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The Lordship Principle of the Kingdom

3 April2017 Glisson SinglePg// Earl Glisson

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom."
—LUKE 12:32 (NASB)

A KING HOLDS the ultimate source of authority in his kingdom. And it's through authority that his kingdom is established. There is also a kingdom domain principle. That means the domain of a king is the territory over

which he exercises authority, control, and dominion. The word kingdom literally means "king domain."

God has a kingdom that He wants us to operate in. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." To have these things "added unto" us, we first have to understand the principal of lordship.

Before anyone gains access into God's Kingdom, they must be born again. Jesus came to die for the world and make a way of salvation for everyone. Salvation is free. In context that means we couldn't do anything to deserve it. But make no mistake, for this free gift to be applied to our lives, it will cost us something. We have to give up our way of living and allow Jesus to be Lord over our lives.

Romans 10:9 (NASB) says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." SAVIOR IS WHAT JESUS DID. LORD IS WHO HE IS.

In the Greek, the word confess means that with our mouths we are making a covenant that Jesus is our Lord. The word lord means "supreme in authority." It means "he to whom a person or a thing belongs." It also means that He makes decisions for us.

God's kingdom isn't a democracy. We don't get to pick or choose what we like and don't like. When we become born again, we are saying, "My life is not my own. I give Jesus full authority for the path of my life." It's so much more than saying, "Jesus, save me so after leaving this planet my final destination is Heaven." SUBMITTING OURSELVES TO GOD'S LORDSHIP IS SAYING, "I'M YOURS; WHAT'S MY NEXT STEP?"

Jesus is the Word. When we accept Christ as our Lord, we are giving the Word supreme authority over our lives.

Some of us tend to think that salvation is a one-time experience. It's not. It's operating all the time. Salvation manifests itself in healing, prosperity, and restoration of our relationships. When we make a covenant that God's Word is supreme in authority, we will be saved from all kinds of trouble.

The kingdom of God is bigger than just our personal lives. Yes, God promises to provide for us. But it's so much more than saying, "I'm blessed and prosperous!" He wants us to touch the world! And if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us anyway (Matt. 6:33).

When we give God lordship over our lives, He will make the crooked places straight. His Word will be a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path.

[Editor's Note: This article was adapted from Earl Glisson's Friday afternoon message at Campmeeting 2016.]