The International Missions Director (IMD) of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo, has advised Christians to acknowledge Jesus Christ, not only as their Saviour, but also as the Lord of their lives.
According to the IMD, “to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord means that, He is ruler, boss, owner of all things and master of one’s whole life, and that He is the one who exercises authority, power and influence over others. He cannot be Lord of a part – He must be given control of one’s entire life.”
Apostle Emmanuel Gyesi-Addo said this on February 15th, 2020, during a presentation on the topic, “The Christian and the Lordship of Christ” at the maiden Francophone Ministers and Wives’ Conference at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC), Gomoa Fetteh near Kasoa in the Central Region.
In his presentation, the IMD said that, the conversion or adoption of a believer as a child of God begins with the belief, acceptance and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and personal Saviour. However, he observed that in contemporary Christianity, more emphasis is placed on the saving grace of Jesus Christ, while little or no mention is made of His lordship. “Many contemporary Christians have been introduced to the benefits of salvation through Christ without having to accept the ‘inconvenient’ challenge of His lordship over their lives. As a result, many Christians today, are very comfortable with Jesus in a manger and Jesus crucified on the cross, but not how we may share in His suffering (Galatians 2:20),” he explained.
Reading Luke 4:8, he explained that, “Jesus is our Saviour because He is the only one who is anointed to save humanity, proclaim the Good News, heal the sick and deliver the oppressed. So, most people love the Jesus who delivers. But Jesus is not only our Saviour, He is also our Lord!”
He explained that living a victorious Christian life calls for a life of commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; for this reason, every Christian must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.
He asserted that, “If anyone recognises Jesus Christ as Lord, then the first requirement from such a person is utter and total obedience. Obedience must be immediate and not delayed because obedience delayed is the same as disobedience.” Apostle Gyesi-Addo, therefore, challenged Christians to submit to Christ by bringing every area of their lives under His sovereign rule.
He indicated that the love for Christ and a clear conscience should inform every Christian’s motive for submitting to His Lordship. (1 John 4:19; 2 Corinthians 5:14). However, very often some Christians, who profess Jesus as their Lord, do not portray lifestyles, attitudes and deeds that support their claim.
The IMD, therefore, urged ministers to consciously teach church members, especially new converts to know and understand that Jesus Christ is not only their Saviour, but also their Lord, and for this reason, He must be given control over their entire lives.