What Is Up With Lordship -- Ain't That Some Religious Term? Kurt, Am I To Be Living Under Christ's Lordship?

Yep.  You'd do well to come to God on His terms.. to live in Christ under His Lordship! I mean to let Him bless, direct, empower, and control you in His love. Anyone would. We were designed to live in harmony with God. 

Who has sway, who or what has control, who leads you? The Lordship of Jesus Christ means that Jesus rules without any rivals and that He is given full jurisdiction, ascendancy, and supreme dominion over every area of my life.  That’s who I have personally chosen and yet Jesus Christ is Lord forever no matter what you or I choose. 

Q: What currently is the master passion of your life—is it the gold, the glory, the girls..  or the guys?  Remember, someone or something will control your life whether it's you, your work, your lover, or one of your cherished hobbies.  Perhaps selfish desires control your life like when you go shopping.  Whatever, if this issue of Lordship is not settled, you cannot spiritually advance any further in your relationship with God. Take a moment and ask.. What does the Lordship of Christ mean to you personally?

Photo by Worshae

“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" (Romans 10:9,10).

"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." ~ Charles Wesley

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to give for Him." ~ C.T. Studd

Who is He really? He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Jesus Christ is fully man, but also fully God (The eternal Theoanthropist John 3:16; Hebrews 1:8).  He was sent to save us from our bondage to sin. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-23).  He lived a perfect, sinless life (John 8:46; Hebrews 7:26).  In union with His Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus died for our sins. His vicarious death provided the full payment for all our sins—past present and future (1 Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6).  He physically rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9). 

He is currently engaged in a ministry of prayer on your behalf (Hebrews 7:25). As Lord and Judge Jesus will one day return to judge the world—the living and the dead (Revelation 22:12).  Faith in Christ is the only means by which mankind can escape eternal damnation and judgment.  As the living Lord of heaven and earth, He commands and expects your personal worship and full obedience (Philippians 2:9-11).

We affirm the existence of a triune God, or one God who eternally exists in three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that each of these Persons is fully God.  This is the one and only true God.  He is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, righteous and loving.  It’s the God of the Bible that we are talking about and in-love with. He created all universes that exist from nothing and He rules over His creation sovereignly including both human and angelic beings.

Who was Jesus to the disciples?

“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16).

"And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’" (John 20:28).

"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3,4).

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1).

What's the test of Lordship "And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

How did Jesus determine if a person was truly obedient to Him as Lord? Since the real Jesus of the Bible is the Lord of glory, He has claims on your life and time. As Lord, He demands obedience to what He has said.

What has Jesus done (His finished work)? Although created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-6). Thus mankind was plunged into rebellion against God (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:12). This sin and rebellion produced spiritual death throughout the whole human race (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet God in His great mercy, even in the Garden, promised to send a Savior for all who would repent and trust Him (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16). Now, by His death on the cross Jesus Christ has crushed the serpent's head and broken the power of sin over all those who place their trust in Him for salvation (1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus’ Death On The Cross Basically Crushed Satan’s Head, So Satan Can’t Crush Your’s.

The Bible says, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

And “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Easy question for ya, in this verse above Isaiah lists four things Jesus did for us on the cross. They are: 1) ___ 2) ___ 3) ___ 4) ___.

What happened on the Cross? Well, atonement happened (At-one-ment, it's yours for the taking). This is defined as "the reconciliation of God and man by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ." Yes, it could be said that "atonement" is a free gift of right-relationship, it does mean "at-one-ment." Jesus death brought God and man back together (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).

According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, what title has God placed upon you as you represent Him in this world?

The Great Exchange happened. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6).

"For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. " (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now that’s imputation.

 

Have you noticed how many people in our culture around the world are empty, are lonely, are guilty (we don't even need to try and "guilt em"--God's top ten list and their inner conscience does that..), are broken, are hopeless, are hurting and are afraid to die? It's true, but you and I can become part of the Solution for them, instead of part of the problem.  

Yes, people are watching you and me, believer, and some are actually wishing that we will stumble, fall. Some (not all) hope we mess up in sin cuz that might make them feel a little better about themselves inside.

