
Jesus is Lord! This is a sign or inscription you can see in a number of places around the world. I have seen it when traveling the interstate system of our own country on the concrete piers holding up overpasses, and I have seen it on signs in towns declaring He is Lord over their towns. This is an interesting statement to me because it seems to me that people are more interested in having Jesus as their Savior than as their Lord. How do you see it?
The apostle Peter, in his second letter to the church made four references to Jesus Christ as “Lord and Savior”. Lord is a word that describes one who has ownership or he to whom a person or thing belongs and as such has absolute control. Savior is much easier to understand because we often attribute being saved by someone when our lives were spared. This could be by being pulled from a burning building, a flooded creek or river, or any number of things. In the case of Jesus, He can be and desires to be, our Savior by virtue of His paying the penalty for our sins. He will save our spiritual lives.
But, is He your Lord? Is He your savior? I know that our survival instincts reach out to Him as a savior, but has your pride prevented you from accepting Him as your Lord? Do you claim to have been saved by Jesus and then live a life that is as you desire rather than what He desires? If so, you haven’t made Him Lord of your life! He doesn’t have ownership of you!
Can we have on without the other? I’m not sure it’s possible. If we will submit our lives to Jesus, we then become His to do with as He wills. Are you doing the will of Jesus? If you can answer an affirmative “yes”, then in all likelihood you can also claim Him as Savior and Lord. If we will not submit to His ownership or Lordship He cannot save us. One is inseparably connected with the other. Do you know Jesus today as Lord AND Savior or is it possible that you are trying to get by with Him as Savior alone? Don’t call Him Lord and not do what He says. (Luke 6:46)
Copyright © 2006, Nolan P. Rutter