toward the Lordship of Christ. By seeing Christ as Lord, the believer is protected from legalism and antinomianism.

So there you have it. See Christ as Lord and you (and your church) will avoid self-righteous rules and lawlessness.

[Series over.]

Well, not quite.

Just declaring Christ as Lord is not enough (Luke 6:46). There are plenty who claim Christ's Lordship and have no problem speaking of it, but that does not mean they accept it. Their actions must match their words. Yet, doing good works does not declare Christ as Lord, either (Matthew 7:21-23). Their words and actions may both declare Him as Lord, but their heart may be far from Him.

This does not mean we are freed from considering our words and actions. On the contrary, we must consider our words and our actions as evidence of something deeper; our thoughts and motivations. But can we trust our own self assessment? Certainly not (Jeremiah 17:9)! So how can we search our motives?

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.--Hebrews 4:12 (emphasis mine)

Clearly, if we are looking to honor Christ's Lordship, the Word of God provides the best direction. Paul tells us to set our minds on Christ, seated at the right hand of God. But how do we direct our minds toward Him? How are we sure we are honoring His Lordship?

The Lordship of Christ is woven into every page of Scripture; there isn't a verse that would deny it. But it would be great if Paul would give us an answer, even within the context of this passage. And, like usual, Paul does just that. He doesn't just tell us to see Christ as Lord, he helps us begin the process to understanding this truth. It's so simple, he lays it out in one word:

συνηγερθητε

Well, one word in the Greek, that is. It takes five to say it in English (you-have-been-raised-up).

And it's going to take us a few post to unpack it...