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.
Well said MaryLu! It's all about full commitment and surrender. There's no half way deal with Jesus. This is directly linked to the Great Commandment, to love God will all your heart, soul, and strength (Deut 6:5) and Jesus added the word 'mind'. The heart and mind have to be in agreement or there is no agreement.
ReplyDeleteYes, Indeed, LB!! Amen
DeleteThe Bible says "Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:13, 14 (KJV)
ReplyDeleteSo obviously everyone who doesn't make Jesus THEIR Lord & are living as they please aren't going to make it to Heaven. I mean where does repentance for sin come in to their way of thinking? Is that legalism as well? The enemy is deceiving many into thinking if they simply believe Jesus is, all is well & they can continue to please the flesh. And it's easy for these deceptive "pastors" to preach this bc it's fun & easy---after all who wants to deny their own flesh? But the ends thereof is death.
If folks would read their Bibles they would know that making Jesus the Lord of their life means to daily take up His cross & deny themselves. We don't always do it perfectly for sure, but it's something we strive to do everyday!
Diana, believe it or not there are some "believers" who say repentance is a "work" and if you repent, you aren't going to heaven. I know.. it's crazy out there. Our enemy is very clever.. we must stay close to Jesus and be constantly filled with His Spirit. You hit the nail on the head when you said "If folks would read their Bible..."
DeleteJesus said, If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. Wonder what they do with that scripture?
DeleteYes, exactly!! I guess they would say that to be saved, you don't have to love Jesus. It's really incredible the gross apostasy happening in the church these days.
DeleteGreetings Precious Sister who calls on the Name of the Lord Most High !
ReplyDeleteThats the longest greeting ever :) but it is indicative of we who call on the Name pf the Lord !
I first heard this term some time ago. Maybe 2 years or so when I was researching the "I AM" Always meant to get back to it. So thank you for bring it up Sister.
Many still deny the Deity of Jesus. If you say in a Catholic setting that "Jesus is God" they shriek ! Which always amazes me because it is in their doctrine ! Remember the song they taught us when we were still children " God in three persons, blessed Trinity".
Jhn 8:58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Jhn 8:59
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
It is blasphemy to deny the Deity of Christ. Which brings us to another belief the Jesus and the Christ are two sepreate people ?
In the scripts above Jesus is talking to the Pharisees, which was the church at that time. They denied Jesus claim, so emphatically they were about to kill Jesus ! Notice what Jesus does in response,; going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Another words,Jesus gave the Pharisees, the teachers of the law" a real chance to see the "real Teacher", but because they denied Him, He simply hid Himself and passed by.
2 Corinthians 4: 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.…
If I didnt mention it in last Fridays post, The short video with the Lady on Trump and Nigeria was right on point ! I repeat it here because, Trump "seemingly" did some things recently that have sent Christians into worship mode of Trump again. Some are Christians I love, yet the worship of anyone of thing, is a direct denial of God's sovereignty.
The Incomparable Christ
13For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].
15He is the exact living image [the essential manifestation] of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible], the firstborn [the preeminent one, the sovereign, and the originator] of all creation. 16For [d]by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, [things] visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him [that is, by His activity] and for Him. 17And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.] 18He is also the head [the life-source and leader] of the body, the [e]church; and He is the beginning, [f]the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will occupy the first place [He will stand supreme and be preeminent] in everything. 19For it pleased the Father for all the fullness [of deity--the sum total of His essence, all His perfection, powers, and attributes] to dwell [permanently] in Him (the Son), 20and through [the intervention of] the Son to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace [with believers] through the blood of His cross; through Him, [I say,] whether things on earth or things in heaven.
Christs peace
Colossians 1:
Hey Brother.. I recently witnessed to a neighbor who thinks Jesus was a wise man but not God. I listed several Scriptures, but he still wouldn't budge. Great Scriptures! And yes, that video about Trump trying to save Christians in Nigeria.. very eye opening. I'm sorry some of your family has got caught up in this. Mine too. I love all those verses, Brother. Very moving and powerful. We serve an incredible God!! Blessings!
Delete4 scripts I like to use to prove Jesus is God are John 1: 1-5, Isa 9:6-7, Col 1:15-20, John 8:58.
DeleteOf course there are many more. Over the summer I stumped a couple of JW's with Colossians 1. My opinion about how we will see Jesus ? The script says, we dont yet know what we will be, but when He comes we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (paraphrased).