Personally, I'm convinced that most people would rather see a biblical sermon than hear one, (that's why so many stay home from church nowadays, yet there are healthy Christian churches still). Preach the gospel with words and a whole lot of biblical wordless sermons too. Loud, holy and clear wordless messages too. Listen up and out. Hear. Keep your promises, and refrain from making too many of them.

I used to hear my 4A football coach, alcoholic dad (now free from the juice) tell some people: "Your life speaks so loud I just can't hear what you're saying."

"When Christ calls a man or woman, He bids them come and die." ~ Dietrich Bonhoffer 

Have you yet died to worldly religion, to dead works, to vain communication/ideas, to general or exotic weirdness and to your own way?

"If a man hasn't discovered something to die for, he isn't fit to live." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Have you found Christ as Savior and Lord in practice (rather than merely Lord in theory)?

I never want to give a non-repentant person who's intentionally living in sin false hope. Might sound harsh, but I don't want to help them to gain a false assurance of salvation. I'd feel horrible if they split hell wide open. I'd rather build a relationship and show them all the passages clearly addressing their pet sin, as well as give them the whole counsel of God: “You must be born again” (John 3:7).

Need nine points that set lordship-salvation apart from so called easy-believism?:

1.) Repentance is not a simple synonym for faith. Scripture teaches that sinners must exercise faith in conjunction with repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9).

2.) A Christian is a new creation and cannot just “stop believing” and lose salvation. Faith itself is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:1–5, 8), and real faith endures forever (Philippians 1:6).

3.) The object of faith is Christ Himself, not a promise, a prayer, or a creed (John 3:16). Faith must involve a personal commitment to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15).

4.) True faith always produces a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). The inner person is transformed by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20), and the Christian has a new nature (Romans 6:6).

5.) God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3; cf. Romans 8:32). Salvation, then, is not just a ticket to heaven. It is the means by which we are sanctified (practically) in this life and by which we grow in grace.

6.) Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all. Christ demands unconditional surrender to His will (Romans 6:17–18; 10:9–10).

7.) Those who truly believe in Christ will love Him (1 Peter 1:8–9; Romans 8:28–30; 1 Corinthians 16:22). And those we love we long to please (John 14:15, 23).

8.) Scripture teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one’s faith is genuine (1 John 2:3).

9.) Genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:8). This was the case for Simon Peter.

A person who has been delivered from sin by faith in Christ should not desire to remain in a life of sin (Romans 6:2). Of course, spiritual growth can occur quickly or slowly, depending on the person and his circumstances. Got questions? I do, and know where to find the answers -- in the Bible (in it God addresses every need of men and women).

Authentically coming to God in true repentance and saving faith, just to take hold of Jesus Christ as both our Savior and Lord matters most during your life here, during my lfe here. We can't hear Christ direct us step by step audibly (maybe someone might hear Him rarely, cuz God can do anything), but we can pray, we can read the Bible, we can test the promptings of the Spirit against the Scriptures and glorify Jesus as we obey God!

Listen Sport, submitting to Christ as Lord both initially when you and I are born again and in an ongoing daily way--it's VERY important and this goes hand-in-hand with trusting in Christ as Savior. Lordship-salvation, which we've all heard about is the opposite of what is sometimes called "cheap grace" or "easy-believism" or the teaching that salvation comes through a mere acknowledgment of a certain set of theological churchy facts.

Day by day, the Spirit wants each of us to say with our thoughts, mouths and lives:

NO to sucking in life, no to suckin' up, and no to suckin' down the alcohol ..and say YES to sober thinking and sobriety.

NO to suckin' in all that's bad for you, no to illicit drug use and YES to wholesome clean living 24/7/365.

NO to excessive self-produced pressures and YES to real friendships.

NO to ungodliness and YES to integrity, godliness, and pure devotion to the Word of God.

NO to sin, Satan, this corrupt world system and to your old nature but YES to Christ, to edifying and evangelistic world changing.

NO to going along with the worldly crowd in the destructive tragetory towards any unholy passing pleasure of sin and YES to standing alone for Jesus (which can be within a crowd).

NO to temptation and falling and YES to God with whatever He really says to do or not to do.

NO to cowardice and YES to bold obedience as a good representitive--as a sterling witness for Christ.

