If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Rom. 10:9)
A ROMAN SENATOR watched a beautiful young woman step to the edge of the arena in the Roman Coliseum. She was the next person destined to be thrown to the lions. He thought it was such a waste for her life to be snuffed out, all because she would not give allegiance to Caesar. However, the young woman, a committed Christian, would not say, “Caesar is Lord.”
The senator approached her and said, “What harm is there in saying it, even if you don’t believe it?”
“If I said it,” she responded, “it would not be true.”
“Is your God so strict that He will not allow you two seconds to affirm allegiance to Caesar, if it saves your life?”
“I cannot deny Him, even for two seconds, because I believe Jesus is Lord.”
The senator was frustrated. Through clenched teeth, he said, “Don’t you hear those lions roaring?”
She tilted her head, as if listening, smiled, and said, “Senator, don’t you hear the angels singing?” With that confidence, she stepped into the arena.
I hope you never have to declare your allegiance to Jesus under such circumstances. Across the centuries, some religions have tried to make converts by the sword. “Deny Jesus and affirm our religion,” was their cry.
But the truth is for all ages: Jesus is Lord. No one else purchased our salvation and rose from the dead.
Throughout this day, affirm in your heart, and even aloud, “Jesus is Lord.”
Ron McClung works at his denomination’s world headquarters and lives in Indiana with his wife, Carol. They have two sons and nine grandchildren.
