Today I want to explore with you the depth of what it means to have Jesus as our Lord and not just our Savior. After reading this opening statement you may be tempted to close this page out assuming you already understand this. But I would urge you to stay with me. I believe your eyes are going to opened to a reality of this word "Lord" that you've really never truly understood. In the original Greek language of the New Testament it reveals an aspect of His Lordship that very few actually understand. Our many varied translations really do not do it justice. Did I peak your curiosity? Good. Let's continue.

Take a look at Luke 6:46-49 - "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

Did you take note of the 3 steps Jesus speaks of that ensure success in life?:
Step One: Come to Me
Step Two: Hear My sayings
Step Three: Do them

Many have Jesus as their Savior but is He your Lord? Lordship is the major key to a rich and fulfilling victorious life.

The word "Lord" in the Greek is the word kurios, koo´-ree-os and it means: he to whom a person or thing belongs - about which he has power of deciding over (my life); master, lord. The possessor and disposer of a thing. The owner; one who has control of the person, the master. A sovereign, prince, chief. It is a title of honor expressing respect and reverence, with which servants salute their master. Kurios (Lord) literally means - You sir, who have the power and authority over my life.

With what we just read, we could sum up the meaning of the word "Lord" with these 4 statements: Master, Owner, Controller, Decision Maker.

The real question we need to be asking ourselves is this: is He our Master, our Owner, our Controller, and our Decision Maker? OR are we the lord over our own life? Who is directing our thoughts, actions and decisions in life? Who truly holds the reigns in our life?

Lordship is all throughout the Bible. We need to understand, that when we became born-again, we died and we then became our Master’s purchased possession.

With this understanding let's read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (Ownership)

Many in Christ have not realized this truth and have become frustrated in their walk with Christ wondering why things aren't manifesting the way the Word says they should be. AND the answer to that is that many are wanting the benefits but do not want to surrender themselves from being their own lord.

Look at Matthew 6:24 - "No one can serve two masters (Kurios); for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches, material things, self glory).

Notice that the word "masters" is the same word for "lord" (Kurios) - Master, Owner, Controller and Decision Maker. AND Jesus said "no one" can serve 2 masters - or 2 lords - it simply can't be done. In other words it is a recipe for failure and frustration.

I would encourage you every time you read the word "Lord" in the Bible to translate it as Master, Owner, Controller and Decision Maker.

Now, with this in mind let's go over to Matthew 7:21-23 - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'

Wow! That's a huge wake up call and one that should absolutely get our undivided attention. Jesus calls people (Believers) who are self-serving as practicing lawlessness! As we saw earlier in Luke 6:47 the key to realizing His Lordship is in coming to Jesus, hearing His Word and doing what He says. It's so simple, but can be so difficult because of our flesh and our soul (mind, will, intellect and emotions).

This is why Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:31 - "I die daily." He saw the extreme importance of this, and daily made a decision to keep Jesus on the throne of his life, reckoning himself as a dead man, and made the choice to make Jesus His Lord - submitting himself to His leading in all things. One major key to realizing His bountiful life is in reckoning our (self-serving) life as dead.

Romans 6:11 - "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 - "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." This is the real key to abundant living.

Every day when I leave the house, before I drive away, I submit my self to Him and confess Him as my Owner, Master, Controller, and Decision Maker over every area of my life - over my eyes - what I will look at during the day and what I should NOT be looking at, over my ears - what I should NOT be listening to and what I should be. Over my thoughts etc. I consciously speak out that He is my Lord in every area and I will submit to and follow His leading. AND I think about this aspect of Lordship throughout the day. It's become a huge thing with me AND in so doing I have noticed a greater sensitivity to Him and anointing in my life.

I want to encourage you to rethink His Lordship within your own life. Is He really your Lord, or is He only your Savior? Know this: Salvation is a one time event, but Lordship is on-going; a daily choice to Come to Jesus, Hear His sayings (Word) and Do what He says. This is not a message of condemnation. After reading this do not allow the enemy to beat you up or cause you to feel like a failure. We've all missed the mark from time to time. If you've confessed Jesus as Lord, you are saved and going to heaven. BUT we need to begin the process of walking in Lordship. Learning that we are not our own, we died to our old life and we are not submitting to Him on a daily basis, honoring Him as we progress in Lordship with Him.

Dan Downey
All Rights Reserved (c)
Dan Downey 2020