I want to touch on our "Foundation Stones" in here (and I've already taught on the Word being true as one). I plan on teaching the rest of them too so buckle up!
Now on Lordship -- Ain't That Some Religious Term? Naw.
This is way important for you and me!
Kurt, Am I To Be Living Under Christ's Lordship?
Who has sway, who or what has control, who leads you? The Lordship of Jesus Christ means that Jesus rules without any rivals and that He is given full jurisdiction, ascendancy, and supreme dominion over every area of my life. That’s who I have personally chosen and yet Jesus Christ is Lord forever no matter what you or I choose.
Q: What currently is the master passion of your life—is it the gold, the glory, the girls.. or the guys? Remember, someone or something will control your life whether it's you, your work, your lover, or one of your cherished hobbies. Perhaps selfish desires control your life like when you go shopping. Whatever, if this issue of Lordship is not settled, you cannot spiritually advance any further in your relationship with God. Take a moment and ask.. What does the Lordship of Christ mean to you personally?
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| Photo by Worshae |
"Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all." ~ Charles Wesley
"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice is too great for me to give for Him." ~ C.T. Studd
Who is He really? Jesus Christ is fully man, but also fully God (The eternal Theoanthropist John 3:16; Hebrews 1:8). He was sent to save us from our bondage to sin. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-23). He lived a perfect, sinless life (John 8:46; Hebrews 7:26). In union with His Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus died for our sins. His vicarious death provided the full payment for all our sins—past present and future (1 Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6). He physically rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven (Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9).
He is currently engaged in a ministry of prayer on your behalf (Hebrews 7:25). As Lord and Judge Jesus will one day return to judge the world—the living and the dead (Revelation 22:12). Faith in Christ is the only means by which mankind can escape eternal damnation and judgment. As the living Lord of heaven and earth, He commands and expects your personal worship and full obedience (Philippians 2:9-11).
We affirm the existence of a triune God, or one God who eternally exists in three distinct Persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and that each of these Persons is fully God. This is the one and only true God. He is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, righteous and loving. It’s the God of the Bible that we are talking about and in-love with. He created all universes that exist from nothing and He rules over His creation sovereignly including both human and angelic beings.
Who was Jesus to the disciples?
“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16).
"And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’" (John 20:28).
"Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:3,4).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
"My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality" (James 2:1).
What's the test of Lordship "And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
How did Jesus determine if a person was truly obedient to Him as Lord? Since the real Jesus of the Bible is the Lord of glory, He has claims on your life and time. As Lord, He demands obedience to what He has said.
What has Jesus done (His finished work)? Although created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-6). Thus mankind was plunged into rebellion against God (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:12). This sin and rebellion produced spiritual death throughout the whole human race (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). Yet God in His great mercy, even in the Garden, promised to send a Savior for all who would repent and trust Him (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16). Now, by His death on the cross Jesus Christ has crushed the serpent's head and broken the power of sin over all those who place their trust in Him for salvation (1 Peter 3:18).
Jesus’ Death On The Cross Basically Crushed Satan’s Head, So Satan Can’t Crush Your’s.
The Bible says, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
And “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Easy question for ya, in this verse above Isaiah lists four things Jesus did for us on the cross. They are: 1) ___ 2) ___ 3) ___ 4) ___.
What happened on the Cross? Well, atonement happened (At-one-ment, it's yours for the taking). This is defined as "the reconciliation of God and man by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ." Yes, it could be said that "atonement" is a free gift of right-relationship, it does mean "at-one-ment." Jesus death brought God and man back together (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
"God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:19-21).
According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, what title has God placed upon you as you represent Him in this world?
The Great Exchange happened. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6).
"For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. " (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now that’s imputation.
Need nine points that set lordship-salvation apart from so called easy-believism?:
1.) Repentance is not a simple synonym for faith. Scripture teaches that sinners must exercise faith in conjunction with repentance (Acts 2:38; 17:30; 20:21; 2 Peter 3:9).
2.) A Christian is a new creation and cannot just “stop believing” and lose salvation. Faith itself is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:1–5, 8), and real faith endures forever (Philippians 1:6).
3.) The object of faith is Christ Himself, not a promise, a prayer, or a creed (John 3:16). Faith must involve a personal commitment to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15).
4.) True faith always produces a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17). The inner person is transformed by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20), and the Christian has a new nature (Romans 6:6).
5.) God’s “divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3; cf. Romans 8:32). Salvation, then, is not just a ticket to heaven. It is the means by which we are sanctified (practically) in this life and by which we grow in grace.
6.) Scripture teaches that Jesus is Lord of all. Christ demands unconditional surrender to His will (Romans 6:17–18; 10:9–10).
7.) Those who truly believe in Christ will love Him (1 Peter 1:8–9; Romans 8:28–30; 1 Corinthians 16:22). And those we love we long to please (John 14:15, 23).
