We belong to the Lord
Romans 14:8 - “…Nothing is more basic than the lordship of Christ in the believer’s life” (John MacArthur)
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
“If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Romans 14:8 NIV
Today we look at a verse from chapter 14 of the Epistle to the Romans. Precept Austin starts off its very complete commentary on this verse with a headline that says it all — “Dead or Alive, Believers Belong to Christ”.
The translation from the Koine Greek is a bit confusing in most Bible translations. As you can see in the NIV translation above, it uses the phrases “If we live” and “If we die”. The idea here is actually “while we are alive” and “when we die”, the two states of existence for all human beings. As John Stott put it in his commentary listed in Precept Austin:
“Life and death seem to be taken as constituting together the sum total of our human being. While we continue to live on earth and when through death we begin the life of heaven, everything we have and are belongs to the Lord Jesus and must therefore be lived to his honor and glory.”
The last phrase of the verse — “we belong to the Lord” — is the central theme of this verse and of Christianity. We should be dedicated to God in all aspects of our lives, living under His authority and for His purposes. This thought was quite radical in Paul’s day when he wrote Romans, as it was expected that a person would “live for himself” or “live for society”. It’s that way 2,000 years later, as we are bombarded with messages telling us to focus on ourselves rather than others, or to devote our lives to idolizing some pop star, actor, or brand to the exclusion of a useful life.
Paul wanted to teach the Romans the lesson he repeats in many of his other epistles; that they should live lives reflecting the teachings of Christ. In biblical terms, this is called stewardship, using God’s gift of life for His glory.
The statement “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord” was a deep profession of faith for the early Christians, who were constantly in fear of being persecuted and/or executed. Knowing that they belonged to the Lord in death brought them comfort and hope. Those who had heard of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life and of His statement to Martha in John 11:25-26 knew that they had the promise of eternal life through Jesus.
The last sentence of the verse — “So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” — perfectly describes a Christian’s identity, as well as our security in Christ. In the Old Testament days, the relationship between God and His people was through the covenant. In our time, this relationship is fulfilled through Jesus, who redeems us and claims us as His own.
I end today’s devotional with this wonderful commentary from Precept Austin, written by John MacArthur:
The last phrase of Ro 14:8 is one of the greatest injunctions to holy living in all the Bible: “We are the Lord’s.“ Every Christian is subject to the unconditional sovereignty of God. We are the Lord’s‑‑we are His possession. First Corinthians 6:19‑20 says, “Know ye not that … ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price.” I’m not my own, so I don’t live to myself and I don’t die to myself. I am His, so I live to Him and I’ll die to Him. All believers have the same relationship to the Lord; we all serve the sovereign Lord we have embraced as our Redeemer. If we’re weak and we limit ourselves to living a certain way, we do so because we believe we are pleasing Him. If we enjoy our freedom in Christ, we do so because we believe we are pleasing Him. Since those are matters of preference and not sin, let’s not cause a rift in the church over them… Some would have us believe that weak believers accept Jesus as their Savior, but not as their Lord. He may not yet understand all that his new life in Christ means, but he understands the basics of the Christian life‑‑and nothing is more basic than the lordship of Christ in the believer’s life. No one can tell me that I can have Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. In all the years I’ve known Christ, there has never been a time when I didn’t sense a tremendous weight of responsibility to obey Him. Jesus is Lord.
Amen.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, help me to live each day for You, recognizing that whether I live or die, I belong to You. May my actions and thoughts honor You in all I do. I pray this in the name of My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on October 29, 2025 for commentary on Romans 14:8
BibleHub was accessed on October 29, 225 for commentary on Romans 14:8