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God as Master (Adonai) · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to The Deep Dive, the show where we take your source
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material and well, we try to distill the crucial ideas,
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offering you a path to being truly well informed.
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That's right, we unpack core concepts, share maybe some
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surprising facts along the way, and really aim for those aha
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moments that make knowledge stick.
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And today we're diving deep into something absolutely central to
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Christian faith the the absolute and sovereign kingship of God.
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Yeah, this isn't just some abstract theological point, is
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it? It's really the heartbeat of
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Christian belief. You can trace it right from the
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Old Testament title Adonai all the way through to the New
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Testaments. Curious.
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And it culminates really in the mediatorial kingship of Jesus
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Christ. Precisely.
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We've gathered quite a bit of material here, drawing insights
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from the Westminster Confession of Faith, various biblical
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stories. Our mission today really is to
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get a handle on what Lord truly means.
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We want to trace its path through the Bible.
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And discover how this confession reshapes everything, doesn't it?
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From how we worship together to, you know, the choices we make
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every single day. OK, so let's start unpacking
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this concept of adenai. It seems so foundational.
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What's the basic idea behind this term in the Old Testament?
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Well, at its root the Hebrew word adun just means Lord or
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owner, maybe master. It's actually quite flexible.
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Right, so it could be used for people too.
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Oh, absolutely. You see Abraham being called my
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Lord by his servants, for example.
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Or you know, a local king might be called Lord.
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But here's where it gets really interesting.
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When you see the specific form on a no and it shows up over 430
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times, it almost always, I mean nearly exclusively refers to
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Israel's God ah. So that specific form lifts him
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up, sets him apart. Exactly.
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It elevates him above every lesser authority.
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It means God isn't just a Lord, one among many.
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He is the Lord, His ownership, His authority.
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It's superlative, it's total, it's non negotiable.
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That's a huge claim. It is.
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It's a statement about ultimate reality.
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When someone back then used or heard Adenai, they were
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acknowledging something fundamental about who God is and
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frankly, how the world works. So that distinction between
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Dandan and Dune is pretty crucial.
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Then how did this actually play out for the average Hebrew
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worshipper? How did it get woven into their
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their spiritual life? Well, the Messerites played a
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big role here. These were the Jewish scribes
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working centuries later who meticulously preserved the
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Hebrew texts. OK, the ones who added the
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vowels and things. Right.
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They had this deeply reverent practice.
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Whenever the sacred name YHWH, the four letters, the
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Tetragrammaton appeared in the text, they wouldn't pronounce it
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out loud. Too holy, too holy.
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So instead they would read the word Adonai.
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Ah. So they substituted it in
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speech. They did, and this had a huge
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effect. It stamped Israel's liturgy,
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their worship, with the Confession Lord.
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Every time they heard the scriptures read, every time they
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prayed using God's name, they were grammatically, liturgically
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acknowledging His supreme authority.
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Wow. So even before you get to the
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story itself, the very act of reading it aloud reinforced
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God's lordship. Precisely.
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It baked God's total ownership right into the fabric of their
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worship, their whole worldview. It was the constant background.
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Hum, God is Lord. That's fascinating.
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So how did this title, Adonai show up in the actual stories?
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You mentioned Abraham earlier, like in Genesis 15.
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Yeah, Genesis 15 is a really powerful example.
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Abram, as he was so-called. Then he addresses God as Adonai,
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YHWH, OK, now that combines intimacy.
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He's speaking directly to God, but also profound authority.
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Abram is questioning God, asking about the promised air, but he
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does it like a vassal would approach his king, his Sousa
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reign respectfully, you know. Seeking clarification, not
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demanding. Exactly.
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And then God responds by sealing his promises in this dramatic
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covenant ceremony with the smoking furnace passing between
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the animal pieces. It underscores Abram's place
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within God's. Plan so it shows God binding
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himself in grace. But he never gives up his right
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to command. He's still the sovereign master.
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His grace is the grace of a king.
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It sets a pattern really. And what about in the Exodus
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story? That seems like a major display
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of God's power. How does his role as Adonai come
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through with Moses and the plagues?
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Oh, the Exodus is just saturated with it.
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Think about Moses at the burning Bush.
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He objects, feels inadequate, right?
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And he addresses God as oh Adonai.
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Right. Who am I?
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Yeah, and God's responses are pure sovereign prerogative.
