These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

                                                                                                            Ephesians 1:19b-23 

It’s worth celebrating. We are not on this earth just to exist for eight or nine decades and then die. We are designed for eternity. We are made in the image of God and we have intrinsic value in the eyes of our Creator. Even when sin separated us from our heavenly Father, He stepped in by sending Jesus Christ to make atonement for our sin. Because of this, Jesus now sits as Lord of all things in heaven as well as on earth. Because God is love and Christ is Lord, we can truly celebrate what it means to belong to Christ by faith. This is a theme that Paul spends much time unpacking for us. Today, we will identify five important truths involving the Lordship of Christ. You might notice that this examination will encompass five of Paul’s letters, further demonstrating that this is a major theme of scripture.

(1) The Strength And Might Of Christ

Real strength does not come from ourselves, it comes from God. Real strength is inner, spiritual strength and has very little to do with the physical. Paul tells us that everything we have in Christ is a result of His strength and might. It’s easy to fall for the world’s definition of power and ability, but for Paul, the grace of God was sufficient to provide the strength that he needed to fulfill his calling in Christ. Consider the following: 

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

                                                                                                       2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

For Paul, he was pleased to “boast in my weakness” and was “well content” with the same. How are we to be content with weakness? For the world, this is foolishness, but for those who belong to Jesus, we understand that when our human weakness is displayed, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the power of Christ in us. When others see how we handle failure and weakness, it is a chance to share with them the gospel, in all its power. 

(2) The Risen Christ

In addition to His strength and might, Christ is risen, meaning that Jesus is not just a historical figure who once walked the earth, He is alive! The Christian life goes far beyond mere “religious belief.” I am always concerned when I hear people make reference to someone’s religious beliefs as if spiritual reality is something that we decide. The fact that Jesus is a living Lord and Savior is not contingent on whether or not we believe, but to experience His very power in our lives, it is absolutely essential. Consider the following: 

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

                                                                                                                   Romans 8:11 

When we are born again, we receive the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Christ. When we have the Spirit, we have the same power that brought Jesus out of the grave living in us. Through all of our struggles, mistakes, and weaknesses, we still have the resurrection power of God living in us. I can’t think of anything more important than this reality.

(3) Christ Seated Above All Rule And Authority

Jesus is seated “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named.” Jesus is the name above all names. He is not an option for salvation. He is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Consider the following: 

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

                                                                                                            Philippians 2:9-11 

One day everyone will bow to the name of Jesus and confess that He is Lord. For unbelievers, that is not an attractive reality. But for those who belong to Christ, confessing the name of Jesus is a part of daily life. The name of Jesus is powerful and confessing His name validates that we belong to Him (1 John 4:15).

(4) All Things In Subjection Of Christ

“All things are in subjection under the feet of Christ.” Consider the following: 

He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.                                                                                                        

                                                                                                         Colossians 1:15-17 

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. All things have been created by Him and for Him. We do not exist on our own. If it were not for Christ, none of what we see would even exist (John 1:1-3). Jesus is eternal and was present at creation (Genesis 1:26). Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). All things hold together in Him. These are extraordinary statements and should provide security for all of those who have received salvation through Jesus by faith. 

(5) Christ: The Head Of The Church

Finally, Jesus is the head of the church. The church can be defined as every born again believer in Jesus. It matters not what denomination or tradition from which you might come. What makes us a part of the church is that we have a relationship with God through Christ. If the Spirit of God lives in you, you are a member of the church and the head of that church is Christ. Consider the following: 

He (Christ) is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.                                                                                                              

                                                                                                            Colossians 1:18 

When you consider the Lordship of Jesus, does that reality bring hope to your heart and soul? Knowing that God is love, that Christ is Lord, and that Jesus never changes, we can live lives of spiritual freedom. We can trust in Him and know that He will always do what He promises He will do in scripture. As the world continues to dispute the realities of Jesus, believers can rest in the reality that Jesus is Lord!