8.) Scripture teaches that behavior is an important test of faith. Obedience is evidence that one’s faith is genuine (1 John 2:3).
9.) Genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith (1 Corinthians 1:8). This was the case for Simon Peter.
A person who has been delivered from sin by faith in Christ should not desire to remain in a life of sin (Romans 6:2). Of course, spiritual growth can occur quickly or slowly, depending on the person and his circumstances. Got questions? I do, and know where to find the answers -- in the Bible (in it God addresses every need of men and women).
NO to sucking in life, no to suckin' up, and no to suckin' down the alcohol ..and say YES to sober thinking and sobriety.NO to suckin' in all that's bad for you, no to illicit drug use and YES to wholesome clean living 24/7/365.NO to excessive self-produced pressures and YES to real friendships.NO to ungodliness and YES to integrity, godliness, and pure devotion to the Word of God.NO to sin, Satan, this corrupt world system and to your old nature but YES to Christ, to edifying and evangelistic world changing.NO to going along with the worldly crowd in the destructive tragetory towards any unholy passing pleasure of sin and YES to standing alone for Jesus (which can be within a crowd).NO to temptation and falling and YES to God with whatever He really says to do or not to do.NO to cowardice and YES to bold obedience as a good representitive--as a sterling witness for Christ.NO to rebellion against direct Authority and flawed delegated authorities (I mean short of sinning, of course many delegated won't tell us to go do that) and YES to biblical obedience.NO to visiting places where you're overly vulnerable (we're to walk circumspectly in all places really..), to letting temptation linger, to all types of chains of sin and YES to freedom in Christ.
“Sacrifice is connected to anointing. Dedication is connected to Vision. Obedience is connected to Lordship. These are all so interconnected and intertwined in our daily walk with Jesus.” ―Andrey Shapoval
What is lordship salvation? Does a person have to submit to Jesus’ lordship to be saved?
What is free grace? What is Free Grace Theology? Is free grace the opposite of lordship salvation?
How do I make Jesus Lord of my life? How can I better submit to Jesus’ lordship?
What is cheap grace? Who was the originator of the phrase cheap grace? What does the cheap grace concept argue against?
What exactly is an unbeliever / nonbeliever? What does it mean to be an unbeliever? Is an unbeliever the same thing as a non-Christian?
What does it mean that Jesus is Lord? What, exactly, is Jesus Lord of? What does 'Jesus is Lord' mean, practically speaking?
“Needless to say, the Bible knows of no such grotesque creature as one who is saved but unrepentant.” ―Walter J. Chantry
“Surrendering to Christ is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of yielding every area of our lives to His control. It also involves submitting to His authority, allowing Him to have the final say in our decisions, acknowledging that His plans and purposes are greater than our own and recognizing Him as the rightful Lord and King over our lives.” ―Prasanth Jonathan
"There is nothing holier, or better, or safer, than to content ourselves with the authority of Christ alone." — John Calvin
Is Jesus Lord in you today? Is He your CEDM (Chief Executive Decision Maker? The Lord is King--He always has been, has always deserved to be, and always will be King!
"Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).
Jesus is Lord over me because He has purchased me: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living” (Romans 14:9).
“A disciple of Jesus Christ is a visible verbal follower of Jesus Christ at the expense of the ones and things that they hold dear. It's that serious.” ―Kingsley Opuwari Manuel
“Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone accept, His Lordship. The Cross, as it enters the love life, will reveal the heart’s truth.” ―Elisabeth Elliot
Kurt, will everyone ultimately submit themselves to God and gladly recognize His lordship? Will they all go to heaven? Sadly no, but they will bow the knee.
What does it mean to let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts? What is the meaning of Colossians 3:15?
In the Bible what does it mean when Jesus said that “my sheep hear my voice”? What sup with John 10:27 and how do I apply that?
Can you live all out 24/7 for Christ? Yes, living in His righteousness. What is the meaning of 1 Peter 2:24?
You can intimately know and follow Jesus as your Lord.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
See Ephesians 1:7 - we've been redeemed by Jesus? Take hold!
The term, “redeemed" means to buy back. Jesus has bought us back from the power of the devil. We now belong to our original Owner. Since we have been purchased by Christ, we now belong to Him; we are His servants and He is our Lord.
REGARDING THE ONE LORD, I'M NOT YELLIN' OR TALKIN' 'BOUT SOME HALF-HEARTED COMMITMENT.
Then after some minutes, here he comes. That lot worker shows up with a large box of mechanical parts for a midsize car. At this point, the dealer gets involved and really chews him out right in front of you, and then the lot worker says to you, "Oh sorry, I guess I wasn't really paying attention.” So in a flash, he disappears again and some minutes later, that smiley-faced lot guy returns driving a compact car this time. Man, I know what you would probably tell him, "Hey man, this wasn't part of the deal. I bought the midsize, and I mean the whole car. I paid the full price and I expect the full product!"
