Proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ

 

By Pastor Mark Acevedo

2 Corinthians 4:5, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.”

In his book The Gospel According to Jesus, John MacArthur states, “The great miracle of redemption is not that we accept Christ, but that He accepts us.” When this was first published, it somehow created a controversy in the church. The fact that John MacArthur had the honesty to say what the Holy Scriptures have been declaring for the past two thousand years created a so-called controversy. But Pastor MacArthur is 100% correct.

Most of the evangelical world uses unbiblical words and terms to describe salvation and new birth. These terms include, “I accepted Jesus, I made a decision for Christ, I chose Jesus, I was always a Christian, I re-dedicated my life to Christ,” and more. Perhaps one of the most irreverent and non-biblical terms ever by a famous West Coast pastor was “try Jesus.” It is as if a human being can take Jesus for a test ride, see if Jesus accommodates their lifestyle, and then decide whether they want to keep Him or reject Him.

Such terminology is foreign to the scriptures. Where do we ever read our Lord or the Apostles inviting anyone to “accept Jesus into your heart” or “try Jesus?” Terms like this come from a very wrong perspective of who Christ is and an incorrect view of God. In my experience, a mistaken view of God begins with a wrong view of man. There is a tendency to view man as sovereign over his destiny, and God is a facilitator of man. It tends to place God in a supporting role to the will of mankind. God is helpless to do and act and needs mankind’s assistance and cooperation because God would never act against the will of the all-mighty man.

Unfortunately, this has become the norm in most evangelical churches, which is why I believe they get the Gospel wrong. What do the holy scriptures say regarding this matter and the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

Jesus is called Kurios 747 times in the New Testament. The book of Acts refers to Jesus as Lord 92 times. Some of you may have been saved and heard this: “Accept Jesus as your savior, and then you will make Him Lord of your life.” That is a false doctrine. No one divides Jesus Christ. He is both savior and Lord. Consider the following:

• Acts 2:21 – ‘AND IT SHALL BE, THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.’ (Spoken in direct reference to Jesus)
• Acts 2:36 – “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
• Acts 16:31 – And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.”
• Rom 10:9-10 – that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

In Romans 10:9, confession is aligned with believing in your heart. The two go together. We see the same thing in vs. 10: the idea that one can “accept Jesus as Savior” but not make him their “Lord” is foreign to the scriptures. Being a Christian, a believer, and a follower of Jesus Christ is about Christ being set apart and sanctified in the believer’s heart as Lord. This enables believers to live for Christ, to die for Christ, and to endure and suffer for Christ.

When Christ is not sanctified as Lord in one’s life, what you have is a shallow, empty profession of faith. But when He is, you possess the power of the new birth. How will persecuted believers endure? Only as Christ is sanctified in the heart. How shall we endure these days of trial and temptation that are on the horizon? Only as Jesus Christ is sanctified as Savior and Lord in our hearts.

Critical components of the Gospel must be contained in every Gospel call. The holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the need for repentance from sin, entrusting oneself to the grace of Jesus Christ by faith and not trusting any works or good deeds, and the proclamation that Jesus Christ is both savior and Lord. As we previously cited and Peter stated, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ.”

In Revelation 17:14, we read, “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” The “called and the chosen” did not decide to place this title upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Those words attributed to Jesus in prophecy describe precisely who Jesus is: He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Therefore, let us live our lives knowing who we serve. Let us render to Christ the honor and worth and place the value of serving Him at the top of our priorities. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. It is not just a duty but an honor, a privilege, and a pleasure to live under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Amen.