Subjects of King Jesus
Is King Jesus your Lord? Are you His subject? If you say you are
His subject, are you in subjection to His will and obedient to His
commands? If you say you are in subjection to His will and are obedient
to His commands, then explain to me in detail what those commands are
and what my responsibilities would be if I decide to become a subject of
King Jesus – what you call a Christian!
There are two levels of God’s sovereignty in the Bible. There is
the Kingdom of God over which God is sovereign. The Kingdom of God
includes the spiritual and eternal dimension of existence. Within God’s
spiritual and eternal dimension of existence, there are two areas over
which He is eternally sovereign.
1. The first eternal place is Heaven, where all the
Redeemed will live eternally with Him. Eternal life is continual
existence without succession or intermission.
2. The Second eternal place is Hell, where all those
who reject God’s gift of salvation will remain eternally separated from
Him in eternal torment prepared for Satan and his fallen angels. All
lost from all ages will stand before King Jesus at the Great White
Throne Judgment after which He will act sovereignly to cast them into
the eternal place of torment known as Hell, the Lake of Fire, and the
Second Death.
There is also what is referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven, which is the temporal, physical creation. Although
God holds supreme sovereignty over the Kingdom of Heaven, He originally
gave dominion of the creation to humanity in Adam. Humanity lost this
sovereignty to Satan when Adam chose to sin against God and the first
creation was cursed of God. God’s statement to the serpent in Genesis
3:15 promises both redemption by grace through faith from the curse and
the restoration of dominion to humanity through His being incarnated
into humanity through the seed of the woman.
1. The primary purpose of a sinner’s redemption is for
that sinner to become a voluntary subject (servant) of the Redeemer –
King Jesus.
2. The secondary purpose of redemption is to restore
dominion of the first creation to humanity through the incarnation,
death, burial, and resurrection of the God/man, Christ Jesus the Lord.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel” (Genesis 3:15).
From Genesis chapter three in history until the second coming of
Jesus, Satan is the “prince and power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and
the “god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4). The word worldly
describes someone who voluntarily chooses to be under the domain of the
“god of this world.” There are numerous levels of worldliness in
Satan’s domain. For all of these hundreds of centuries, Satan has been
doing all in his power to keep humanity from worshiping God and
submitting to His Lordship. Billions of human souls have died in their
sins rejecting God’s free offer of the gift of salvation through simple
faith in the promised Saviour – King Jesus!
We certainly see this at Christ’s birth in Matthew chapter two,
when Herod the Great tried to find Him and have Him killed as a baby.
From almost the beginning of Jesus’ ministry after His baptism, the
hierarchy of Israel sought to have King Jesus killed. They were able to
persuade Pilate to consent to the crucifixion based upon the prophecy
that Jesus was to be the “King of the Jews.”
“33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called
Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? 34 Jesus
answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it
thee of me? 35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the
chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36 Jesus
answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this
world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to
the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said
unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a
king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the
truth heareth my voice” (John 18:33-37).
The events of Acts chapter seventeen take place about twenty years after the crucifixion. The
Jews are still using the same accusation against Christians to get the
Roman leaders to persecute Christians and silence their testimonies. To
preach the second coming of Jesus is to preach the coming of King Jesus
in glory and judgment! Be assured of this reality- King Jesus is
coming again!
“1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as
his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with
them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must
needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus,
whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and
consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great
multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 5 But the Jews which
believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of
the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an
uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out
to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and
certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have
turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 Whom Jason hath
received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying
that there is another king, one Jesus. 8 And they troubled the people
and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when
they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go”
(Acts 17:1-9).
King Jesus does not rule over any nations as of yet. Until
Jesus returns to Earth, He rules over the hearts of those who call Him
Saviour. At least He should be the ruler of the hearts of the
redeemed! The fact of Jesus being the Lord of the believer’s heart is a
defining factor making that believer a Christian. This is not the same
as salvation. People can be saved from Hell by grace through faith
without becoming a Christian. In fact, there are many baptized church
members who faithfully attend local churches and give faithfully who are
not technically Christians. Christ made this differentiation in a
parable in Luke chapter six. A true Christian is a saved person “born
again” by the Spirit of God who lives the teachings of King Jesus
through the filling of the Spirit of God. Therefore, a true Christian
is a subject/servant of King Jesus who does what Jesus says to do.
