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When heated opposition tempts me to pull back from teaching or writing the things that I believe to be true, I return to the affirmation that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life, and he constantly spoke the truth regardless of the opposition he faced.

When I am distressed at what goes wrong in church life in America and fear for the future of the church, I remind myself that Jesus Christ is Lord of the church, and he is the steadfast Groom who never abandons his Bride.

When I worry over threats to human and planetary wellbeing, I recall that Jesus Christ is Lord of the world as well, and he holds creation together and will bring it to its glorious consummation.

One day, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Christians are those who seek to live out the implications of that confession—each day, every day, till we go to meet him at last.

Copyright © 2007 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

David P. Gushee is Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University. His books include Only Human: Christian Reflections on the Journey Toward Wholeness, Getting Marriage Right, and he is coauthor of Kingdom Ethics Following Jesus in a Contemporary Context.

Previous "Do Likewise" columns include:

Children of a Lesser Hope | What happens when we lose confidence in the church.

How to Create Cynics | Everybody knows when we're covering up our confusion with God-talk.

What's Right About Patriotism | The nation is not our highest love, but it still deserves our affection.

Crash | What our harrowing experience taught me about human nature.

The Truth About Deceit | Most lies are pitiful attempts to protect our pride.

Bill's Big Career Move | How do we make important family decisions?

Our Missing Moral Compass | Christianity is more than an event, an experience, or a set of beliefs.

Serious About Ethics | David Gushee's mission at Union University and in CT. (By Mark Galli)

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January 2007, Vol. 51, No. 1