NO to rebellion against direct Authority and flawed delegated authorities (I mean short of sinning, of course many delegated won't tell us to go do that) and YES to biblical obedience.

NO to visiting places where you're overly vulnerable (we're to walk circumspectly in all places really..), to letting temptation linger, to all types of chains of sin and YES to freedom in Christ.

Some sinful mortals want to become your Lord. There are so many voices in this world now and mere distractions too.. vying for our attention daily, but it's His still small voice we need to hear and obey.

"And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:12-13 nlt, "a still small voice." kjv

“When Christ is supreme in the heart, joy fills it. When He is Lord of every desire, the Source of every motive, the Subjugator of every lust, then will joy fill the heart and praise ascend from the lips. The possession of this involves taking up the cross every hour of the day; God has so ordered it that we cannot have the one without the other. Self-sacrifice.. Much also depends upon the spirit in which we enter the world each day. If we expect people to pet and pamper us, disappointment will make us fretful. If we desire our pride to be ministered to, we are dejected when it is not. The secret of happiness is forgetting self and seeking to minister to the happiness of others. "It is more blessed to give than to receive," so it is a happier thing to minister to others than to be ministered to.” ―Arthur W. Pink

“Sacrifice is connected to anointing. Dedication is connected to Vision. Obedience is connected to Lordship. These are all so interconnected and intertwined in our daily walk with Jesus.” ―Andrey Shapoval

Is it possible for a person to be a reborn Christian and live in lifelong carnality, enjoying the pleasures of sin, and never seeking to glorify the Lord who bought them on the Cross? Can a sinner repeatedly or constantly spurn the lordship of Christ yet lay claim to Him as their Savior? Can someone pray a “sinner’s prayer” and go about his or her life as if nothing had actually happened and still call himself a “Christian”? 

I personally don't know who is really saved around me (Duh), only God sees the heart, but I can enjoy personal assurance in Christ as I walk with, talk with and live under His loving Lordship. 

What is lordship salvation? Does a person have to submit to Jesus’ lordship to be saved?

What is free grace? What is Free Grace Theology? Is free grace the opposite of lordship salvation?

How do I make Jesus Lord of my life? How can I better submit to Jesus’ lordship?

What is cheap grace? Who was the originator of the phrase cheap grace? What does the cheap grace concept argue against?

What exactly is an unbeliever / nonbeliever? What does it mean to be an unbeliever? Is an unbeliever the same thing as a non-Christian?

What does it mean that Jesus is Lord? What, exactly, is Jesus Lord of? What does 'Jesus is Lord' mean, practically speaking?

"The Lord is King! lift up thy voice, O earth, and all ye heavens, rejoice; from world to world the joy shall ring, 'The Lord omnipotent is King!' One Lord one empire all secures; he reigns, and life and death are yours; through earth and heaven one song shall ring, 'The Lord omnipotent is King!'” —Josiah Conder

“Needless to say, the Bible knows of no such grotesque creature as one who is saved but unrepentant.” ―Walter J. Chantry

“Surrendering to Christ is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of yielding every area of our lives to His control. It also involves submitting to His authority, allowing Him to have the final say in our decisions, acknowledging that His plans and purposes are greater than our own and recognizing Him as the rightful Lord and King over our lives.” ―Prasanth Jonathan

"There is nothing holier, or better, or safer, than to content ourselves with the authority of Christ alone." — John Calvin

Is Jesus Lord in you today? Is He your CEDM (Chief Executive Decision Maker? The Lord is King--He always has been, has always deserved to be, and always will be King!

Christ alone totally merits being acknowledged as Lord! The Lordship of Christ was sealed forever by His resurrection. And Jesus' physical resurrection from the dead was the Father's seal of approval on the ministry of His Son, Jesus. Through His resurrection, Jesus rightfully claims Lordship over all people. Romans 1:4 tells us that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

One day all people will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but only those who bow to Him as their Savior now (talkin' bout saving faith and repentance), who submit to His Lordship.. are promised eternal life with Him when He returns.

"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 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 2:9-11).

Jesus is Lord over me because He has purchased me: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9).

What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation?

How do I make Jesus Lord of my life?

What is easy believism?

What is free grace? What is Free Grace Theology?