“39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind?
shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above
his master: but every one that is perfect {kat-ar-tid’-zo – perfect, passive, participle = is perfected; to completely repair, restore, or prepare}
shall be as his master. 41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in
thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out
the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam
that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of
thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote
that is in thy brother’s eye. 43 For a good tree bringeth not forth
corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not
gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out
of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth
that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth
speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which
I say” (Luke 6:39-46)?
Local churches are in the midst of spiritual famine. Professing
Christians are spiritually emaciated. This dilemma is not because
spiritual food is unavailable to them, but because they are not
committed to allowing the spiritual food available to them, in the
teachings of Jesus, to enter their minds, pass through their hearts, and
move out through their lives to transform themselves and touch the
world with God’s grace. This will never happen until King Jesus reigns
in their hearts and they are filled with His Spirit.
The concept of yielding the will to King Jesus, without wanting the
Christ-life to be expressed through us, is foreign to the purpose of
sacrificially surrendering our bodies, minds, and spirits to Christ
(Romans 12:1-2). King Jesus died vicariously for our sins so that He
might live vicariously through our lives. Therefore, allowing Christ to
live vicariously through us must be a consuming desire motivated by
wanting to exalt Him in the world before all other people and all other
desires. The “love of Christ” MUST constrain us. Declaring King Jesus
to be your Lord MUST be more than a mere declaration of the mouth.
Declaring King Jesus to be Lord MUST be the consuming desire of the
heart.
“14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge,
that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for
all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore
henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known
Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then
we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we
pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:14-21).
We can readily see that God has an extended consequence in our
being “born again” through faith in the finished work of redemption
provided through the incarnate sinless life, His vicarious death,
burial, and the resurrection of King Jesus – “that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him.” This is more than the imputation
of God-kind righteousness. This is even more than the impartation of
God-kind righteousness through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The word
“made” is from the Greek word ginomai (ghin’-om-ahee), which
means to generate or become. Regeneration is intended to generate
God-kind righteousness in a very practical way through our living. In
other words, regeneration makes it possible for saved sinners who are
fully surrender to King Jesus to produce the righteousness of Christ
through their lives. This is what it means to allow King Jesus to live
vicariously through us. This is the substance of Paul’s explanation to
Jews in Galatians chapter two who were being corrupted regarding
salvation and spirituality through will-power Law keeping. Neither
salvation or spirituality are available through will-power Law keeping.
“19 For I through the law am dead to the law {Romans 3:19}, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ {Romans 6:6; the sin nature vicariously}: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me {in the indwelling Spirit}:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the
Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate
{ath-et-eh'-o; neutralized, set aside} the grace {the
supernatural enabling} of God: for if righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:19-21).
The sovereignty of God is often reflected in the Bible by the
way creation yields the fruits for which certain things were created.
The ground yields the fruits that grow from it. Plants yield the
produce that grow from them. Therefore, they are by nature
subject to the sovereignty of God. When God provides to them the
nutrients they need, they yield the fruit that is nurtured. If God does
not provide rain and weather conducive to fruit growth, these aspects
of creation cannot yield the fruit for which they were created to
produce. Ground and plants are by their nature subjects of the
sovereignty of God. Because of the fall, humanity must yield to God
first before human beings can produce the fruit God intends them to
produce – other godly beings.
Part of God’s sovereignty at the present is how He uses nature to bless or chastise believers.
To be subjects of King Jesus is to yield our wills to His will (Romans
6:11-13). In doing so, God promises blessing as a control over the
curse. In failing to do so, God promises various levels of chastisement
as the expression of the curse.
“1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up
a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your
land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. 2 Ye shall keep
my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. 3 If ye walk in
my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; 4 Then I will give
you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the
trees of the field shall yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:1-4).
“14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these
commandments; 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul
abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that
ye break my covenant: 16 I also will do this unto you; I will even
appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall
consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed
in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 And I will set my face
against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate
you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. 18
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish
you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of
your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as
brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall
not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their
fruits” (Leviticus 26:14-20).
