Thursday, November 14, 2013

IF HE AIN'T YOUR LORD, YOU AIN'T SAVED!

I have written many articles which challenge the idea that a person can be saved when he accepts Jesus as his Savior, and then later, come to the realization that Jesus is to be his Lord.  Critics claim that I am preaching "Lordship Salvation," and without hesitation, I agree!  That is exactly what I believe.  The Word itself says so:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).

We are told to believe on Him to be saved (Jn. 1:12; 6:29; 7:39; 17:20; Acts 16:31; 19:4; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Jn. 3:23; 5:13; etc.)!  And when we preach Christ crucified, buried, and resurrected (1 Cor. 15:1-4), it is upon Christ the lost are to place their faith.  And who is Christ?  He is LORD!  The Bible uses the word "Lord" to describe the One to Whom all worship is due, nearly 6000 times!  In contrast, His title as "Savior," based upon the work which He did for us, that is, dying on the cross to pay for our sin, appears less than 40 times in all of the Bible! 

Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I am?"  All four Gospels present Peter's answer: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16); "Thou art the Christ" (Mk. 8:29); "The Christ of God" (Lk. 9:20); and "And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (Jn. 6:69).  It is not surprising then, that Peter uses the phrase "Lord and Savior" to describe Jesus (2 Pet. 1:11; 2:20; 3:2; 3:18).  He is Lord; saving is what He does!

And then there is the "good thief" on the cross next to Jesus.  I doubt that any of my critics would say that he was not saved:  "...he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Lk. 23:42-43).  He was saved because he knew Jesus was his Lord!
 
"And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord...." (Phil. 2:11)

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