Savior And Lord!

April 3, 2025

Savior And Lord!

A friend accepted or acknowledged or adopted Jesus as His Savior when he was a young boy.  He reads his Bible, listens to Christian books, and tunes in to a variety of Christian teaching programs.  He loves Jesus and trusts that Jesus is with him now and has reserved a place for him in heaven.

My friend’s faith reminds me of a statement found in Romans 10:9-10.  The Apostle Paul says; “…if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mount and so is saved.”

My friend is “saved” and he possesses the assurance of his salvation.  I am grateful God’s grace has touched his life and given him the promise of the Spirit’s presence in this life as well as the promise of heaven for all eternity. 

The cross upon which Jesus died is about my Savior doing for me what I cannot do for myself.  I need Jesus to be my Savior because I cannot save myself.  I cannot forgive what only Jesus can forgive, I cannot transform what only the Holy Spirit can transform, and I cannot extend the mercy that only our Heavenly Father can extend.  Jesus’ death on a cross makes it possible for me to know Jesus as my Savior.

Unfortunately, knowing Jesus as my Savior is where many Christ-followers stop in their spiritual journey.  They often miss out on a relationship with Jesus as Lord of our life. 

If the cross is the symbol of my salvation through faith in Jesus as Savior, the empty tomb (on Easter!) is the symbol of my surrender through a total submission to Jesus as Lord of my life.  The empty tomb is about my Lord Jesus winning the victory over sin and death and darkness so I might have real life and abundant life.

It is only when I surrender to Jesus as Lord of my life that I choose to relinquish control over my life, other people’s lives, and even over the Lord.  I surrender to Jesus as my Lord because I am not God and I am not able.  When I surrender to Jesus as Lord, I confess that I am not in control because I am not God.   

The Bible is clear that Savior Jesus and Lord Jesus are two different experiences of the Christ.  Here are a few examples where Jesus is called both Savior and Lord.

In II Peter 1:11 we hear; “For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.”

In Philippians 3:20 we hear; “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In Jude 1:25 we hear; “…to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”

I need and I want Jesus to be my Savior and my Lord.  I miss out on so much of what God has in store for me when I settle into just relating to Jesus as my Savior; the one who forgives my sin, restores my relationship with God, and reserves a place for me in heaven.  I also want Jesus to be my Lord; the one who directs my life, guides my growth, and continually renews my relationship with God the Father.

I invite you to prayerfully and honestly consider some questions this week.

First, have I really experienced the forgiveness and salvation that comes when I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is my Savior? 

If so, offer a prayer of gratitude for God’s grace and the gift of knowing you are saved.  If not, ask Jesus to forgive whatever is lingering in the dark places of your heart, your mind, and your soul and invite Jesus to save you.

Second, have I really surrendered every part of my life to the Lordship of Jesus? 

Is so, offer a prayer of gratitude that you are no longer in control because Jesus is.  If not, engage in a careful inventory of where you are still retaining a bit of control over something or someone in your life and then give over your control to Jesus while asking Him to take control and be Lord over that aspect of your life.

Third, can I take a friend to coffee this week and share with them an example of how I have surrendered control over something to my Lord Jesus in the last couple of weeks?

Extend the invitation this week to get together next week.  And then, be honest about how you celebrate Jesus as your Savior and sometimes struggle to let Jesus be Lord of your life.  You will both be blessed.

As you answer these questions, the Spirit will pour delight and joy and peace into your heart.  Hold on to those precious gifts and share their blessing with other people.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug