One of the themes that seems to run throughout many of my posts on this blog is that of Jesus as Lord of a Christian's life. I recently was reminded of an article written by Dr. John Piper on the issue of "Christian Lordship," so I wandered over to Desiring God to reread it. The gist of the article (here's the direct link to the article, which will open in another page) is an answer to a friend's question about "two-step salvation." A very common testimony is that a person repents, prays for God to forgive them based on Jesus' atoning sacrifice...and then many years later they finally "make Jesus Lord of their life." John's letter is to dispel the idea that there was a time-gap in which a person was "saved" but in which Jesus was not yet "Lord." For those who have similar experiences, it is a good article to help you get a grasp on what has really happened in your life.
So how does that apply here on this blog? It applies because John also points out that Jesus MUST be Lord of a Christian's life, or that person is not saved. Period.
The sanctification process will bring a Christian closer and closer to obedience to that Lordship, so a mature Christian can look back and see a time when he didn't really behave as if Jesus was his Lord. Yet a person who has been a Christian absolutely must move in his life toward obedience to the Lordship of Christ, for obedience to the commands of God makes one more and more like Jesus, which is what sanctification is all about. Will we be perfect in this life? Of course not; to be so would be to be without sin. However, we will be moving in that direction, as obedience and Lordship are part and parcel of sanctification.
So the challenge to all Christians (but especially to those who have been professing believers for a while) is to ask yourselves if you are noting in the Scriptures the commands of God and are actively pursuing implementing them in your lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. If you aren't, then either your growth is stunted, or you need to seriously question your conversion.
Bottom line:
No Obedience=> No Lordship.
No Lordship=> No Sanctification.
No Sanctification=> No Salvation.
No Salvation=> A False Conversion!
So how does that apply here on this blog? It applies because John also points out that Jesus MUST be Lord of a Christian's life, or that person is not saved. Period.
The sanctification process will bring a Christian closer and closer to obedience to that Lordship, so a mature Christian can look back and see a time when he didn't really behave as if Jesus was his Lord. Yet a person who has been a Christian absolutely must move in his life toward obedience to the Lordship of Christ, for obedience to the commands of God makes one more and more like Jesus, which is what sanctification is all about. Will we be perfect in this life? Of course not; to be so would be to be without sin. However, we will be moving in that direction, as obedience and Lordship are part and parcel of sanctification.
So the challenge to all Christians (but especially to those who have been professing believers for a while) is to ask yourselves if you are noting in the Scriptures the commands of God and are actively pursuing implementing them in your lives with the help of the Holy Spirit. If you aren't, then either your growth is stunted, or you need to seriously question your conversion.
Bottom line:
No Obedience=> No Lordship.
No Lordship=> No Sanctification.
No Sanctification=> No Salvation.
No Salvation=> A False Conversion!
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