1 Corinthians 12:3 “Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”

The man who wrote these words, the Apostle Paul, knew a thing or two about saying, “Jesus be cursed.” It was the theme of his young adult life. He hated what Jesus stood for: the end of do-it-yourself religion, and in its place God’s love and forgiveness available to all. He hated what Jesus had done to the traditional Jewish faith. He hated Jesus. So he cursed Jesus by teaching the opposite. He cursed Jesus by dragging his followers off to prison. He cursed Jesus by seeking the death of his disciples.

We may think that it is rare to hear people actually curse Jesus today. I don’t generally hear anyone raining down “f-bombs” on our Savior. Commentators on ESPN radio ridiculed NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and his girlfriend Ciara for abstaining from sex before marriage. Aren’t those Christians backwards!

Although she is a Christian now, this is how Rosaria Butterfield, a former lesbian feminist college professor, says she felt about Christians before she converted: “Those who professed the name (Jesus) commanded my pity and wrath…Stupid. Pointless. Menacing. That’s what I thought of Christians and their god Jesus” (Christianity Today, Jan./Feb. 2013). Perhaps it shouldn’t have to be said, but you can’t be Jesus’ enemy and be a friend of God’s Holy Spirit.

At the same time, the proof of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts and lives is as simple as this: “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” Anyone can mouth those words, but Paul is talking about a sincere expression of personal faith. You can’t say, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe it unless the Holy Spirit has changed you, and now lives in you.

Let’s talk a little about what that means. “Jesus is Lord” is more than a way to recognize his power and significance. Throughout history many nations have added the title “the Great” to the name of their most powerful and influential rulers. We have Alexander the Great in Greece, Peter the Great in Russia, and Charlemagne, or “Charles the Great,” in France. We may refer to kings and emperors this way, too, but that doesn’t mean we are fans or think that they were good people. We may even believe the world would have been better off without them.

“Jesus is Lord” means more than, “I am forced to do what Jesus says. He is the boss. He makes the rules.” It is true that those who believe Jesus is Lord will live a changed life. They will work to conform their lives to the things Jesus tells us. But that is not the primary emphasis of this claim.

“Jesus is Lord” is about a relationship of love and respect. Jesus rules in my life because he made himself my protector and deliverer. That is what a real Lord and Master does. He laid down his life to save me. When I was his enemy he opened his arms to me and forgave me. With his love and sacrifice Jesus has won my heart. I know I can trust him. Sometimes it is a struggle, but I want to follow him, I want him to direct my life. I know that Jesus’ way is better than my way, as much as my own way may still appeal to the selfish side of me.

This is not something we would have come up with on our own. The Holy Spirit changed our minds and hearts. Your faith that “Jesus is my Lord” is the whole proof that God has given you his Spirit.