Can We Make Christ Our Lord?

I hear many preachers say we must "make" Christ our Lord. While the sentiment is noble, the premise is wrong. What I mean is that we can't make Christ our Lord because he already is.

When we call Christ our Lord, it means we submit to him and obey what he says. As he told his disciples in John 13:13 (KJV), "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am."

Since we're Christ's disciples, we must heed what our teacher teaches us. Like he said in Luke 6:46 (KJV), "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

Being Christ's also means that we belong to him. He bought us with his blood from the slave market of sin. As Paul aptly pointed out in 1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV),  "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Likewise, Romans 6:17 (KJV) explains, "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you."

The trouble is that many professing churchgoers only want the side benefits of "receiving" Christ but they don't want to obey his commandments. As he said in Matthew 7:21 (KJV), "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."

Furthermore, we are given this ability to obey his holy edicts. Philippians 2:13 (KJV) says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

But we aren't unwilling slaves to our Lord, as if we were forced to serve him. John 14:15 (KJV) says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Obeying out of love for our Master is so much better than obeying out of fear. I'll emphasize this in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? So many churchgoers want only a form of fire insurance against going to hell. But only those who love Christ will be saved.

I think you'll enjoy my Saturday Song choice. It aligns perfectly with the theme of churchgoers verses true Christians.

The Belief in a Higher Power Error

Is it really enough to just believe that there is some sort of universal higher power? Many people, including good friends of mine, say that they can't believe in the Bible and Jesus. Then they give me some sort of excuse about bad examples of Christians or of misunderstandings they have of church doctrines.

Look at what James wrote about those who just believe about God. In chapter two and verse nineteen (BBE) he wrote, "You have the belief that God is one, and you do well: the evil spirits have the same belief, shaking with fear."

Beyond mere mental ascent, people must place their trust in Christ. Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) plainly states, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Some people will doubtless be confused at how we can believe in God and Jesus as well. Even so, Christ tells us to do so. John 14:1 (KJV) quotes our Lord as saying, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

Believing in the Lord means placing one's full and total trust in him and Christ's atonement for sins on the cross. As Romans 10:9 and 10 (BBE) instructs, "Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation. For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation"

Additionally, we must love the Lord rather than roboticly obeying him. Jesus said in John 14:15 (KJV) "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

Christ also explained the benefits of loving God in John 14:21 (KJV) when he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

And not only in this world do we receive new life in Christ but in the age to come. Romans 6:23 (KJV) states, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

So mere ascent that there is some sort of divine being somewhere who made the universe isn't enough to give people salvation and save them from sin and eternal torment. This is the main theme of my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven. May the Lord use my writing to guide folks to eternal life.

On Thursday, I'll post about the error of moralism. Just being a nice person won't get one into heaven either.