Hence, a Lord is someone you respect, honor, obey and follow, right? Yet in the past few years, I have heard from many Christians online that they do not have to make Jesus their Lord. They call it a Lordship Gospel and say that it is a form of legalism, of earning your way to heaven by your works.
Have you heard the phrase, If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.?
This means that if you have not submitted your all to Jesus, then He isn't your Lord. In other words He can't be your Lord IF
- You only obey Him in some things, while clinging to secret sins you refuse to give up
- You submit one part of your life to Him (your family, kids, money) but you hang on to unscrupulous business practices
- You submit your body to Him, but not your tongue
- You submit your time to Him in ministry, but you watch porn, indulge in gluttony, or drink heavily.
- You submit everything to Him except you are still living with your boyfriend or girlfriend.
You get the drift.
In fact, just lasts week, I heard a pastor say that it's wrong to even say the above phrase because Jesus is Lord no matter what you do. While I agree with the fact that Jesus is Lord no matter who follows Him, however He is not Your Lord if you aren't completely submitted to Him.
Many Christians are saying that Lordship Gospel is pure legalism and not the Gospel at all. Let's check that against Scripture:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:10-11
For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Romans 14:8-9
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. John 13:13
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Matthew 7:21
There are countless other Scriptures I could list that don't mention the word "Lord" but talk about repentance and obedience. But let's look at the major Scripture people quote about how to be saved:
Romans 10:9-12
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Let's dissect this passage for more clarity
The Word Believe is the Greek Word pisteuĊ - to believe, commit unto, be committed unto
It is not a simple head belief, it is a commitment. I've mentioned this several times before. You can't just have a mental assent that Jesus is God's Son, died and rose again. That belief must come from within you, your spirit, your soul, and when it does, it takes the form of a commitment.
But let's look at the last phrase. "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Does this just mean anyone who yells out "Jesus, save me" will be saved?
Let's look at the Greek Word for "Shall Call Upon" epikaleĊ
It means to put a name upon, to surname; to permit one's self to be surnamed; to be named after someone
A Surname is someone's last name. When a woman gets married, she takes upon herself her new husband's surname. In other words, she is now called by his name, a part of his family. I realize some may call this old-fashioned, but the wife now is under her husband's authority.
So when we call upon the name of the Lord, we are essentially committing ourselves to Him and taking on His name. It is a commitment very similar to a marriage covenant. It is a commitment that puts Jesus in a position of Lordship.
Nothing irks me more than a believer who says they do not have to make Jesus Lord, that all they have to do is believe in Him and make a verbal confession. These people are in extreme danger of first, being left behind, and worse, ending up in hell.
And that breaks my heart most of all.
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