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He shows he rules over snakes, turning the staff into one.
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He rules over disease inflicting and healing leprosy.
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He rules over Pharaoh's heart, heart.
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He even rules over Moses, his own mouth, promising to help him
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speak. So God's power isn't limited.
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Not at all. And then the plagues themselves.
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Each one was a direct challenge to an Egyptian God or aspect of
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their power. Power structure, the Nile, the
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sun, fertility, even death itself with the first born.
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It was a cosmic showdown. It really was.
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Israel's deliverance made it crystal clear.
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Adonized dominion extends over everything.
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And then at Sinai, when God gives the law, it starts with
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IMYHWH, your God. Framing the whole covenant.
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Exactly. It underscores, as the
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Westminster Confession puts it, that God is most absolute in
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dominion. Even as he condescends, he
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Stoops down to relate to his people through this covenant.
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It's engaged authority, not distant power.
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That idea of God's total ownership then seems to pour out
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into the Psalms, doesn't it? Those declarations of praise.
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Oh definitely, the Psalms are full of this.
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Psalm 8 is a classic example. It opens and closes with OYHWH,
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our Adonai. How majestic is your name in all
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the earth? Using Adonai specifically there.
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And that use of Adonai states essentially, that every square
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inch of creation already belongs to God.
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He's the master, the owner of everything.
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We don't invent our own meaning, we receive it from Him.
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We're creatures within his world.
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That's it. And Psalm 103.1 Main adds the
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Lord has established his throne in the heavens.
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His Kingdom rules over all. It highlights his intrinsic
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authority, the authority he has just by being God.
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It wasn't given to him, It just is.
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Now, Psalm 110 often comes up as really central here.
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Why is that one seen as so pivotal?
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Yeah, Psalm 110 is hugely important.
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David the king overhears a divine conversation.
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He hears why HWH say to my Adonai sit at my right hand.
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OK, so YHWH is speaking to someone David calls my Adonai my
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Lord. Right.
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And this Adonai figure is clearly someone greater than
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David himself, a future Messianic figure.
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He's invited to share God's own throne, rule with divine
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authority. A future king?
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A divine king? Really.
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Reformed interpreters like Calvin Vos.
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They saw this Psalm as a crucial bridge.
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It points forward from the Old Testament expectation to the New
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Testament fulfillment in Christ. It anticipates a figure who
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shares God's own divine lordship.
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OK, and what about the prophets like Isaiah and Ezekiel?
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They had these incredible visions of God.
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How did Adonai figure into those?
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Those prophetic visions are often encounters with Adonai on
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his throne. Isaiah 6 is maybe the most
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famous. Isaiah sees the Lord Adonai
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sitting upon a throne high and lifted up the.
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Train of his robe filling the temple.
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Exactly. And the seraphim are crying,
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Holy, holy, holy, holy, covering their faces.
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Isaiah is completely undone, right?
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Woe is me, I am lost. Utterly overwhelmed by God's
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majesty. But it's right there in that
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encounter with the sovereign, Holy Adonai that he receives
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cleansing. The coal touches his lip.
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So you see sovereign purity and atoning grace together.
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And Ezekiel's vision is similar. He sees this dazzling fetch on a
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throne, the appearance of the glory of Adonai.
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And from this enthroned Lord he gets his Commission, his command
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to prophecy. Stand on your feet.
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Right. It's an order, not a suggestion.
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It reinforces that prophetic ministry, really any service to
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God, flows directly from the authority of the enthroned
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Adonai. It seems this idea of God's
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ownership, his being Adonai, wasn't just theological or about
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worship, is seeped into their social structure, their ethics
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too. Oh profoundly.
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It shaped the very fabric of their society.
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Take Leviticus 25.55. God declares the Israelites are
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my servants. I am YHWH, your God.
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OK, that statement is the basis for the Jubilee laws, which,
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among other things, forbid permanent slavery among Hebrews.
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Why? Because they already belong to
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another master. They belong to God.
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Exactly. Their social freedom, their
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ethical structure, was a direct outflow of God's own.
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No human could have ultimate claim over another Israelite,
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because God already did. That's powerful.
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And Deuteronomy 10.1 sick reinforces it.
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Why HWH? Your God is God of gods and
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Adonai of Lords, who shows no partiality.
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It highlights his supreme rule and then immediately calls
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Israel to reflect that justice. Caring for the orphan, the
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widow, the vulnerable. So their ethics were tied
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directly to who Adonai is. Absolutely.
