Jesus Christ ... Our Lord

By Words of Hope, Saturday, March 15, 2008

Read: Romans 16

All the churches of Christ greet you. (v. 16)

When we confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord we are saying something more than that he is Lord of us individually; he is Lord of us all together. Living in a highly individualized culture it is easy to forget that our confession is corporate as well as personal. This is the value of a chapter like Romans 16, which is mostly just a list of sisters and brothers in fellowship with whom the apostle Paul confessed the lordship of Christ.

One thing that strikes me deeply about this list of names is the astounding length and breadth and depth of it. There are 29 individuals and four family groups named. For Paul to confess that Jesus was Lord was to bring immediately to mind so many others who made that confession with him. It should be that way for us today. Earlier this year we welcomed into our home a friend from India whom we had not seen for 20 years. It was such a delight. As I took him to the airport for his return home he told me that he was leaving encouraged in the Lord to know that we here were still walking in the truth. This is something of what it means to say our Lord!

Prayer: We bless you, loving God, for all our sisters and brothers in the faith worldwide. Amen.

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