Luke 6:46 ESV “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Critical to a believer’s faith in Jesus Christ is the recognition of Him as not only Savior, but as Lord of their life. Why is it that so many Christians profess Christ as their personal Savior, but do not do the things that He says? How often do we see someone make the “decision” to follow Christ, but never see the lifestyle change? The change may be temporary or non-existent, but they soon forget about that “momentary decision” and continue back into the same old lifestyle that they supposedly turned from. The answer is simple; they have not acknowledged that Jesus Christ is Lord of their lives.
If we look at our subject verse from Luke 6:46 conversely, Jesus is saying if you’re going to call me Lord, you’d better do the things I say. Don’t give me lip service by calling me kurios, or Lord, if you aren’t going to obey me. Kurios is Greek for master or Lord, from the word origin kuros, meaning supremacy. The full sovereignty of Christ is found not only in being our Savior, but in everything. He is Supreme, the Alpha and Omega, not only Savior, but Lord.
I think it’s important here to draw parallel to another passage found in the Gospel of Matthew. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21 ESV It’s imperative to note here that Christ has been declared “Lord”, the lip service we referred to earlier, but that those who make the declaration have not kept His commandments and will therefore not enter heaven. You see Christian, it’s not enough to talk the talk if you’re not walking the walk. All of the talk might work in church or around friends, but when we stand before Christ at judgment He knows our hearts. He knows who has declared Him as Lord and Savior and who has produced fruits evident of their confession.
The Apostle Paul makes the following Spirit inspired assertion, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Romans 10:9-10 ESV Beloved, I want you to understand the implications of that passage. In verse 9, there’s salvation. Confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. There’s no amount or level of attainable works defined here. Nothing that you can do to gain salvation or something you need to do to be more saved than another. There’s no such thing as progressive salvation. What we’re talking about is what Paul reemphasizes in verse 10, believe in your heart and your justified, confess with your mouth and be saved. But as we’ve discussed, Jesus reminds us don’t confess Him if you’re not going to obey Him or you will not see the Kingdom of Heaven.
In no way am I trying to stir debate on the doctrine of Lordship Salvation or to create controversy or doubt within the believer; I can’t judge the heart, nor would I try, only God does. But what I am here to say is that how is it possible that you can accept salvation from Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sins to save you from the wrath and eternal judgment of God (John 3:36) and not make Him Lord of your life? How can you make that so called momentary decision and continue living life status quo? Is that the mark of a true Christian? I know from my own personal experience that I was saved at a young age. That I carried Jesus Christ in my heart as a believer and that even as a child my life was for Christ. He was always with me and I was a child of His. When I sinned, it hurt, when I struggled, I cried out to my Heavenly Father, when I had doubts I trusted Him. At some point along my journey I began to do my own thing, as I’m certain many of you reading either have or are currently doing. The prophet Isaiah uses the analogy of sheep and their Shepherd. Isaiah 53:6a ESV, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one-to his own way”. Sheep naturally migrate from one patch of grass to the next, constantly searching for more and better until they’ve lost sight of the Shepherd, before they know it, they look up and find themselves lost. But when they keep their eyes fixed on Him, their way is never lost. This is the idea of Jesus being Lord of your life. With Him as your Master, as your eyes fixed on Him, you’ll never lose your way.
As Jesus states in Matthew 7:19-20 ESV, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” We’ve discussed the battle of sin in a believers life in License to Sin and Lukewarm Christian, but at the heart of this issue is the absence of Jesus as Lord, either as a lack of initial lordship or due to a falling away. When He is Lord of your life, all you want to do is bear fruit. Sin becomes something you abhor, something you run from, not something you deal with, and something you remorsefully repent of and confess. If you claim Christ as Savior, but He is not Lord of your life, do you dare say “Lord, Lord”, yet walk in disobedience?
Philippians 2:9-11 ESV 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
John 14:15 ESV If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
