Why call ye me Lord?

Our God is our Father and wants us to regard Him so. This conveys the tenderness and warmth which God has for us. He deals with us as a loving father who would never act but for our well being. We should rightly rejoice in this relationship that Christ has purchased for us with His blood.

But our Father is also our Lord. This connotes the rulership over us that comes from being a Lord. Fathers have authority over us and rightly. So our Lord asks us who regard ourselves as His and under his authority, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6;46) the implication is clear. If we will not do the things which He says, we are not His.

God has done all there is to be done to secure our relationship with Him. But it is ours to receive this and this reception carries with it submission to Him. We cannot receive salvation while retaining self rule of our lives. All true Christians accept the rulership of Christ. Those who do not accept the rulership of Christ are not truly His. Adoption and submission are two sides of the same coin.

Paul tells us to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. One very clear test of whether we be truly Christians is whether we have the attitude of obedience to His will. This does not mean that there won’t be moments of rebellion or reluctance. But it does mean that when an issue arises that calls for submission to His will over our own, God’s will prevails ultimately. Protracted resistance to the will of God is one of the fruits by which we can judge the root of our faith.

Is it true faith or self delusion?