Pastor Marc Likins
You determine who you serve. No one makes that decision for you - not your pastors, not your parents, not your spouse – no one. And as one pastor so simply put it, “There are only two choices on the shelf. Serving Christ or serving self.” As Christians, our choice should be to serve Jesus.
Jesus is the only lifegiving Master, the only One worth serving. Often people have the idea that giving Jesus full control will limit them, but this is just the opposite. A Christian being hemmed in by Jesus is like a minnow being hemmed in by the Atlantic. The volume of love, possibilities, and promise that Jesus has for us is greater than we could imagine. Not only should we accept the Lordship of Jesus, but we should want to accept it.
Colossians 1:12-18
12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
1. He remade us. (Colossians 1:12)
We who were disqualified in sin have now been qualified through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance promised to His children, including a heavenly home, a glorified body, and the ability to rule and reign with Him forever.
2. He rescued us. (Colossians 1:13)
We were once prisoners of sin, bound by the enemy under the sway and power of darkness. We were guilty to a holy God with no hope of saving ourselves, but then we were delivered. Jesus saved us from our sin and adopted us into His family. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He destroyed the works of the devil and set the captives free—and not free to wander alone, but to be translated into His Kingdom.
3. He redeemed us. (Colossians 1:14)
“Redemption” involves the payment of a price to secure freedom. Jesus paid that price and freed us from the burden of guilt and sin. We are now redeemed through the righteousness of Christ, given freely by His grace.
Our response to this gift should be complete servitude, but often Christians accept His salvation but do not instate Him as Lord of their life. Others give Him general control but maintain reservations about going all in and giving Him everything. They keep their worship and relationship to church on Sundays. But straddling the fence does not make an effective Christian—we need to yield ourselves completely to God. We need to give him preeminence, lordship, full reign over our lives.
We have the power to choose this; it is a gift freely given by Jesus. We can choose Him today, but we need to realize that we are taking Him for all He is, not just what is convenient for us. Admit that He is the Master, Lord, and Ruler of the universe, and give Him everything. It’s a scary decision for many, but a decision that is never regretted.