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How they treated each other was meant to mirror the character of
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their ultimate Lord. So putting it all together for
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the Old Testament, there's this recurring theme you mentioned,
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this double rhythm of comfort and command with Adonai.
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Yes, that's a really helpful way to think about it.
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The confession Adonai carries both.
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Comfort comes because this absolute Lord pledges his
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loyalty to his people and covenant.
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His promises are sure because his governance, His Providence,
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covers everything. He's in control.
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So you can trust his promises. You can, but command comes
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because this same Lord tolerates no rivals.
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His royal authority defines discipleship.
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You can't serve 2 masters. Right.
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So to confess Adonai is to live in that tension.
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Or maybe harmony of grace and governance.
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He's king who saves by ruling and rules to save.
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It's all one piece. OK, we've got this really solid
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Old Testament foundation with Adonai God as the ultimate
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owner, master sovereign. Now, how does this transition
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into the New Testament, especially with the Greek word?
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Curious. Right, this is where it gets
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really fascinating. The bridge is basically the
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Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew.
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Bible, the one made before Jesus time.
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Exactly. Centuries before, the Jewish
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scholars who translated it consistently used the Greek word
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curious whenever they encountered either Adonai or the
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sacred name YHWH in the Hebrew text.
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So they did the same thing the masoretis did later with
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speaking Adonai for YHWH. Pretty much, yeah.
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It means that by the time Jesus arrived, Greek speaking Jews
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hearing the scriptures were already completely accustomed to
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curious, referring to God Himself to the divine name.
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So curious, already had that divine weight.
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It absolutely did. So when the first Christian
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started confessing, Jesus is curious.
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This wasn't just, you know, calling him a respected teacher
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or Sir. It was a massive theological
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statement. They were essentially applying
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the divine name, the divine authority to Jesus.
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That's exactly what they were doing.
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They were assigning him the very sovereignty of Israel's God.
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Everyone hearing it would have understood the gravity of that
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claim. So did Jesus himself tap into
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this? Did he use this concept?
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Oh yes, think about when he quoted Psalm 110.1.
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The Lord said to my Lord, remember we talked about that.
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Right YHWH speaking to David Saturday.
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Well, in the Greek version he would have likely used it, reads
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Ipenho, Curious to Kirishmo. The Lord said to my Lord,
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curious to curious. OK, emphasizing the divine
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dialogue. Exactly.
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And by applying that Psalm to himself, as he did when
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challenging the Pharisees about the Messiah's identity, Jesus
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was subtly but unmistakably placing himself within that
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divine conversation. He was identifying himself with
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that second exalted, curious figure who shares God's throne.
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He was claiming that divine status.
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Without shouting I am God, yes, but the implication was clear to
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those who knew the Scriptures, especially Psalm 110.
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And then, after the resurrection, the apostle seemed
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to run with his title. Curious, right?
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Immediately it becomes central. Peter's sermon on Pentecost is
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the prime example, he concludes powerfully.
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God has made him both curious and Christ, this Jesus whom you
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crucified. Not just Christ the Messiah, but
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curious Lord. Both he's saying this isn't a
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new title Jesus just earned. It's a public unveiling, a
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declaration of who he is, validated by His resurrection
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and ascension to the Father's right hand, the.
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Proof is in the empty tomb and the ascension.
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Precisely. And Luke, writing the book of
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Acts, often just refers to Jesus as the Lord directing the Church
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the Lord added to their number. The Lord opened Lydia's heart.
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It shows Jesus actively governing his church just as
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YHWH governed Israel. It seamlessly blends him into
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that pattern of divine rule. It does.
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Now Paul really seems to theologize this curious concept
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in his letters, making it core to salvation itself.
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He absolutely does. Paul gives us some of the most
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profound reflections on Jesus as curious.
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Romans 10.9 is key. If you confess with your mouth
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that Jesus is curious and believe in your heart that God
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raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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Placing that confession right at the entrance to salvation.
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Right at the door and he's consciously echoing Joel 2.32
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from the Old Testament, which says everyone who calls on the
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name of YHWH will be saved. So Paul swaps in Jesus name.
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He directly applies that YHWH promise to Jesus.
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Calling on the name of the Lord Jesus is how you're saved.
