Who Is Lord?

“So why do you keep calling me “Lord, Lord!” when you don’t do what i say?” Luke 6:46 NLT

Some years back, a friend and i were chatting about our desires vs God’s will and some of her words came like a revelation to me. About Jesus, she said “He is not just my Saviour, HE IS LORD!” I’ve thought about that statement many, many times and have asked myself, how willing have i been to let Jesus be my Saviour (it’s kind of not that difficult once you’ve realised your sinful state and without Jesus, you’ve got no chance), but am i equally willing to let Him be Lord, EVERY SINGLE TIME?!

Letting Jesus be Lord is the hard part, in the sense that we’re always faced with the choice of doing what He’d have us do as stated in His Word (the Bible), as opposed to doing what our self/carnal nature wants (our default nature before new birth – being born again).

I don’t mean to confuse you. According to Romans 10:9-10, you’re saved if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. However, the way you live your life afterwards determines if Jesus still remains Lord in your life, or someone and/or something else is in the driver’s seat.

Jesus’ criteria for calling Him Lord as today’s text states is simply put: “Do what I say!” If you’re doing otherwise, well…:

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” Romans 6:16 NLT

Ouch! It’s the truth though. You’re a slave of your desires; an object of your choices. When you get saved, you’re empowered by God’s grace to live a life that is not in slavery to sin:

“Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore rule as king in your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies, to make you yield to its cravings and be subject to its lusts and evil passions. Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and mercy]” Romans 6:11-14 AMPC

Therefore, sinning after being saved is entirely a matter of choice, not a hopeless situation that we find ourselves in.

“No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].” 1 John 3:6 AMPC

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)—[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be).” 1 John 5:21 AMPC

As a believer, you are not the helpless object of your carnal desires, because the precious blood of Jesus purchased you; a high price was paid for you (1 Peter 1:18-19). You are therefore under new ownership:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 AMPC