Lord Over What?

Today we in the world, especially in America, have a great ignorance of what it means to call Jesus the Christ "Lord". Being ignorant is not the same as being stupid. Ignorance is simply the lacking of knowledge. A great many people use the term "Lord and Savior" without much thought to either. In my last blog I address the Savior issue. Today I wish to review the term "Lord".

As an American, I had a hard time understanding what it meant to call Jesus the Christ as "My Lord". I guess for a long time I just saw it more of a title than anything else. Yet, it was one of those areas I just thought there was more to it then I was recognizing and I was right.


When you are brought up in a country where you can elect and throw out of office most of your leaders, it is hard to think of someone as having absolute power over you. But absolute power is exactly the beginning to understanding in saying "My Lord" I love how Noah Webster put it:

"1. A master; a person possessing supreme power and authority; a ruler; a governor.
Man over man he made not lord.
But now I was the lord of this fair mansion.
...
7. In scripture, the Supreme Being; Jehovah. When Lord, in the Old Testament, is prints in capitals, it is the translation of JEHOVAH, and so might, with more propriety, be rendered. The word is applied to Christ, Ps. 110. Col. 3. and to the Holy Spirit, 2 Thess. 3. As a title of respect, it is applied to kings, Gen. 40. 2Sam. 19. to princes and nobles, Gen 42. Dan. 4. to a husband, Gen. 18. to a prophet, 1Kings 18. 2Kings 2. and to a respectable person, Gen. 24. Christ is called the Lord of glory, 1Cor. 2. and Lord of lords, Rev. 19." -- Noah Webster's Dictionary 1828

Yes, it is a title, but much more. You see God spoke everything into being. He owns everything! He is Supreme Ruler and All Authority has been given to Jesus the Christ both in heaven and on earth. Yet, as an American I had a hard time seeing any leaders as having absolute power. Until you look onto the Judaical side of our government can you even start to taste what authority really is. Even there we have rights to appeals. But the very idea that someone has the final say on my life seems foreign. And that is where the problem lies. How we see our lives helps to show us how we see ourselves before God. We tend to see ourselves as the final authority, the final power and having the final opinion. In doing so we are placing ourselves above the true authority and rebelling against God. No wonder He considers us children of wrath.

We may thank God and say "Wow, look at all that God created.", but act as if it is ours. It is true that we are stewards and caretakers, but we are not owners. If we start acting like the owner we deceive ourselves and prove we are blind. Good news is someday we will no longer be blind. The bad news is we will not longer be blind.

Calling Jesus the Christ "My Lord" does not surrender ones life over to Him. For to surrender it you first must have owned it. No, the true understanding when saying "My Lord" is the recognizing who He is and who He always has been and always will be. Recognizing is the key. Saying "My Lord" does not mean you understand it. When that recognition changes every aspect of your life then there starts the beginning of wisdom.

The Bible states many places that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. For years people within the church told me that I should not fear God. He is a loving God. True God is loving! In fact He is the true standard of love. But that is not all of who God is. The Bible as a whole shows us much of Gods character. It shows us He is loving, but He is also just. If he was not just then there would not have been any need for Jesus the Christ to die on the Cross. Jesus death on the cross shows us how important justice and righteousness is to God.

Try to imagine standing before a King in his palace within his kingdom. There are no outside treaties with other countries nor counsels at your side. You are brought before him on charges of high treason. Speaking ill of the King and his authority. The King himself has heard these words from your very mouth. So you can not deny it. Would you approach him as a buddy saying you can't be serious about such a little thing? Or, Would you lie and say you are sorry and you really did not mean it? Where the King would reply, you should be sorry , but I see that you are more sorry that you have been caught then for the words that were spoken! Would you argue the point? What would you do?

I try to imagine myself standing before a King with absolute power. I ask myself. How would I approach such a King? Charges or no charges, how would I approach such a King. No matter how loving, I must be cautious of respecting who he is and who I am.

The same is with God. Yes there is respect for His authority and position, but there is fear understanding he knows EVERYTHING. The best example in the Bible comes from Isaiah 6 where Isaiah finds himself standing before God and he says "Woe is me, for I am ruined!" That word ruined is also phrased as "undone".

I have imagined myself standing before God with ALL my sin exposed before all to see and I am completely absolutely undone. Hopeless and without excuse, a part from Christ I am lost.

I recognize God for who He is and His rights and authority. Yes, when I surrender all. That "all" is not authority over me, but my will over myself. I heard it said well once, "what if you got it wrong and are condemned to the Lake of Fire? Then I'll be praising the holy God for who He is in my suffering!" Now, that is truly understanding who He is and who I am.

I like old movies and some old TV programs. There was a series in the 80's called "Hardcastle and McCormick" starring Brian Keith. He played an retired Judge. In one episode he said "In my 30 some years on the bench, want I found amazing was everyone I sentence to prison not one of them thought they did anything wrong." That pricked my heart when I heard that. It is true we try to excuse any of our behavior. It is like the last verse in the book of Judges says "... and everyone did what was right in their own eyes."

If you are a disciple of Christ, How do you think and live the term "Lord" and have you imagine yourself before God as Isaiah did. Jesus the Christ is Lord over everything!

Saved from What?

I took a co-worker to lunch because of my concerns with his understanding what it means to being an Christian. As I asked him questions I was amazed by his answers. Here sat a person over 40 years old

Who does NOT believe:

• Jesus was born of a virgin
• Jesus is the son of God
• That Jesus rose from the dead
• That Jesus ascend into Heaven
• That there is a After life
• The Bible is Gods word

Yet, he claims to be a Christian. I will not go into all the things he does believe in, but I did ask him why does he believe himself to be a Christian? He said because he said the prayer once asking Jesus to be his lord and savior. I immediately asked "Savior from what?" He looked puzzle and said "Good question! I never thought about it."

