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Jesus is Lord
That's it. One simple Christian creed you should try for the next 5 days.
Brief History
Jesus is Lord is believed to be the oldest Christian creed. It's origins are found in Romans 10:9.
If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
NRSV
So, the creed is attributed to the Apostle Paul.
4 Reasons
Here are 4 reasons you should try this creed for the next 5 days:
- 1The creed is super easy to remember.
If you think the prayer I previously recommended you try for 5 days was easy, try just three simple words - Jesus is Lord. - 2The creed is packed full of theological reflection.
A few simple questions to demonstrate:
- Who is the person Jesus? Might want to think about who it is you are calling Lord.
- What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord?
- What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of your life?
- What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of the church?
- What about the world? Is Jesus Lord of all the world? Creation? - 3The prayer is confessional.
As Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, Jesus is Lord is the first confession needed for salvation. You must declare Jesus is Lord in order to be saved. Paul also includes the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead, but it is the creed that must be verbally expressed. - 4It is the first formal creed of the church.
Like formal prayers, formal creeds aren't required. However, there is some significance to formal creeds. Creeds do provide a basis for theological agreement. This particular creed has also been used for centuries by countless numbers of Christians and people seeking God. In fact, according to Paul (see #3 above), it is the entrance point into salvation.
Give It A Shot
So, let me encourage you to say the creed for the next 5 days.
Why 5 days?
Why not?
One day doesn't seem to be enough. The purpose is to make this creed a routine reflection. It'll take multiple times for that to happen.
Consider This
Assuming you actually mean the prayer as you develop it in your heart, here is what Jesus had to say about what comes out of the heart.
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It is about of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
Luke 6:45, NRSV
If you make this creed the inspiration of your heart, your mouth is most certainly going to confess it.
the Lord weighs the heart.
Proverbs 21:2
NRSV
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God knows what is within you. A good reason to put this wtihin your heart.
Perhaps when Paul wrote the verse that became the first creed, he was thinking about another proverb also.
The mouth of the righteousness is a fountain of life.
Proverbs 10:11, NRSV
We speak what comes from within. All the more reason to commit this creed to heart and to confess it often.
Give it a try.
