Weekly Devotional 2-8-16 Savior, But Also Lord
J.I. Packer in his forward to John MacArthur’s book, The Gospel According to Jesus wrote “That man should not separate what God has joined is a truth about more than marriage. God has joined the three offices of prophet (teacher), priest, and king in the mediatorial role of Jesus Christ, and directs us in the Bible to relate positively to them all. God has joined faith and repentance as the two facets of response to the Savior, and made it clear that turning to Christ means turning from sin and letting ungodliness go. Biblical teaching on faith joins credence with commitment and communion; it exhibits Christian believing as not only knowing facts about Christ, but also coming to him in personal trust to worship, love, and serve Him. If we fail to keep together these things that God has joined together, our Christianity will be distorted.”
As I considered Mr. Packer’s forward I was led in my thinking to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians where we read, “17This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But you have not so learned Christ, 21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. 25Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘26Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27nor give place to the devil. 28Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:17-32 NKJV).
James Montgomery Boice in his forward of this same book wrote, “MacArthur is not dealing with some issue or issues external to faith, but with the central issue of faith, namely, What does it mean to be a Christian? His answers address themselves to what I consider to be the greatest weakness of contemporary evangelical Christianity in America. Did I say weakness? It is more. It is a tragic error. It is the idea—where did it come from?—that one can be a Christian without being a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. It reduces the gospel to the mere fact of Christ’s having died for sinners, requires sinners only that they acknowledge this by the barest intellectual assent, and then assures them of their eternal security when they may very well not be born again. This view bends faith beyond recognition—it promises a false peace to thousands who have given verbal assent to this reductionist Christianity, but are not truly in God’s family.”
Love of, and liberation from the bondage of sin can only be experienced when we allow Christ to rule in our heart. It cannot be otherwise. There will always be strife between our old nature which is of the flesh, and our new nature which is born of the Holy Spirit. If Christ and His word do not rule in and over our hearts we will serve our old nature. Jesus must rule. This is why the offices of Savior and Lord are connected. When He becomes our Savior He also becomes our Lord. One may not make Him such, but still He is. For those who would hold to a different view, consider; “6For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9Further-more, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:6-11 NKJV).
Additionally, consider the Lord’s word through His apostle John; “19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent”(Revelation 3:19-21 NKJV). Also, consider this excerpt from Psalm 94. “1O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs— O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth! 2Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Render punishment to the proud. 3 LORD, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph? 4 They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. 5 They break in pieces Your people, O LORD, And afflict Your heritage. 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless. 7 Yet they say, ‘The LORD does not see, Nor does the God of Jacob understand.’ 8 Understand, you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise? 9 He who planted the ear, shall He not hear? He who formed the eye, shall He not see? 10 He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge? 11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile. 12 Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, And teach out of Your law, 13 That You may give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit is dug for the wicked. 14 For the LORD will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. 15 But judgment will return to righteousness, And all the upright in heart will follow it” (Psalms 94:1-15 NKJV). In essence does this not say that, “blessed is the man in whom the Lord rules, the one whom He has redeemed.”?
Finally, consider Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired words to the Philippians. “5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 14Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:5-16 NKJV).
Every word of this inspired testimony is true and important, but for our present consideration we should focus on verses 9-11 which emphatically state, “9Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
He is Lord, whether one has made Him so or not. For we who have made Him Lord we humbly and gratefully now bow, but those who have not, or will not, will someday bow before Him in judgment of their rejection of His right to be Lord. They will confess that indeed He is Lord….Thank you Lord that you are now, in the present, my Savior and Lord.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Evangelical Free Church www.efreebible