I would imagine millions have repeated those words which some have labeled "The Sinners Prayer". And unless God is stirring their hearts and minds they are as lost as they were the day before they said that so called prayer. I am I judging them? No, God has through this word and He will do the final judgement. Is there hope for them? Absolutely! Right up till the point where death comes there is hope. I would guess most have never given much thought to the ideas of Lord and Savior. I will write about Lordship soon, but for now I wish to center on the topic "Saved from what?"

In the last blog I wrote about being lost, but what does it mean to be saved? Does it mean saved from being thrown into the Lake of Fire? Yes, but much more! We should never run to God just because do not want eternal punishment. Should that punishment scare us? Yes it should! But we come to running to God for who He is! He is the creator of ALL things. Provider of every heart beat, every breath I take. When I rebel and step upon His authority and His protection, does He immediately lash back? Most of time the answer is no. His grace and mercy extends beyond love that I can grasp. I can way too easily mistakenly His take His silence as approval or deceive myself to think I got away with it. That is exactly what I did when I was lost. How has that changed, now being saved? God pricks my heart. Awakening me to my wrong. What is my response? Repentance, restitution (if possible) and asking forgiveness.

You see we are saved from the very power of sin. Disciples of Christ call is being "Born Again." It means we were literally dead in our sins and now we are alive with a new and different nature. That does not mean we do not sin. For we still battle the flesh. But now we are also empowered to do what is right, not of our own strength, but of Gods strength. It does mean we do not dive into it nor desire it. This new nature hates sin. How could we desire sin which is exactly what caused Jesus the Christ to bear such pain and suffering. Where it should have been me, instead of Him. If I can desire sin with no remorse, then I either do not understand the price that was paid or I do not understand my sin before God. Either would be reasonable to double one salvation.

Some might say that they know of people who honestly are good people. Sorry when they do wrong and try to do what is right. They might even say these "good people" are not Christians nor do they believe in God. So, how can I explain these "good people" acting good without God. Very simply, God as written onto the hearts of everyone His law. Some label this as the Conscience. Con meaning "With" and Science meaning "Knowledge". So Conscience means with-knowledge. This conscience is one way God leads us to Him. God looks at the motive of the heart. A person who does good for goodness sake has their reward already from others and is counted worthless before God. A person who does good out of obedience and love to God gives God the credit it is counted as righteous.

So, I am saved from the absolute power of sin. I am given new life from death, love God places in our hearts, wisdom of our sin, purpose to give God the glory always and be joyful with God. Oh yeah, a great side benefit - Heaven not the Lake of Fire. Sounds great, and it is, but that does not mean everything is Rosy. Actually just the opposite. Decisions are based on what God wants and desires instead of my own desires. Jesus said that world hated Him and they will hate us. The more you grow in the likeness of Christ the more they will hate you. They do not hate you as much as they hate seeing their own sin when they even think of you. What am I saved from? Myself and all that I was before God saved me. To Him be the glory!

Who are the Lost?

When I think of someone being lost I have an image of someone wondering in the woods trying to get back home. Being lost almost implies or at least begs the idea that at some point in time the person who is lost was at a home. When we as disciples of Jesus the Christ speak of a person as being lost the first thought to mind should be that was ME. We must understand how bad of a situation it is for anyone "Lost". So let me review some of the basics

• I am Human
• Humans are unique among Gods creation
• As His creation He can do with me what He desires and that is perfectly right
• As a Human I have some form of spiritual image of God in trusted upon me
• When I do wrong it damages and distance me from that Perfect image
• When Adam and Eve sinned they changed all of nature
• Sin brought death immediately into the world (God clothed both with animal skin)
• I am born a sinner. I sin because I have a sin nature. I am not sinner because I sin.
• If nothing changes that nature when I die I rightfully go to the Lake of Fire
• Only God can provide the change to the sin nature
• Jesus the Christ is provided as the only one way
• Jesus spoke of and demonstrated the price the only one way
• There must be a death to self

We are in danger at times to forget how God sees us as "Lost"

• Children of wrath
• Blind
• Deaf
• Foolish
• Dead
• Yet he loved us

I heard it best phrased. The lost should be viewed like P.O.W.'s, Prisoners of War. They are captives and are imprisoned in chains. Worst, they are blind so that they can not see their situation. They are deaf so that can not hear your cries. They think they are wise believe themselves to be god. So, how can you reach them? Unless God open their eyes, heart or mind you can do nothing. Even what you do when you "witness" to them. It is not your actions that changes one from lost to saved, but it is God who provides the very faith which turns the heart told God. Doing so God gets all the glory and we witness the miracle. Yes, miracles happen every day! For every day when someone is awaken to eternal life it is a miracle.

The Bible makes it clear that it is God who enables us to even believe. Many have asked me "If God does the saving, then I don't have to witness to anyone." That is true if you want to be disobedient to God. God tells us as believers to get baptize. Now, most of Christendom rightly understands that the act of baptistism does not save anyone. We do it out of obedience. The same is for witnessing. In 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to give the reason for our hope lovenly. I will say this much, that was you do read Gods word daily; as you share the good news with others; and especially when you are in joyful fellowship with other believers then you find yourself growing more in holiness and more and more into the image of Christ.

So, if you are a disciple of Jesus the Christ are you ready to share the great news with others? If not ask for help. A great tool is the"Way of the Master" found at http://www.wayofthemaster.com/

Why Only One Way? Because all things belong to God and simply put it He makes the rules!