Lord, Lord
Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? The truth is Jesus Christ can not be your Lord unless you bow, yeild, or submit to his word. Jesus Christ can not be Lord if you do not freely obey his commands, if you ignore him or if you turn away from him. Some Christians try to contain Jesus Christ to a box or closet, but he will never be Lord as long as you are in charge. You see, in the long run actions speak louder than words and those who call Jesus Christ Lord and go their separate ways are not corroborating their promises to God. There is no agreement in uncorroborated deeds rather the lack of corroboration is the same as a lie.
In any Church there are about ten to twenty percent of the members that are church leaders. These are those who truly want to see God glorified and work diligently for that purpose. However there are others that want church leadership positions for personal reasons. A few years ago we would describe them as talking the walk but not walking the talk. Paul describes them this way.
What kind of motivation is there in saying the words Lord, Lord unless it were said for the benefit of the believers in the church? God knows whether or not the person is saying Lord, Lord is doing so with the proper reverence when men may not. While the words Lord, Lord could be used to deceive the elect, the real person being deceived is the person who has not made Jesus his or Her Lord. This deception is like buying a policeman’s uniform and representing your self as a policeman. Sooner than later those in authority will confront you.
No one can say Jesus is Lord without the Holy Spirit and no one can have the Holy Spirit without first receiving Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ comes into your life because you saw a need for Christ and asked him into your life. The Holy Spirit comes into your life because Jesus Christ has been assigned to baptize God’s children with the Holy Spirit. It is also possible for you to know God, have his spirit, call him Lord and not do the things he asks, but disobedience is not the case Jesus is referring to. Isn’t it more that you are putting up a front to convince others that you are something you are not?
In our scriptural text Jesus is asking "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46. Perhaps we need to restate the question in another way. You fail to respond to my commands, so why do you call me Lord? You see, by making Jesus Christ "Lord" you assign him a place of authority in your life, but when you fail to do the things he demands you deny him the honor and the authority you gave him. It is the disagreement of saying something and doing something completely different.
There has to be an agreement between your words and the things that you do. Actions speak louder than words, so look at what you have done compared with what you said you would do. Almost everyone fails to keep their promises sometime in their life for one reason or another. However, there is no excuse when you fail to keep your word deliberately.
Jesus brings the truth out into the open by contrasting those who do his will with those who ignore his commands.
In his example Jesus compares the person who obeys his commands to the man who builds his house on a foundation. In both instances there is a deliberate action. The person who listens to God’s word has the knowledge to apply him self to do what God asks and by doing so has built a foundation to stand on. The man who builds his house on a foundation knows that the foundation stabilizes the house against the surrounding environment.
The house whether it is built on a foundation or not is always affected by its environment. Jesus was not talking about a catastrophic weather event such as sinkholes or mudslides. He was referring to the more common flood, the kind that lift and carry houses down stream and in the process tear the house apart.
Christians live in an environment that is hostile to the ways of God. Perhaps you have heard the excuse that is not the way the real world works, but as a Christian you are not to live as the world does. Your environment is completely different and that environment makes living a Christian life difficult. However, you are an exceptional person in God’s eye, you are his child and he is there when you need him for help. His word is your foundation for knowledge to make sound decisions. His promises to do the impossible, for the help and support when the world pushes you against the wall. His word is your foundation that makes your life solid and unshakable. However, like the man who digs to have a foundation for his house you have to dig in his word to complete your foundation in God.
Jesus Christ is the foundation of our life and those who seek eternal life find life through him. God is the source of everything, but the gift of life comes by faith in his son. In the Old Testament it is written,
And in the New Testament,
There is one final test whether or not you said Lord, Lord in the proper context. That will be the day when you will face the truth and God has the final word. Jesus spoke of two phrases he would use on that day. He could say, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' or 'Well done, good and faithful servant!
I would neglect my place with God if I failed to tell you that between right now and the time you meet Jesus Christ you have the choice to make Jesus Christ your Lord and settle the issue forever.
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