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It's a direct assertion of His divine identity and saving
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authority. That claim Jesus is curious must
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have been explosive in the Roman Empire, where Caesar was often
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called curious. Hugely explosive.
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It was inherently subversive. Think about First Corinthians
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8.6. Paul takes the Shema Israel
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score confession of one God. Here, O Israel, the Lord, our
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God, the Lord is 1. Right, and he adapts it for us.
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There is one God the Father and one curious Jesus Christ,
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through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
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Well, he's not adding a second God.
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No, not at all. He's integrating the sun into
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the very identity of the one God.
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He gives Jesus the cosmic role of Creator, the agent through
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whom everything exists. And that directly challenges
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Caesar's claim to ultimate lordship.
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Directly curious was a title demanded for Caesar and oath of
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allegiance. To say Jesus is curious was to
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say Caesar is not. It was theological treason in
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Roman eyes. Which explains much of the
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persecution. It it does, many Christians face
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martyrdom because they refuse to say crazer curious Caesar is
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Lord. Their confession declared that
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earthly Thrones, even Caesar's, are temporary provisional
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stewardships under the one true sovereign, Jesus Christ.
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Philippians 2, that famous hymn about Christ's humility and
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exaltation, feels like a real climax for Paul on this.
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It really is a theological peak. It traces Christ's journey from
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eternal glory in the form of God.
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Equal with God. Down to becoming a servant,
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obedient even to death on a cross.
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And because of that humility and obedience, God highly exalted
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him and gave him the name that is above every name.
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Now, for Paul's readers, that phrase immediately points to
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YHWH, the divine name. The ultimate name.
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The ultimate name and the goal that every knee should bow and
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every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is curious to the glory
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of God the Father. Universal submission to Jesus as
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Lord. Yes, and Paul seals it by
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quoting Isaiah 45.23 where YHWH swears by himself that every
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knee will bow to him. Paul takes that oath, sworn by
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God about himself, and applies it completely to Jesus.
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There's no higher way to identify Jesus with God.
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Pretty much calling Jesus curious is identifying him with
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the God of Sinai, the God of Isaiah.
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So how does the Book of Revelation then bring this whole
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theme of curious to its final conclusion, its end game vision?
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Revelation pulls it all together.
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In this grand cosmic picture, Jesus is explicitly called King
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of Kings and Curious of Lords. Leaving no doubt about his
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ultimate authority. None whatsoever, and the heavens
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erupt in praise, is declaring the Kingdom of the world has
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become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.
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Notice the singular Kingdom, Father and Son, ruling together
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in one reign. A.
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Unified sovereignty. Exactly so.
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In Revelation, Curious isn't just about who Jesus is.
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It defines the whole end Times narrative, the eschatology.
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The same curious who redeemed us by His blood is the one who
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judges evil and ushers in the new creation.
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The Lord God will be their light.
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Right. The Lordship hinted at without
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an eye, demonstrated in the Exodus confessed by the early
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Church, now culminates in the absolute, eternal, victorious
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reign of Jesus Christ over all things.
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OK, so the New Testament really brings in this idea of Christ's
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mediatorial kingship. That sounds specific.
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What exactly does that mean and how did it?
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How did it start? Right Mediatorial kingship
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refers to the specific royal office Jesus holds as the God
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man. He's the mediator, the go
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between acting on behalf of his redeemed people.
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And actually the whole creation. Right.
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And indeed the whole created order.
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This isn't just theoretical. It was officially inaugurated,
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you could say, when the risen Jesus ascended to the Father's
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right hand. That position of ultimate power
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and authority. Exactly.
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And there he was, publicly declared both Lord and Christ as
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Peter preached Psalm 110. Sit at my right hand until I
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make your enemies your footstool.
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That's like the royal charter for this specific kingship.
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Installing him as the reigning king.
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Yes, and this reign is fundamentally covenantal, based
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on God's promises, It's goal oriented, moving history toward
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redemption, and it's redemptive in nature, governing everything
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to make sure God's saving purposes reach us.
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So what's the the legal basis for this specific reign?
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Is it just because he's God? Or is it tied more closely to
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his work, his life and death? That's a really important
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question. While his deity is essential,
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the specific legal ground for his mediatorial reign is his
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obedient humiliation and his atoning sacrifice.
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Philippians 2. Again, Philippians 2 is
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absolutely key here. At the one who was eternally
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God, became a servant, obeyed all the way to death on a cross.
