In Acts 2:36, Peter makes the resounding statement that God has declared this Jesus who was crucified to be both Christ and Lord. So is what you have made Jesus in your life the same as what God has made him—Lord/Master? Here’s how we know—Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” Having Christ as Lord is evidenced by not only hearing sermons or by reading the Bible, but by obeying his teachings, not as the means to be right with God, but as the fruit of already being right with God by faith in the finished work of Christ. On the contrary, we sometimes develop thinking like this–“I know what God’s word says about this issue, but I’ve found a way to come up with an excuse that exempts me from obeying him in that area.” Oftentimes, this is in the area of loving others or forgiving others or pouring yourself out to meet the needs of others in the body. For instance, What do you do with that condemning thought towards someone? How about a selfish action? Do you bring these under the lordship of Christ as crimes against the King or do you allow these offenses to remain? If there are blatant, long term areas of stubbornness, then he’s not Lord of your life no matter what comes out of our mouths. Jesus taught often that talk is cheap and unacceptable in and of itself. For instance, Matt. 7:21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
God has made him Lord—Have you? Obviously, he is Lord regardless of what we do and one day every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, which is what Yahweh said of himself in Is. 45:23. If we don’t have Christ as Lord, we don’t have him at all. If that’s the case, the Bible is clear on what to do—turn from your sin and call upon the name of the Lord as the only way to be forgiven and have a perfect righteousness granted to you. This salvation comes to those who entrust themselves to the crucified, risen and exalted Messiah and Lord.