Commitment to Lordship

Romans 10:13, "For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.'"

Dr. James Richards wrote a book entitled "Taking the Limits Off God." I would like to share with you from chapter 10 "Commitment to the Lordship."

"One of the main reasons there is such a lack of victory among Christians goes back to the way the gospel was first presented to them. Most new Christians are taught to call upon Jesus for salvation, but they lack commitment to His Lordship because the concept of Lordship was not adequately explained to them.

"Many people...know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, but that knowledge alone is not sufficient for salvation. There must be a commitment to His Lordship. Nowhere in the New Testament is salvation promised apart from His Lordship. The Bible does not teach us to call upon the Name of the Savior, but rather to call upon the Name of the Lord. Salvation is what comes from making Jesus Lord.

"There is even some confusion about just what it is we are to confess with our mouth when we get saved. Some people teach that we must confess our sins in order to be saved, but the Bible says we are to confess Jesus as Lord in order to be saved (Romans 10:9).

"In the New Testament, the word Lord is used to mean an owner, master, or the one in control; in other words, the boss. If salvation is contingent upon making Jesus Lord, it is the obligation of the new convert to find the will of the Lord and do it. This process is not salvation by works: it is the fruit of repentance.

"What is the salvation of the Lord? The word which is translated as saved is the Greek word: sozo...Strong's Concordance defines sozo as 'to deliver or protect: heal, preserve, save, do well, be whole.' Thayer's Lexicon expands the definition to include: 'to keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction, to make well, restore to health, to deliver from the penalties of Messianic judgment.'

"...We know that Jesus died to set us free from the results of sin so that we can partake in His salvation. We are obligated to receive every aspect of salvation. If Jesus is really our Lord, we do not have the option of refusing the abundant life. If Jesus is really our Lord, then we are under an obligation to reach the lost, to undo the works of the devil, to have the abundant life, and to do the things that He did (and greater!).

"You must believe God will fulfill His promises. You must actively pursue those promises, not out of greed or even need, but because Jesus is Lord. You must allow His perfect salvation to be made manifest in your life. Salvation is more than just a ticket to heaven. It is the sum total of what Jesus died to give us. It is the full, abundant life. Therefore, the abundant life should be the norm for every Christian. (It is the obligation, not the option, of every believer.)"

*Excerpts taken from pp57-59. "Taking the Limits Off God" by James Richards © 1989