Lordship Salvation

Probing Your Own Heart

Where does Jesus fit into your life?

Does your life reveal faith in and surrender to Jesus?

Building on Some Foundational Concepts

The message of Jesus is to be received gladly.

We naturally receive good news with gladness. Why would we experience any glumness or reservation? The Gospel of Jesus Christ is Good News! Why should we receive it other than gladly? We have discovered great treasure and will consider no price too high and no sacrifice too painful in order to possess it (Matthew 13:44).

Christian living requires steadfastness.

We must purposefully cleave to the Lord even though it requires much sacrifice and self-denial (Acts 11:23; 14:22). We have His assurance that if we continue in Him and His Word, He claims and accepts us as His bonafide disciples (John 8:31). He calls us to "continue in the faith grounded and settled" (Colossians 1:23). Having gladly accepted His salvation and Lordship, let's not turn back to selfish, fleshly living.

Christ accepts only certain people.

Christ calls everyone to repentance. But He accepts only those who fear Him and work righteousness (Acts 10:35). Only those who die to self can receive His eternal life (Luke 9:23; 14:26-33).

Certain works fit so well with repentance.

Repentance takes place within us, hidden from all but the eyes of God. But it springs forth into productive fruitfulness, resulting in living ("works") that is meet for ("worthy of and corresponding to") repentance (Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20).

Questions and Responses

Is it possible to have Jesus as Saviour but not as Lord?

Given the imperfections and limitations of both human teachers and human learners, this likely takes place many times. The teacher might leave out the reality that Jesus must also be Lord. The student may miss that concept even when the teacher includes it in his presentation. Despite these failings, Jesus does not turn away those who come to Him in genuine repentance.

Having acknowledged the above reality, we also must understand clearly that unless such a person grows into surrender to Jesus as Lord, his relationship with Jesus as Saviour will be imperiled.

"Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am" (John 13:13).

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:38).

Does Jesus accept any level of disobedience or self-living?

First off, why should He? We have to admit that we don't know the answer to this question nor to the question to which the above question responds. We do know that He is the Master and Judge; therefore, what He determines is final. We also know that we are the disciples, which means our duty is to live within the framework shown by the four verses above.

Secondly, why do I ask? Sometimes we ask questions like the one in the heading because we hope for an answer that will give us room for some degree of disobedience or self-living. May the Lord deliver us from such a low level of love and commitment!

What relationship exists between fellowship and Lordship?

Unless Jesus is Lord of my life (walking in His light), I cannot have fellowship with Him or with His people. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

If we love Jesus (fellowship), we will keep His commandments (Lordship). "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

When we from the heart do His will (Lordship), He declares us His friends (fellowship). "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14).