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Therefore, because of that, God highly exalted him.
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So the exaltation is the Father's response to the sons
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obedient. It's the Father's public
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vindication of the crucified servant.
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It displays the infinite worth of his sacrifice because he shed
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his blood as the perfect representative, the second Adam,
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he now rightfully holds royal authority as the head of a new
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redeemed humanity. So his authority flows from his
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redemption. Yes, Psalm 8, you have given him
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dominion over the works of your hands, finds its ultimate
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fulfillment in the nail pierced hands of Jesus.
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His right to rule is earned through his saving work.
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Now, you mentioned earlier something about two circles of
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Christ's rule. Can you unpack that a bit?
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That sounds helpful. Yeah, the Westminster Confession
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talks about this. It says the Father gave unto him
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all power and judgement, and also so made Christ the head
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over all things to the Church. OK, so there's a distinction
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there. There is.
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Think of it as two overlapping circles.
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There's a larger circle. Christ, providential lordship
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over everything. Nation's economies, viruses,
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galaxies. Nothing is outside His sovereign
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rule. He governs it all.
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The whole cosmos. The whole cosmos.
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Then there's an inner circle, his specific rule over the
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Church. Here he rules with a shepherd's
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care. He gives spiritual gifts.
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He protects his people from falling away.
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He guides through his word and Spirit.
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He disciplines gently. So a general rule and a specific
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caring rule for his people. Exactly.
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And this helps us understand, you know, why there might be
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apparent chaos in the world. That's the outer circle, while
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still trusting his faithful, specific care for his church,
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the inner circle. And it assures us that even the
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chaos ultimately serves his purposes for his people.
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That's a very practical distinction.
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And how does Christ actually do this ruling?
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How does he function in this royal office day-to-day, so to
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speak? Well, we can think of it in
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three ways. Integrating those classic roles
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of prophet, priest and king into his current reign.
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OK, first, as prophet, king, he rules by his word.
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Remember, the Great Commission starts with all authority has
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been given to me. Therefore, go and make
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disciples, teaching them. Right, teaching them to observe
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all the I have commanded you. His primary instrument of rule
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is His authoritative teaching, preserved in Scripture.
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When the word is preached, the King is speaking.
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OK, Prophet, King what? Else second, as priest, king, he
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rules by his ongoing intercession.
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Hebrews tells us he always lives to make intercession for us.
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Praying for us at God's right hand.
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Constantly. So his rule isn't just commands,
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it's applying the benefits of his sacrifice, pleading our
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case, ensuring grace reaches us, his sector guides.
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But it's also grounded in the right righteousness He secured
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for us. That's comforting.
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It is and 3rd. As Warrior King, he actively
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fights for us. He subdues his enemies in ours.
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That means battling sin within us, protecting us from
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persecution without, and ultimately he will defeat the
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final enemy, death itself, when he returns.
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So his kingship is active, protective and ultimately
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victorious. Absolutely.
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He's ruling now, actively working out his purposes through
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word intercession and spiritual warfare.
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OK, let's try to synthesize this.
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We've traced Adonai and Curious through the Bible systematically
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within Reformed theology. What does it really mean to
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confess God as Lord? Fundamentally, confessing God as
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Lord, whether Adonai or curious, asserts His absolute
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sovereignty. It means he has inherent
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authority. He didn't get it from anyone or
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over absolutely everything he created.
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Everything and everyone. Everything and everyone.
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Psalm One O 3.19 Again, His Kingdom rules over all.
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The Westminster Confession captures it well.
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God is most absolute in dominion and the fountain of all being.
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The source of everything. The ultimate source.
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It means His will is the primary reason anything exists, moves,
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or has purpose. Providence, then, is just the
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sovereignty in action. God upholds, directs, disposes,
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and governs all creatures, actions and things.
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Guiding everything. But importantly, without
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violating the nature of things or human responsibility, he
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works through secondary causes. His rule is intricate and wise.
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But it's not just raw power is that you emphasize the covenant
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connection earlier. Crucially important, Reformed
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theology always ties God's dominion to his covenant
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relationship. Think Genesis 15, Exodus 20.
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The Sovereign Lord chooses to bind himself to his people by
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promise, by oath. He condescends, he said.
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He condescends. He directs his supreme authority
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towards redemptive fellowship. This transforms Lordship from
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mere power into personal commitment.
