What does it mean that Jesus becomes Lord of our life?
After completing the work of the cross and resurrection, Jesus is no longer only the Jesus of His earthly ministry; He becomes Lord of our life. That means He is Jesus Christ the Lord, and we properly approach Him on those terms, confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in our heart.
Les teaches that verse 9 takes us beyond the Jesus of His earthly ministry, because He had not yet died then. But as soon as He finished the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection, He now becomes Lord—and Les cannot emphasize that enough. He becomes Lord of our life. He becomes not just Jesus, but Jesus Christ the Lord, or the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is proper to approach Him on those terms. This confession is verbal: confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Believing is an attitude of the heart, not something done with hands or feet. It includes believing that God raised Him from the dead, which implies He died, and the promise is that thou shalt be saved.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
More Questions
Why do we confess Jesus as Lord and not just as Jesus?
Confessing the Lord Jesus goes beyond the Jesus of His earthly ministry, because He becomes Lord only after finishing the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection.
When does Jesus become Lord of our life?
As soon as He finished the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection, He now becomes Lord of our life, becoming Jesus Christ the Lord, or the Lord Jesus Christ.
What does it mean to confess Jesus as Lord in everyday life?
For the believer, calling Jesus 'Lord' means He is in control of our life, the One in whom we eat and sleep and move, and without Him we are nothing.
Why does Romans 10:9 say confess Jesus as Lord if He wasn't Lord during His earthly ministry?
Confessing 'the Lord Jesus' goes beyond the Jesus of His earthly ministry, because He had not died yet then; only after He finished the work of the cross and the power of the resurrection does He become Lord, i.e., Jesus Christ the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.