I think we will see all 3 members of the God head. I tend not to think 3 individuals. Whether we will see as in a different demension, I dont know. Jesus said when we have seen Him we see the Father.
I wonder as I read in Rev of the creature with 4 faces. John doesnt say they are exactl 4 individual faces, or even faces at all. I believe what he says " it was as like or it had the appearence of or it was as"
He describes Jesus in the same way, KJV Rev 19: 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
We will know soon
Hallelujah !
Thanks for the verses, Brother!
DeleteHello Sister in Christ,
ReplyDeleteAmen infinity times! Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, as noted in Revelation 17:14. This is why Silent Night is a personal favorite song of mine not due to its holy vibe, but because it acknowledges “Jesus, Lord at Thy Birth” twice at the end of the song.
Like the image of the man bowing to the King, would we be doing that daily during the Millennium Reign and in the New Jerusalem as the most profound way of thanking the Lord for finally destroying all evil and sin and bringing about true everlasting peace for real? Also, I have heard people ask before that would we may see Jesus and God as two different people since they are the Son and the Father respectively? I had wondered about it this sometimes too and also if we might see them this way in Heaven and beyond.
I remember once hearing a statement from Oprah that “Jesus is not the ONLY way to Heaven,” which is a direct contradiction to John 14:6 where Jesus said “Nobody comes to the Father except through me.” Would you think this is one form of the Great Deception? Mind that this was long time ago, maybe like decades back.
I saw another article that said how actor Morgan Freeman is perceived by many as Godly based on some of his works where he openly discussed God, so as the 2016 series The Story of God by Morgan Freeman. It was noted that some people have felt that “whenever they see him walking into a room, they see God entering.” Could he be one of the only few celebrities where fame and fortune do not impact his test of godliness, since Jesus warned that “rewards” of this world, namely fame and fortune, can be dangerous in making people love the world and its ways more than God?
For the concluding paragraph, wouldn’t “aggravates” be a more appropriate word in place of “irks?” It not only bothers, but it really upsets us to the point of frustration that there are “Believers” who think they can play God for a fool and mask themselves with a false portrayal of their real identities. For example, they treat some people with sibling-like love, but treat others like total dirt, and because those they treated kindly never suspected this, none of them would believe that person would be heartlessly cruel. What is also aggravating is that take the recent Rapture predictions as an example: were there people who took time to learn about and accept the Lord not because they truly love Him, but because they wanted to save themselves without caring about those that support them? Talk about serious betrayal if this is true?
This type of thought makes me a little bitter at times, but since God will make sure those who make it to Heaven are truly repentant and not feigning it, we should be rest assured that such cruelty will be gone forever when He reigns forever and ever?
Thanks Sister for understanding the emotional tension - as much I want to love people, I still have to keep my guard up as to not getting deceived and treated like a nobody like I was in the past. This is why in my daily prayers, I still mention to God on “saving many others” in addition to those I am close with. I know it will be worth it for there will be true appreciation and love in Heaven. Much peace and Blessings from a Brother in Christ.
Greetings, Brother! Yes, I believe in the millennial reign, we will often approach Jesus's throne and bow before Him... getting our assignments for the day. How awesome is that? We know that Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God... so I'm not entirely sure how that works in the physical...whether we will see them as three distinct beings or just one? Guess we will find out!
DeleteOprah is an agent of Satan, in my opinion. She leads many astray. And I don't know enough about Morgan Freeman to say whether he is saved or not.. but if he is saved, he certainly should not be receiving any praise from men!
Yes, aggravated is a great word too, Brother. There are many "fake Christians" out there. I call them Christians in name only (CINO) They walk the walk, talk the talk, but inside they are like dead men's bones. Yet they continue to deceive many. Don't be bitter, Brother. Our God is just. If they don't repent and receive Jesus, their fate is a fate worse than death. Feel pity for them and pray for them. There are many out there in this position.
And yes, I do believe many people love the rapture and have made an idol out of the rapture but they don't love Jesus. It's something we all need to look out for.
Brother, whenever you are speaking with someone or meeting someone, ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment as to whether this person is a real believer or a deceiver. He will! I usually just get a bad feeling from someone.... something is off inside me, and then I know the Lord is warning me. Heaven will be more than worth it!! Blessings!