What is cheap grace?

“A disciple of Jesus Christ is a visible verbal follower of Jesus Christ at the expense of the ones and things that they hold dear. It's that serious.” ―Kingsley Opuwari Manuel

“Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone accept, His Lordship. The Cross, as it enters the love life, will reveal the heart’s truth.” ―Elisabeth Elliot 

When will it actually happen that every knee shall bow before Jesus?

Kurt, will everyone ultimately submit themselves to God and gladly recognize His lordship? Will they all go to heaven? Sadly no, but they will bow the knee.

What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts? What is the meaning of Colossians 3:15?

In the Bible what does it mean when Jesus said that “my sheep hear my voice”? What sup with John 10:27 and how do I apply that?

Can you live all out 24/7 for Christ? Yes, living in His righteousness. What is the meaning of 1 Peter 2:24?

You can intimately know and follow Jesus as your Lord.

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead“ (Acts 17:30,31).

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

See Ephesians 1:7 - we've been redeemed by Jesus? Take hold!

The term, “redeemed" means to buy back. Jesus has bought us back from the power of the devil. We now belong to our original Owner. Since we have been purchased by Christ, we now belong to Him; we are His servants and He is our Lord.

REGARDING THE ONE LORD, I'M NOT YELLIN' OR TALKIN' 'BOUT SOME HALF-HEARTED COMMITMENT.

Suppose you purchased a new midsize car and paid the full price for it in cash. You shook hands with the dealer as he had one of his lot workers go retrieve the car from the detailing garage. You signed all the contracts and there you are—you're standing there waiting on this guy to pull up in your brand-new car.

Then after some minutes, here he comes. That lot worker shows up with a large box of mechanical parts for a midsize car. At this point, the dealer gets involved and really chews him out right in front of you, and then the lot worker says to you, "Oh sorry, I guess I wasn't really paying attention.” So in a flash, he disappears again and some minutes later, that smiley-faced lot guy returns driving a compact car this time. Man, I know what you would probably tell him, "Hey man, this wasn't part of the deal. I bought the midsize, and I mean the whole car. I paid the full price and I expect the full product!"

Q: If we seek first the Kingdom of God (God's rule in our lives), what percentage of the things we need has God promised to provide for us? Does that mean you and I don't have a part to play? Nope.

In the same way, Jesus Christ has paid the full price for you and he is entitled to have ownership of the full product. Every area of our lives; not just some of the areas must be His and then remain under His control. He doesn’t want any half-baked-potato of a commitment!

There’s no room for any misrepresentation in His service. Lordship is a serious matter because the one God wants all people to come into a righteous relationship with Him. He bids us come. Will all? No.

Jesus wants to make sure that the world has a clear picture, a pure witness of the Father. He wants to bless us and use us.

Ever read about the Ark, I don't mean that floating one (it was real too). To reiterate on Lordship, go read about how it took two attempts for King David to bring the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The lesson for us? It's imperative to do the will of God His way and in His timing.

"Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before the God."

"Then David said, ‘No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.’"

"For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order" (1 Chronicles 13:8-10; plus 15:2-15).

The Bible says "Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars." (Hosea 10:2).

"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!" (Psalm 119:2).

God understands our needs: physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual needs. As we yield to His control He has promised to supply all our needs.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

When Israel got all distracted away.. when Israel went astray from her God (our one God), what was she likened to? (see Hosea 9:1; 4:12).

“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Q: As you meditate on this verse, what three things does James have to say about those who ignore Christ's Lordship and treasure their friendship with the world?

God is love, but there indeed is a love God hates (and it's not a love for Jesus or for people in this world). Bail on your love for this corrupt world system here.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:34-37).

Photo by Caleb Gios

GOD, THE LORD, HAS PROVEN HIS LOVE FOR YOU. HE STANDS READY TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LIFE THAT IS FULLY YIELDED TO HIM.

Q: Have you repented of your sins and by faith received Jesus Christ inside as your personal Savior and Lord? You can!

________Yes

________No

What are you waitin' for? If the answer is no, then decide.. turn from your sins to Him now. By faith expressed through prayer, simply come to Jesus Christ as you are. Been touching on our "Foundation Stones" (and already taught on the Word being true).