FALSE TEACHERS EXIST
Listen closely: not everyone who professes to teach the Bible actually do. Sometimes folks try and play fast and loose with the Bible and say it teaches things it clearly doesn’t. We are warned about people like this many times in the Bible (1 Tim. 1:13; 2 Peter 2:1) and need to pay attention to the example of the Bereans who, when they heard Paul preach about Jesus, “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).
CAN I HAVE JESUS AS MY SAVIOR, BUT NOT MY LORD?
One particular thing that has floated around for the past couple of decades has been the thought that people can accept Jesus as Savior without obeying Him as Lord. The emphasis hits hard the “Savior” title of Jesus and neglects the importance of “Lord” title. There are some huge problems with this. Allow my old friend Ernest tell you why:
- How in God’s name did we come to huckstering off Jesus as some kind of hell-insurance policy, when the Bible announced Him as Lord and exalted Him to a throne? The New Testament preachers preached His lordship and sinner received Him as Lord. There is not one New Testament example of Christ being offered any other way…
The following New Testament statistics should settle the question. Jesus is referred to as Lord 822 times; Lord Jesus, 22 times; and Lord Jesus Christ, 81 times. The word Savior is only used 24 times (8 of which refer to God the Father as our Savior).
Matthew Henry said in the introduction of his commentary on the New Testament, “All the grace contained in this book is owning to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; and, unless we consent to Him as our Lord, we cannot expect any benefit by Him as our Saviour.”
WE MUST TALK ABOUT JESUS LIKE THE BIBLE DOES
The question isn’t one of truth, but emphasis. Jesus is absolutely our Savior and anyone who denies this truth should be ignored by all. Titus gloriously calls Him, “Our Great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). At His birth, the angel’s announcement says, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you,” but make sure to note how that announcement ends, “he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). However, although He is Savior, the emphasis of the New Testament seems to present Christ as the Lord who saves, rather than, as many today present Him, the Savior whom you can choose as Lord.
In the Bible, the Lord is the Savior and the Savior is the Lord; the two ideas can never be separated. We must be clear in our thinking and our speech. Making Jesus Lord is not a second work of grace or an act of optional consecration that more mature Christians do later on, in fact it isn’t something we do at all! The truth is that Jesus is Lord and He offers us full blood-bought forgiveness if we come to Him in repentance and faith.
May we be faithful in relaying this message to the world. Jesus is not some sappy, fellow who hopes you make Him your personal savior and (maybe) Lord. No, Jesus is the Lord God has established (Acts 2:36) and lovingly and mercifully stands ready to forgive you. Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
