Tag Archives: Surrender to Christ

Devotion to God

Only By the Spirit Can We Truly Say, “Jesus Is Lord”

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Beloved, as you rise to meet this day, pause and consider this one staggering truth: “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3, NASB). These are not idle words. This is the line in the sand between dead religion and living faith. You can recite creeds and attend services, but unless the Spirit of God has breathed life into your soul, the name of Yeshua will never ring out as Lord from the depths of your heart.

Jesus Is Lord—this is not mere doctrine. It is the thunderous confession of a heart conquered by grace. It cannot be manufactured by intellect or emotion. It is born of spiritual rebirth. The flesh recoils at His Lordship. The natural man demands autonomy, but the Spirit reveals a better way: surrender that leads to life.

And yet, many churches today strain under the weight of programs and productions that attempt to create love for Christ without confronting the heart’s need for regeneration. They preach morality without the cross, motivation without repentance, and Jesus as model instead of Jesus as Master. But Jesus is Lord, and that means He is King, Sovereign, and worthy of your total allegiance. No gimmick can produce true devotion. Only the Spirit can draw the soul to kneel in awe and cry out, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28, NASB).

This confession—Jesus is Lord—is the Spirit’s work in you. If you can say it with reverence and love, then rejoice! The Spirit has opened your eyes. He has shown you the crucified, risen Savior, and planted within you a hunger for His presence. But if your heart feels cold, pray this morning: Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to me. Strip away the veil. Let me see the One who died and rose for me, and in seeing Him, may I love Him with all my soul.

Right now, at this moment, heaven is listening.
Right now, at this moment, heaven is listening.

But there is more. If we truly confess Jesus as Lord, we must dethrone another master—ourselves. Romans 6:19 calls us to offer ourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. The self-life—the proud, stubborn “I”—must be crucified. It cannot co-reign with Christ. God will not share His glory with the ego of man.

The Holy Spirit deals violently with the flesh, but always for the sake of love. He says, “This selfish I cannot live.” The ego is anti-Christ at the root. It loves attention. It craves control. It demands credit. But the Spirit leads us into a deeper surrender, where we echo John the Baptist’s cry, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30, NASB).

This morning, offer no defense for your pride. Do not make peace with your self-centered ambitions. Invite the Spirit to burn away everything in you that resists the Lordship of Christ. Say aloud, “Jesus is Lord”—and mean it with your life.

Let it shape how you speak to your family.
Let it guide how you work and serve today.
Let it determine what you love and what you leave behind.

Create in Me a Pure Heart
A quiet moment of prayer at sunset, offering thanks to God in all circumstances—finding peace and strength in every season.

Jesus is Lord—not just of your Sunday mornings, but of your thoughts, your body, your finances, your affections, your future. You cannot make Him Lord by your own strength. But the Spirit within you can. And He will, if you yield.

Your Spirit whispered truth to me,
And scales fell from my eyes.
You lit the fire that made me free,
And taught my soul to rise.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, awaken in me again the awe and wonder of who Yeshua is. Let me not speak His name lightly, nor serve Him halfway. Destroy in me the selfish ego that exalts itself, and plant instead a deep-rooted humility that treasures Christ above all. Today, may my every word and action confess: Jesus is Lord. Amen.

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See Also

Humility, Repentance, The Pursuit

Called to Holiness: A Daily Pursuit of Christ

Beloved, the call to holiness is not a suggestion—it is an invitation to live in the fullness of Christ’s love and to bear witness to the wonders of His transforming power. “But just as He who called you is holy, be holy in all you do; for it is written, ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16, AMP). This is the call of every believer: to reflect the holiness of the One who saved us. We must pursue holiness daily in Christ.

Yet, like Paul, we often feel the weight of our struggle: “For I do not do the good I want, but I practice the very evil that I do not want” (Romans 7:19, AMP). This tension can leave us discouraged, but do not lose heart! God has not left us to fight this battle alone. We are called to pursue holiness daily in Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NASB 2020) assures us: “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” God’s faithfulness ensures that no matter how fierce the battle, His power is greater still, encouraging us to pursue holiness daily in Christ.

To pursue holiness is to pursue Christ Himself. “Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value]” (Colossians 3:2, AMP). This is a daily pursuit—a moment-by-moment decision to draw near to God, surrendering our desires to Him and seeking His presence above all else.

When you walk in holiness, you become a living testimony of Christ’s work within you. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14, AMP). As God transforms you, your life becomes a witness to others, a radiant reflection of His love, grace, and power. Your pursuit of holiness is not just for you; it is for the world to see the wonders of what Christ is doing in you each day.

Do not grow weary in this pursuit. When the road feels hard, remember that the power of God is at work in you. “For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, AMP).

So press into Him daily. Confess your sins quickly, knowing He is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). Pursue holiness daily in Christ by seeking His face in prayer, meditating on His Word, and letting the Holy Spirit guide your every step. Let your life shine as a testimony of His goodness, drawing others to the Savior who is still at work in you.

Prayer

Holy Father, You have called us to be holy as You are holy. We confess that we often stumble, but we thank You for Your faithfulness and the power of Your Spirit at work within us. Draw us closer to You each day, teaching us to walk in Your ways and to reflect the beauty of Your holiness. Let our lives be a testimony to Your transforming power, that others may see Christ in us and be drawn to You. May we hunger for more of You and live as a light in this world. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

See Also