Is There A Problem?
There’s something that’s been bothering me for a long time. It’s been percolating in my brain, but I’ve been afraid to write about it because I don’t like stepping on toes.
But something strange happened recently, and I think the time is right.
I’ve been a bookworm all my life. My reading is about evenly divided between fiction and nonfiction, and most of the nonfiction books I read are Christian. I often come across interesting information and quotes that get me thinking.
Last month, two of those books had material pertaining to that bug I’ve had in my brain, although that was not their main topic. Then this week in a devotional magazine I came across yet another quote addressing the same thing. Obviously I’m not the only one who has been thinking about this! It’s time we talk about this elephant in the room.
In recent years we have seen a mass exodus from the church. Across the nation congregations have dwindled. Many blame it on the pandemic, saying that people got out of the habit of going to church. Others blame it on the culture, with so many other options and obligations that people now have.
Those explanations are valid, but I sensed that there was still something missing.
Then I read the book Good or Bad? by author and Bible teacher John Bevere. In one chapter he discussed Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (NIV). This is a familiar verse to many of us, and it’s often quoted when someone is led in what we call the sinner’s prayer.
Savior or Lord?
Savior or Lord?But Bevere made an astounding observation. He wrote, “It’s important to point out that the scripture from Romans quoted above states you must confess the Lord Jesus, not the Savior Jesus. Herein lies a fundamental flaw in the Western church. The word lord is the Greek word kurios, which means “master, owner, supreme in authority.”
Bevere continued, “To confess Jesus as merely Savior doesn’t bring freedom or a new life. I realize this is a strong statement that cuts against the grain of our accepted appeals to the lost, but it is true to Scripture.
“The word savior is found 36 times in the Bible. The word lord occurs over 7,800 times. Where do you think God places the emphasis? Lord declares the position He holds in our life, whereas Savior describes the work He’s done for us. We cannot partake of the benefit of His work unless we come under His position as Lord and King.”
Strong words! Do you think Bevere is on to something? I do.
I got saved during the Jesus People movement of the 1970s. The ministry I was in had Bible Study every Monday night, and my first pastor emphasized throughout his teachings that Jesus is both Savior and Lord. It was obvious to me that I had made two decisions when I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart.
Could it be that in our desire to make churches “seeker friendly” the gospel is being misrepresented? Have we made it too easy to make a decision for Christ in today’s churches? “Just raise your hand, repeat this prayer and BINGO! you’re in?”
It seems the American church now has two classes of Christian, those who are “committed” and those who are “casual.” I see Christians who will excitedly go to a Christian concert but see no need to be involved in a local church. It’s like they see Christianity as a cafeteria where they pick and choose what they want. It saddens me to see the empty seats in our churches today. They are a reflection of empty hearts. These people have missed the point.
Mascot or Master?
Mascot or Master?If you think I’m being judgmental on this, let me quote a second book, Fear Fighters by pastor and evangelist Jentzen Franklin. The book’s theme is self-evident, but as I read it I was surprised when Franklin took a bit of a rabbit trail. “A lot of people want God to take their sin and guilt and let them enjoy their freedom,” Franklin writes. “But then they treat Him as their mascot and not their Master.
“Do you know what a mascot is? It’s like the University of Georgia’s bulldog. During the halftime of a football game, they take that bulldog out of the cage and run him across the field. Everyone whoops and hollers for their mascot. Then, they put him back in the cage and leave him there until next week’s game.
“That’s what a lot of Christians do with Jesus. They come to church one day a week and get excited in the presence of the Lord. Then they live the rest of the week without thinking about Him. And Jesus says, “You don’t talk to Me. You don’t listen to Me. You don’t read my Word. I want to be Master on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I’m not a mascot to applaud on Sunday. I am your Master. And if you give me your life, I will do something with it!”
Wow, that’s powerful! And now many Christians don’t even acknowledge Him with their presence in church on Sunday. Is He Savior but not Lord? Is He mascot or Master? Who is Jesus to you? That really is the million-dollar question.
And it’s a question that must be answered. Dr. David Jeremiah writes, “It’s frightening to think many Christians are such in name only. They’ve grown up in a climate of Christianity, and they may even mentally agree with Christian truth. But they’re lacking an essential, transforming, personal relationship with Christ as Savior, Lord, Shepherd, and friend. Jesus spoke of those who said to Him, “Lord, Lord,” but they really didn’t know Him, nor He them (Matthew 7:21).”
It’s Time To Cancel Casual Christianity
It’s Time To Cancel Casual ChristianityI hope you’ll permit me one last example. I live in a college town, and I’m grateful for the ministry of the Navigators on campus. When they are presenting the gospel to someone, they often use an illustration called The Wheel. The Wheel represents your life, and they explain that Jesus is not just something you add to your life, like an extra spoke on the wheel. Rather, Jesus desires to be the center of your life. He becomes the hub of your wheel when you accept Him as Savior and Lord.
I love that illustration! That’s how the gospel was presented to me. If you’ve been a casual Christian, change is possible. Ditch the mascot and accept the Master. May Jesus be our Savior and Lord!
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Related Posts:
“Looking in a Cracked Mirror”https://www.livingthetransformedlife.com/looking-in-a-cracked-mirror
“Jumping Through Hoops” https://www.livingthetransformedlife.com/jumping-through-hoops