It is clearly evident from these two portions of Scripture in
Leviticus chapter twenty-six that the Lordship of King Jesus extends
beyond a mere profession of His position. Clearly, the
Lordship of King Jesus and our practical subjection to that Lordship
yields some very practical outcomes. Understanding the spiritual
dynamic involved with yielding to the Lordship of King Jesus is
something many Christians seldom even consider. Often Christians are
quick to proclaim the Lordship of King Jesus without the accompanying
loyal to that Lordship of faithful, loyal obedience to His commands and
teachings. This is hypocritical!
The fact of the matter is that subjection and obedience to the
Lordship of King Jesus will be a matter for which we all will be held
accountable in the minutest detail. We tend to allow spiritual
failures to slip by us in history without considering the ongoing
consequences of the influences of those failures upon those around us.
Although the failure is forgiven by God once a person repents and
confesses the failures, the consequences of the failure can extend into
numerous generations of our influences. We will be held accountable for
those influences at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We should not be able
to think of the concept of the Lordship of King Jesus without filling
our minds with the day of accountability of our lifetimes of influence
upon those around us.
“1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be
clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. 5 Now
he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always
confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are
absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to
be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present
or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad {rewards or loss of rewards}.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we
are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your
consciences” (II Corinthians 5:1-11).
Often the phrase “we persuade men” in II Corinthians 5:11 is
interpreted to mean persuading people to be saved. This would be
completely contrary to the context. The context is about
persuading save, but carnal, believers to be loyal and obedient subjects
of King Jesus. Therefore, the “terror” involved with failure is the
shame and disgrace attached to the loss of rewards due to disobedience
and disloyalty to the Lordship of King Jesus.
There is a twofold objective in the Christian life as loyal
subjects of King Jesus in allowing Him to live vicariously through us.
In other words, this twofold objective are the tangible realities for
which we will be held accountable as loyal subjects of King Jesus.
Attending Church services merely prepare us for being effective in these
tangible realities.
1. We must proclaim the eternal condemnation of all the
children of Adam. We must declare the necessity of repentance of sin
and dead works before a person can come to Christ for salvation. We
must explain the accomplishments of Christ in the Gospel. We must lead
sinners to trust/believe in those accomplishment alone. We must inform
them of the necessity of proclaiming Jesus to be the sovereign,
incarnate Jehovah (Lord). Finally, we must persuade those who have been
brought to this understanding to call upon the Name of Jesus for the
event of salvation and being “born again” spiritually.
2. We must live according to the commands and teachings
of Jesus being filled with His Spirit throughout each moment of each
day (Ephesians 5:18 and Romans 12:1-2) thereby producing the “fruit of
the Spirit” and yield the fruit of souls to God’s glory for which
purpose we are redeemed (John 15:1-8).
When we consider being faithful, obedient subjects of King
Jesus, we must remember that this will extend into the Kingdom Age where
Church Age believers will rule as kings and priests under our High
Priest and King Jesus. Church Age believers will be in
glorified bodies in the Kingdom Age and therefore will not possess a sin
nature at this time. However, the positions we hold in the Kingdom Age
will be determined by our faithfulness and loyalty to King Jesus during
the Church Age. This faithfulness and loyalty to King Jesus is what
the Bible refers to as the believer’s works.
“11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ {salvation through faith in what Jesus accomplished}. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation {of salvation by grace through faith} gold, silver, precious stones {work done in the power of the filling of the Spirit}, wood, hay, stubble {work done in the power of the flesh}; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest {as to its quality}: for the day {Judgment Seat of Christ} shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try {test or prove} every man’s work of what sort it is {spiritual or carnal}. 14 If any man’s work abide {is not burned up} which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned {consumed by fire}, he shall suffer loss {his carnal works done in the power of the flesh shall be burnt away from him}: but he himself shall be saved {salvation is a gift of grace not of works; Ephesians 2:8-9}; yet so as by fire {saved as he passes through the fire that consumes His worthless works to stand before God yielding no fruit}” (I Corinthians 3:11-15).
Imagine the shame and sorrow of a fruitless life and a sheaveless Christian.
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Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/
Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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