Author: Steve Amato
Description: What does the Bible mean when it says Jesus is LORD?
Keywords: bible study,jesus, lord, bible, trinity, deity, christian

Translations: 简体中文 繁體中文

# Jesus as Lord

"Who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?" Ps 18:31

## When the Bible speaks of Jesus as Lord
does it mean that Jesus is the LORD God?

New Testament quote about Jesus | Taken from the Old Testament
Hebrews 1:10 He also says (about Jesus), "In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." | Psalm 102:24,25 "So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands"
Romans 14:8-11 If we live, we live to the LORD; and if we die, we die to the LORD. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the LORD. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the LORD of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" | Isaiah 45:21b-23 There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.
Acts 2:21 "'In the last days', God says, 'I will pour out my Spirit on all people ... And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.' Acts 2:25 David said about him (Jesus): "I saw the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Acts 2:36 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ. | Joel 2:27-32 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. 'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people ... And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is LORD," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:12,13 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-- the same LORD is LORD of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved."
2Thessalonians 2:1,2 Concerning the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the LORD has already come. | Joel 2:27, 31,32 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed ... The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved;
Acts 2:25 David said about him (Jesus): "I saw the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." | Psalm 16:1-2,8 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, "You are my LORD; apart from you I have no good thing." ... I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Thus the Bible clearly indicates that Jesus is the LORD God.

# Applications

1. Must people believe Jesus to be the LORD God to be save?

> Notice above in Romans 10:9-13 that the salvation spoken of is contingent for one thing upon acknowledging Jesus as the LORD God. For in speaking of Lord Paul makes reference to the book of Joel which associates LORD with "the LORD your God". Muslims who accept a "Jesus" as a prophet but not as the LORD God, and "Christians" who accept Jesus as a Lord but not as the LORD God don't meet the qualification for salvation that Paul speaks of. So also Jesus said, "If you do not believe that I am he (or "I AM") you will indeed die in your sins." Was Jesus simply speaking of him being the Messiah or the Son of God or the LORD God, or was it not already understood these were all the same? In speaking of "I am he" the greek is ego eimi, which is simply "I AM". This is the term God called himself in Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" And Jesus said, "I tell you the truth before Abraham was born, I AM!" John 8:58 And for this reason the Jews tried to kill him. Why did they try to stone him to death? "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."John 10:33 And so also he says, "These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again." Rev 2:8 But he also says in Isaiah, "This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God." Isaiah 44:6

> "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ... He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ... the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1

2. Is an attitude of obedience to Christ as LORD necessary for one's faith to be qualified as saving faith?

> When Jesus said, "Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46 What was he saying about the term "lord"? He was saying that it implies that by calling him lord people were expressing their intention of submitting to him. So also notice this correlation between calling someone "lord" and an attitude of submission. "in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord." 1Peter 3:5,6 Calling Jesus Lord is expression one's intention to obey what he says.

> Is obedience optional? If one's salvation were contingent upon one's actions, then salvation is contingent upon works. But it's written, "If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works" Rom 4:1-8 Abraham was justified by faith apart from works. For God gave him a promise in Gen 15:5, and then one verse later, prior to taking any action relevant to that promise he was justified by faith alone.

> Thus while salvation is not contingent upon actions of obedience, such actions are indicative of a person who has been saved. And while salvation is not contingent upon works, salvation is contingent upon attitude - in this case the INTENTION to repent and obey. Intention is not a work. It's not something people can get paid for. It is nonetheless an attitude inherent in saving faith.

> Now also there are those who misinterpret the sense in which Paul writes when he speaks of calling on the name of the LORD or acknowledging Jesus as LORD as mere ritual. He is not speaking of an outward ritual. He is speaking of an outward response to an inner faith; a response which should include not only words but actions as well. Thus for example the LORD instituted water baptism as one outward sign of obedience to one's realized faith. So also the whole Christian life is to be lived in submission to Christ as the LORD. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2Cor 5:15

> One's salvation is not contingent upon the outward expressions of one's faith. Rather these are indicative of a saved person.

3. Should Jesus be worshipped as God?

## Jesus is to be Worshipped

When God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."Heb 1:6

Responses to being "worshipped"
("proskuneo" <4352> in greek)
Worshipped him | Response
Acts 10:25,26 | Cornelius to Peter | "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
Rev 19:10 Rev 22:8,9 | John to an angel | "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you"
Mt 8:2 Mt 9:18 Mt 14:33 Mt 15:25 Mt 20:20 Mt 28:9 Mt 28:17 Lu 24:52 John 9:38 | Others to Jesus | Jesus has no objection to their worship unlike the response of Peter and the angel
Mt 2:2,8,11 | Wise men to Jesus |
Mt 4:9,10 | The Devil attempted to make Jesus worship him. | "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

> Jesus acknowledged that only "the LORD your God" should be worshipped, and yet he allowed people to worship him. Therefore logically what was he saying about himself? That he was the LORD God and thus was to be worshipped. To unbelievers it is idolatry. But to us it is appropriate as he is our Creator, our Savior, and our LORD God.

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources