Jesus: My Lord and Savior

"JESUS: MY LORD AND SAVIOR" - this is the first message in a new series "Name Above All Names." The person of Jesus Christ is the defining reality that makes the Christian faith unique. Between now and Easter we will look at this man whose name is truly "above all names."


The Jesus story really does not make any sense unless you understand the situation of fallen humanity. Look at how the Bible describes the situation of human beings:

ISAIAH 53:6. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. (nlt)

ROMANS 3:10. No one is righteous — not even one. (nlt)

ROMANS 3:23. Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (nlt)

The language is stunningly clear - this is the situation in which ALL of us find ourselves - we are all in the "same boat." Unless you understand this plight or dilemma, the work of Jesus will make no sense.

But despite this dilemma, the Good News is that we are not on our own. God has intervened. That is the heart of the message of John 3:16 - sometimes called "the gospel in miniature."


JOHN 3:16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (nkjv)

This verse also describes the new possibilities that come to those who are "in Christ":

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (nrsv)

So what does it mean to call Jesus my Lord and Savior?

ROMANS 10:9. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (nlt)

This verse reminds us that our hope is connected both to our verbal expression of faith - what we say - as well as our behavioral expression of faith - the "heart" - the inner transformation that goes beyond just words..."walking the talk," you might say!

Think about these two words - Lord...Savior...

To call Jesus “Savior” is to receive his forgiveness.

To call Jesus “Lord” is to submit to his authority.

To call Jesus "Savior" is hard for some folks. To call Jesus "Lord" is hard for almost everyone, because we are not accustomed to bowing to authority. We prefer to be in charge!

LUKE 9:20. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (nrsv)

Regardless of what anyone else has to say - this is the defining question - who do YOU say that he is?


Pastor Mike Slaughter (my mentor from 1996-1999 in my doctor of ministry program in Ohio) writes very eloquently about the power of calling Jesus Lord:

The church has a tendency to lose this clear focus on the person of Jesus Christ and to retreat into a vague theism. This can be seen in much of the theology of the 1960s: "God is love...love is God."

The message and focus of the New Testament church was not a vague concept of a benevolent God. it was a message of radical faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not the example of truth. He was the CAUSE of truth. Every act of the New Testament church was attributed to Jesus. There was no identity in God or salvation apart from him.

In the New Testament church, the meaning was clear. "Lord" meant the one who had absolute authority. The Roman colosseum did a tremendous business because of the Christians' stubborn insistence concerning Jesus' absolute authority.

Telling the good news about Jesus is the unique business of the church. The YMCA has excellent camping and recreation programs. There are many effective social-service agencies in our communities. Multitudes of clubs and organizations welcome our people's participation and involvement. We can offer those around us only one thing that these organizations do not already offer - JESUS CHRIST.

This excerpt is taken from Mike Slaughter's book Spiritual Entrepreneurs. You can read more from Mike in this sermon "Lordship - Who To Listen To."


Sometimes we think that if we take a strong stand regarding the nature of Jesus we may seem to be quite irrelevant to "non-religious" folks! Actually, the opposite may well be true.

Earlier this month at the pastor's conference in San Diego, I went to a workshop led by Dan Kimball. He has done extensive research on the "unchurched." He summarizes his findings this way - "The Like Jesus, But Not the Church!" It turns out many people are "turned off" by some of the common misperceptions of what churches and Christians are like. However many of them have a very open mind and heart regarding the man Jesus!

Read more at this site!

Church Alive: Sanctification

Read this statement on sanctification from the historic documents of The United Methodist Church:

>>>We believe sanctification is the work of God’s grace through the Word and the Spirit, by which those who have been born again are cleansed from sin in their thoughts, words and acts, and are enabled to live in accordance with God’s will, and to strive for holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

>>>Entire sanctification is a state of perfect love, righteousness, and true holiness which every regenerate believer may obtain by being delivered from the power of sin, by loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength, and by loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. Through faith in Jesus Christ this gracious gift may be received in this life both gradually and instantaneously, and should be sought earnestly by every child of God.

>>>We believe this experience does not deliver us from the infirmities, ignorance, and mistakes common to man, nor from the possibilities of further sin. The Christian must continue on guard against spiritual pride and seek to gain victory over every temptation to sin. He must respond wholly to the will of God so that sin will lose its power over him; and the world, the flesh, and the devil are put under his feet. Thus he rules over these enemies with watchfulness through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- from “Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules,” pp. 69-70
The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church

In his book Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, author Ted Campbell puts it this way:

>>>Sanctification denotes in the first place the transformation of our wills and affections. We as human beings come to love and desire that which God loves, so that the pursuit of sanctification is the pursuit of ultimate joy, and we do what is right and avoid what is evil because that is what our transformed wills truly desire.


You will find more on sanctification at this page - "Our Wesleyan Theological Heritage" - go down to the part of the page where it says "Sanctifying Grace."


Here are some important Scriptures on sanctification:

COLOSSIANS 3:1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above.

COLOSSIANS 3:5. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.

1 PETER 1:14-15. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct.

HEBREWS 12:14. Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

MATTHEW 5:8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

MATTHEW 5:48. You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

COLOSSIANS 1:28. Him [Christ] we proclaim, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man mature in Christ.

Sometimes the word "perfection" is a stumbling block for us - so perhaps the word "maturity" may better express (in our culture) the desired outcome of a lifetime of growth in Christ.


A focus on sanctification helps avoid the heresies of legalism and antinomianism. Click on these two words to read more about these heresies (false teachings) that stand at opposite extremes.


Some churches have developed strong, clear guidelines about how sustained growth in Christ is to be lived out. A notable example is the Pantego Bible Church in the DFW area. Participants at Pantego do an annual profile which assesses their growth in what the church describes as 30 Core Competencies. The Core Competencies consists of beliefs, practices, and virtues. Look at this site which lists the various core competencies as this church understands them.

Do you find such a process intriguing or distasteful? Is it too mechanical? Or does it help us to focus on specific actions we can take to create a climate for sustained growth?


In addition to the other Scriptures referenced on this page, John Wesley used a number of other Scriptural texts to help explain sanctification. Use these references for a further understanding:

• Ezekiel 36:25-29 (God's promise of a new heart)
• Matthew 6:10 (prayer for God's will to be done)
• Matthew 22:37 (a description of a sanctified Christian)
• John 8:34-36 (what Christ does in us)
• John 17:17-23 (Christ's prayer for us)
• Romans 2:29 (the mark he desires to place upon our hearts)
• Romans 12:1-2 (what the new human being is like)
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 (another description of what God desires for us)
• Galatians 2:20 (the reason such change is possible)
• Ephesians 3:14-19 (Paul's prayer for the sanctification of believers)
• Ephesians 5:27 (the victory over sin)
• Philippians 3:15 (Christian maturity)
• Titus 2:11-14 (what Christ's death means for our present life)
• Hebrews 6:1 (what God can do in the life of those who are already believers)
• Hebrews 7:25 (the full extent of saving grace)
• Hebrews 10:14 (God's design for us)
• James 1:4 (another prayer for believers)
• 1 John 1:5-7 (the present benefits of Christ's blood)
• 1 John 1:8-9 (a description of ignorance before coming to saving faith)
• 1 John 3:3 (the results of the cleansing power of God)
• 1 John 3:8-10 (a bold statement of what is possible in the life of the believer)
• 1 John 5:13 (the confidence God desires for a believer)

Let these words of Scripture be a blessing to you...

1 THESSALONIANS 5:23-24. May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.