Q: If we seek first the Kingdom of God (God's rule in our lives), what percentage of the things we need has God promised to provide for us? Does that mean you and I don't have a part to play? Nope.
In the same way, Jesus Christ has paid the full price for you and he is entitled to have ownership of the full product. Every area of our lives; not just some of the areas must be His and then remain under His control. He doesn’t want any half-baked-potato of a commitment!
There’s no room for any misrepresentation in His service. Lordship is a serious matter because the one God wants all people to come into a righteous relationship with Him. He bids us come. Will all? No.
Ever read about the Ark, I don't mean that floating one (it was real too). To reiterate on Lordship, go read about how it took two attempts for King David to bring the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem. The lesson for us? It's imperative to do the will of God His way and in His timing.
"Then David and all Israel played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they came to Chidon's threshing floor, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled. Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before the God."
"Then David said, ‘No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the Lord has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.’"
"For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order" (1 Chronicles 13:8-10; plus 15:2-15).
The Bible says "Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars." (Hosea 10:2).
"Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!" (Psalm 119:2).
God understands our needs: physical, financial, emotional, and spiritual needs. As we yield to His control He has promised to supply all our needs.
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).
When Israel got all distracted away.. when Israel went astray from her God (our one God), what was she likened to? (see Hosea 9:1; 4:12).
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).
Q: As you meditate on this verse, what three things does James have to say about those who ignore Christ's Lordship and treasure their friendship with the world?
God is love, but there indeed is a love God hates (and it's not a love for Jesus or for people in this world). Bail on your love for this corrupt world system here.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:34-37).
Who is Jesus to you right now? Are you a believer yet, or a one day a week Christian?
How many Christians want to call Jesus Lord, but have that attitude inside that they’ll serve Christ all out when they feel good about this and agree with His clear commands?
Shortly before he died in 1963, Mr. A.W. Tozer wrote this: “Jesus Christ has today almost no authority at all among the groups that call themselves by His name. The present position of Christ in the gospel churches may be likened to a king in a limited, constitutional monarchy. The king (sometimes depersonalized by the term "the Crown") in such a country is no more than a traditional rallying point, a pleasant symbol of unity and loyalty much like a flag or a national anthem. He is lauded, feted and supported, but his real authority is small. Nominally he is head over all, but in every crisis someone else makes the decisions. On formal occasions he appears in royal attire to deliver the tame, colorless speech put into his mouth by the real rulers of the country.. [Know any presidents like that? Even if Christ’s headship] is taught as a theory in the classroom, it is rarely applied to practical living. The idea that the Man Christ Jesus has absolute and final authority over the whole church and over all of its members in every detail of their lives is simply not now accepted as true by the rank and file of evangelical Christians.”
The churches in the Western world seem clearly to be in decline. Most people prefer to see a sound sermon lived out than hear one preached out. Though there are many decent ministers and spiritually healthy churches in our Land.. too many money-grubing televangelists, false teachers, politicians (on both sides of the asile) along with others have been exposed, dethroned and defrocked. Do the masses of our era feel like: Man, who can we even trust these days?
After all these years after Tozer and his writing that above, it would be difficult to argue that things have changed very much. Sure, there are many new ways of ‘being church’ or ‘doing church’ these days. And in some of them, in certain areas of ministry, God is allowed to be the ‘boss’. However, for most of us, in most of what we do, we seek to retain total control of our own lives, using "our" talents, tresures and time as we choose.
Are our priorities really His priorities at this time?
Do we take what God has to say in the Bible about how to go about our daily lives as seriously as we should?
Have we neglected our quiet time and prayer life?
Have we stopped listening to God’s Word and Holy Spirit (that agree) speak to our hearts?
Have we been caught by the covetous spirit of our affluent society, and worshipped the false god of materialism?
Have we exchanged our knowledge of God for heady hairsplitting disputes about theological words, or for religious or social activism?
Have we forgotten how to get still before God and quiet our souls, trapped as we are in the vortex of modern life?
Have we lost our ministry vision and sense of direction?
From time to time it’s good to reflect, to ask ourselves, and to learn from questions like these.
Is my over-busy way of living and my personal conduct almost indistinguishable from that of outwardly upright unbelievers?
Is one reason why the church is no longer impacting and changing the world with the Gospel because we've become too much like the world?
Q: Have you repented of your sins and by faith received Jesus Christ inside as your personal Savior and Lord? You can!
________Yes
________No
What are you waitin' for? If the answer is no, then decide.. turn from your sins to Him now. By faith expressed through prayer, simply come to Jesus Christ as you are. Been touching on our "Foundation Stones" (and already taught on the Word being true).