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The owner becomes the Redeemer. So the God who frees from Egypt
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is the one who gives the law at Sinai.
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Exactly. Gift and demand, promise and
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precept, they belong together. So when we say Jesus is Lord, it
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means the King who saves us also claims us entirely.
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Grace and obligation are fused. And God's own attributes, his
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characteristics, seem to back up his right to rule, don't they?
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They absolutely do. His unique incommunicable
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attributes all under score why he alone is fit to rule.
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Take his a sayity, his self existence.
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He depends on nothing and no one.
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So we can't negotiate with him. We're in no position to or his
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simply meaning. His attributes aren't separate
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parts, they are who he is. He doesn't just have authority,
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he is authority. It's his very nature.
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Yes, his immutability, his unchangeable Ness means his
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promises are rock solid. His covenant can't fail because
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he can't fail. His omnipresence and omnipotence
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guarantee his detailed Providence.
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He's everywhere, all powerful. And his moral attributes.
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Crucial His Holiness, justice, and goodness ensure His
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sovereignty isn't capricious or tyrannical.
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It's always righteous and good. The Cross is the ultimate
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display. His justice demands payment for
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sin. His mercy provides it in His
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Son. His resurrection then confirms
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His righteous rule. How does this concept of
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lordship connect to the sacraments like Baptism and the
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Lord's Supper? Lordship reaches us tangibly
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through the sacraments. Christ ordained Baptism is like
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a royal branding, marking us as belonging to the Father, Son and
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Holy Spirit. It signifies dying to self rule
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and living under Christ's authority.
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A sign of new ownership? Exactly.
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And the Lord's Supper renews that covenant bond.
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It proclaims the Lord's death, the basis of our peace with the
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King, until he returns visibly. The confession calls them
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effectual means of salvation because Christ the Lord actually
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works through them by His Spirit.
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They aren't just symbols. They aren't just symbols, they
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are means by which the King administers his grace.
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And this also underpins the regulative principle of worship,
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right, That idea about how we should worship God.
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It does. The same royal authority that
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establishes sacraments also regulates worship.
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The regulative principle basically says if Christ is
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king, then he gets to decide how he is approached in his throne
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room. So worship isn't based on our
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preferences. It's based on his commands
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revealed in Scripture. It's about royal protocol,
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respecting the King's authority over his own worship, not
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liturgical minimalism for its own sake.
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This applies to church leadership too.
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Elders rule under Christ, accountable to Him.
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OK, one last connection. How does confessing God is Lord
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relate to Christian freedom? Liberty of conscience?
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It seems like submitting to a Lord would limit freedom.
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It's a wonderful paradox because God alone is Lord of the
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conscience, the owner of the inner forum.
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It actually liberates believers from illegitimate human
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authority. Because only God has that
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ultimate claim. Precisely.
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The Westminster Confession says God alone is Lord of the
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conscience, meaning no human authority, church or state can
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bind our conscience where Scripture hasn't spoken.
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So protects us from tyranny. From civil tyranny, church
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tyranny, even the tyranny of trying to rule ourselves.
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The faith that saves us also involves bowing to Christ as
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curious. And that Lordship itself is
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liberating. It frees us from slavery to sin
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and brings us into the good, wise, loving mastery of Jesus.
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It's true freedom. OK, so we've explored this
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really rich theology of God's kingship.
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Christ is Lord. How does this practically change
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things for Christians today? Let's start with corporate
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worship. Well, First off, it re centers
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worship entirely. It's not primarily about us or
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our experience. It's about approaching God's
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throne. When we gather and sing Holy,
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holy holy Lord God Almighty, we're joining the angels
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greeting King Jesus. Seeing worship is a heavenly
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audience. Exactly.
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Things like singing psalms, bowing or kneeling in prayer,
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hearing a benediction from the elders.
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These aren't just random traditions.
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They visually enact the reality that the Triune King summons us,
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speaks to us, and we respond in adoration and obedience.
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And the regulative principle fits here as royal protocol.
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Precisely. If Christ is king, he sets the
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terms for entering his presence. So worship flows from his Word,
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not our whims or what's culturally trendy.
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It's about reverence for the King.
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How does this reshape personal growth?
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You know, sanctification. It completely reframes it.
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Conversion isn't just getting a get out of Hell free card.
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It's a transfer of kingdoms, as Paul says in Colossians moving
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from darkness into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son.
