Revelation 19:16 (CSB)
And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
My dad used to say, “You can either have kids or you can have stuff, but you can’t have both.” It's a simple insight into perspective and priorities. I have been raising kids for over 36 years, and I have thought about this saying many times. Which one is more valuable, my children or my stuff? It's not difficult to answer when you break it down in its simplest form, but sometimes we can get caught up in the hectic pace of life and lose perspective.
As long as I'm talking about remembering phrases, I can remember growing up in church and hearing, “Jesus is either Lord of all or is not Lord at all.” I understand the heart and intention behind this statement, but it leaves room for a lot of misunderstanding.
The part of the phrase that I struggle with is “not Lord at all,” because what I understand biblically is that Jesus is Lord over all creation (see Matt. 28:18; Phil. 2:9–11; Rom. 10:9–10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:15–18; Acts 2:36; Eph. 1:20–22). You see, sometimes breaking down a complex theological truth into a short, pithy statement leaves room for confusion. The old saying from my dad was not a theological statement; it was a simplified expression of perspective.
From my perspective of the Bible, Jesus is always “Lord of all.” But God has given us the freewill to choose to either recognize His Lordship and live in the truth of the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:10). Or we can choose to live the lie of this world system (1 Cor. 3:9) that we are in control and Jesus is like a personal butler waiting to serve our every request.
One way to illustrate this truth is that you can live in one or two houses. The house of King Jesus or the house of king self. Let’s think of these two houses as being on two totally different planets. You can't live in both at the same time. To live in the house of king self is to live in this world. You are naturally acclimated to this world; you can breathe air, eat the food, drink the water, and effortlessly survive. The House of King Jesus is like living on another planet, where you need supernatural assistance to adapt to your surroundings. In your natural strength, you cannot breathe, see, hear, walk, or function in any capacity. To live in the house of King Jesus, you must be born from above (Jn. 3:16), you must be a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), and you must be transformed from the inside out (Rom. 12:2).
Yes, it’s like another planet, but it's a house where you live free from worry, anxiety, and fear. Where you know your Father, your true identity, and your Kingdom purpose. It’s a house where the Fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23)—fill every room.
There is nothing easy about living in the house of King Jesus; it requires surrender and dying to king self. “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, CSB). But there is no better place to live. You were created to be a child of God, and in Christ you will find your true identity, purpose, and joy. The door is open; come on in; Jesus has a room for you. Here, you will enjoy living your life in the very presence of God.