Peter described Christ's relation to believers in two words.
Again and again in his brief second epistle he used these two words. Listen
for them. "Entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you" (1:11). "If, after
they have escaped the
defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last
state has become worse for them than the first" (2:20). "Remember
the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment
of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles" (3:2). "But
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To
him be the glory both now and
to the day of eternity. Amen."
Lord and Savior. As the oak tree lies within the
acorn, so all that Christians believe about Christ lies in those two words.
Both are equally important, but we have tended to give more attention
to Saviorhood than to Lordship. We prefer to think more about what Jesus
does for us than what we do for him.
Jesus is indeed our Savior. He saves us from sin and damnation.
But he is more. He is our Lord. Salvation is more than hell-fire insurance.
It is a life lived in loving obedience to our Lord and Savior. Jesus makes
his disciples face this issue in Luke 6:46-49. He asks, "Why do you
call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what
he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation
on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not
shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and
does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the
ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house,
it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
You can't say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy
Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). That is our profession of faith. But that
profession alone doesn't guarantee you a one-way ticket to heaven. Jesus
said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what the Lord asks" (Matthew
7:21). You and I will be judged by our walk not our talk, by our life
not our lip. It is not the hearers of the word nor the talkers
of the word but the doers of the word who will be blessed (James
1:22). Those who talk their religion by the mile and live it by the inch
ought to be kicked by the foot. They have a Christian vocabulary instead
of a Christian experience. They think they are doing their duty
when they are only talking about it. They are professing Christ
as Lord but not possessing Christ as Lord. Jesus asks them and us this
simple question: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do
what I say?"
An ancient inscription on the Cathedral in Lubeck, Germany,
says: "Ye call me master, and obey me not. Ye call me Light and seek
me not. Ye call me Way and walk me not. Ye call me Wise and follow me
not. Ye call me Fair and love me not. Ye call me Rich and ask me not.
Ye call me Eternal and seek me not. Ye call me Gracious and trust me not.
Ye call me Noble and serve me not. Ye call me Mighty and honor me not.
Ye call me Just and fear me not. If I condemn you, blame me not."
Jesus made clear that profession without possession is a
beautiful house without a foundation. Such a house cannot survive the
storms which break upon it. Jesus said, "The one who hears my words
and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on
the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house,
it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
After Hurricane Andrew devastated homes in southern Florida
a TV reporter asked an owner why his house was the only one still standing
in his neighborhood. "I built this house myself," the man replied.
"I also built it according to the Florida state building code. When
the code called for 2x6
trusses, I used 2x6 trusses.
I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane.
I did and it did." Others didn't!
When the sun is shining and the sky is blue, we are tempted
to build our lives on something other than the blueprint of God's Word.
But Jesus warns us there is a hurricane coming — for everyone.
Empty profession of faith may look good for a time. Indeed,
it may look better than genuine commitment because all its attention is
given to external appearance and none to structure. The missing foundation,
however, will be exposed by the inevitable storms of life. Zechariah says,
"God wants to know why you are disobeying his commandments. For when
you do, everything you try fails" (2 Chronicles 24:20 LB). Life doesn't work if you don't obey the rules.
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You can't improve your sex life by committing adultery; you will only destroy something precious.
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You can't save time by breaking the Sabbath; you will only break your own health and happiness.
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You can't save money by stealing the tithe; you will only lose your financial partnership with the Almighty.
If your
religion is a convenience instead of a conviction, you will be destitute
when the bad times come. Disease, disappointment and death will blow it
down like a house of cards. It has no foundation.
That's
bad news. But Jesus announced the good news. "I will show you what
he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice.
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation
on rock." Jesus describes this rock foundation in two ways. First,
it is built on the rock of hearing. "He who hears my words,"
Jesus said. A good foundation begins not with talking but with hearing.
There is no one more worthy of your attention than the Architect of the
Universe. Put your ear to the Bible, to prayer, to public worship, and
hear God speaking to you about his plan your life.
Second, it is built on the rock of doing. One who
hears Christ's words "puts them into practice." Hearing without
doing is like cement without sand and water. James said, "Be doers
of the word, not hearers only deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).
Yourself is the only one deceived. Nobody else is fooled by one who is
long on words and short on action. (See Ezekiel 33:30-32.)
The church is in constant danger of producing connoisseurs
of religion — experts in hearing, amateurs in doing. In the words
of my favorite philosopher, Charlie Brown: "We never win any ball
games, but we have some interesting discussions!"
Are you like the one who prayed:
"I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord,
Real service is what I desire;
I'll say what you want me to say, Dear Lord,
But don't ask me to sing in the choir.
I'll say what you want me to say, Dear Lord,
I'd like to see things come to pass;
But don't ask me to teach girls and boys, Dear Lord;
I'd rather just stay in my class.
I'll do what you want me to do, Dear Lord.
I yearn for your kingdom to thrive.
I'll give you my nickels and dimes, Dear Lord,
But please don't ask me to tithe.
I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord,
I'll say what you want me to say;
I'm busy just now with myself, Dear Lord.
I'll help you some other day."
Auditoriums and sanctuaries look a lot alike. They are both
big rooms where people sit, but they are different. An auditorium is where
people come to hear something religious. A sanctuary is where people
come to do something religious.
That reminds me of the old joke about the preacher flying
over the ocean. The plane lost power. The stewardess said, (I said this
was an old joke!) "You're a preacher. Can't you do something religious?"
He took up an offering! Actually, that's theologically sound. The offering
is one point in the worship when we actually do something besides
sit, listen and sing.
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,'" Jesus asks,
"and do not do what I say?" Are you professing Jesus as Lord
or are you possessing Jesus as Lord? Possessing him as Lord actually means
that he possesses you. We mean something different when we say, "my
pen" and "my Lord." That this is my pen means I own it
and can do with it what I please. That Jesus is my Lord means he owns
me and can do with me what he pleases. When Moses was a young man he slew
an Egyptian and spent the next forty years hiding in Sinai. He did in
a small way what he would later do in a big way. But he didn't do it God's
way and at God's command and time. The question Jesus asked his disciples
he continues to ask of you and me: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,'
and do not do what I say?" What is your answer?
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