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So Holiness isn't a self help project.
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Not at all. It's the natural outflow of
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living under a new king. We fight sin not as defeated
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rebels, but as liberated subjects whose king now lives in
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us by his spirit. Sins power is broken because a
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stronger master has taken over. Like the Heidelberg Catechism
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says, I am not my own. But belong, body and soul, to my
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faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. That changes everything.
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We pursue curity because our bodies belong to the Lord.
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We forgive because our King commands it.
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We use our resources as stewards of His property.
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Duty and delight come together under his rule.
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What about assurance? How does Christ's kingship help
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us when we doubt or face trials? It's the bedrock of assurance.
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The same king who rules the galaxies also personally
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guarantees every gospel promised to you and me.
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His scepter secures our salvation.
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So our security isn't based on our feelings.
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No, though feelings follow. Assurance comes from seeing the
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spirits work in US, yes, but ultimately from the spirit
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testifying with our spirit that we belong to the King, like
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royal letters confirming our citizenship.
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And suffering. How does this view change how we
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see suffering? Suffering isn't random anymore.
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It's seen as part of the King's wise Providence.
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Trials become purposeful errands sent from his hand to refine us,
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humble us, make us long for his return.
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We trust his timing because he's the sovereign mediator whose
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plan cannot fail. What about the everyday ministry
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of the Church preaching sacraments?
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How does Christ's kingship elevate those?
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It shows their true significance.
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The risen Lord governs His Church primarily through these
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ordinary means, the faithful preaching of His Word, and the
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right administration of the sacraments empowered by the
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Spirit. So when the word is preached.
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The King is speaking directly to his people When baptism or the
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Lord's Supper happens according to his command, He is sealing
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his promises to us. Even the simplest Sunday service
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becomes a throne room audience with the King.
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It gives immense dignity to these regular practices.
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Finally, how does Christ kingship affect the churches
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mission in the world? Evangelism.
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Cultural Engagement. It provides the mandate and the
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power the Great Commission starts with.
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All authority is given to me. That's the basis for mission.
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So evangelism isn't just sharing opinions.
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It's more like a herald's proclamation.
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The rightful king has come, He offers amnesty to rebels, and he
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commands everyone everywhere to repent and believe in him.
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It's an announcement of his reign.
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And how does it affect how we view earthly powers?
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It relativizes them. Governments, rulers, they are
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God's servants, established by him.
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But their authority is derived and accountable when they
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command what Christ forbids, or forbid what he commands.
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Our ultimate allegiance is clear.
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We obey God rather than humans. And engaging with culture.
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We do it with royal confidence. Abraham Kuiper's famous line
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captures it. There is not a square inch in
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the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who
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is Lord of all, does not cry mine.
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So we work in every sphere knowing it belongs to Christ.
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Yes, in education, arts, science, family life, knowing it
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all falls under His lordship while we eagerly await the day
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his reign is fully and visibly established.
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Hashtag #outro. So from that that first faint
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whisper of Adonai in Abraham's tent all the way to the
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triumphant roar of Curious in Revelations throne room,
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Scripture consistently tells one overarching story.
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God is Lord. Yeah, and it's this covenantal
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kingship, isn't it? Fulfilled perfectly in Jesus
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Christ, planned by the Father, achieved by the Son, applied by
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the Holy Spirit. And this deep dive really
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underscores that this isn't just abstract theology for scholars,
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it's a living reality that should reorient everything about
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us. It defines how we worship,
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shapes how we grow, secures our hope, guides how we minister,
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and absolutely fuels our mission in the world.
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The only fitting response to this king, then, is, well,
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submission, right? But joyful submission.
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Joyful, whole souled submission. Our minds bow acknowledging His
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Word as ultimate truth. Our hearts bow finding our
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greatest joy in Him. Our wills bow, yielding our
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time, talents, resources, everything to His good
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governance. So for you, our listener maybe,
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or something to chew on, how does truly believing deep down
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that Jesus Christ is Lord, King of Kings, curious of Lords,
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actually change how you approach the everyday stuff, Your
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relationships, your work, your worries, your plans?
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May our study always lead us to sing, may our hearing the word
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always lead to praise, and may every anxious heart find its
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stability right there under the throne of the King who cannot be
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overthrown. Thank you so much for joining us
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on this deep dive into God's kingship.
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We really hope you feel better informed and maybe even more
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encouraged by these truths.