The Real Key to Salvation
If I asked you, “What is the key to salvation?”, you might have any of several responses. You might say, “I think it is grace, because we cannot earn it” (Eph. 2:8). True. You might say, “I think it is faith in Christ, because we are told that ‘without faith it is impossible to please God’” (Heb. 11:6). True again. You might say, “Repentance and baptism are key, because we gain forgiveness and God’s gift of the Holy Spirit as we do these two things in the name of Jesus” (Acts 2:38). Once more, true.
All of these things are keys to salvation, in reality, all part of the process as we learn from Jesus and his apostles, as they teach us in the Bible. As true as they all are and seeing that there are several important elements to this salvation process, I’d venture to say there is an additional key. I think it may be the most important one; the real key to salvation.
Billy Graham used to say repeatedly in his sermons, “You can’t make Jesus Savior without making him Lord.” I agree with him. Now, I don’t agree with Mr. Graham on all matters of doctrine, but on this I think he hit the nail on the head. Making Jesus “Lord” has to do with choice and commitment. There is no effective grace, no faith, no repentance and baptism, until we’ve made a choice to follow Jesus as Lord; to become his disciple. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus tells his apostles as he commissions them. With him claiming all authority, he says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). The first action needed is to submit as a disciple of Jesus.
God’s grace is undeserved, but it is not forced. It is reserved for those who belong to Jesus. Faith in Jesus is a central theme for the redeemed, but it is not merely “believing” (the demons mentally believe and shudder as they await judgment – James 2:19), not merely feeling good about Jesus, real faith responds to the object of faith. If our faith is truly in Jesus, we act on it. Faith without action is dead – James 2:26. And isn’t this call to discipleship what repentance and baptism is all about? We reject sin and turn to Christ, identifying with his death, burial, and resurrection, as he then helps us live a new life. In Romans 6 the apostle Paul tell us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom. 6:3-5). “Walk” is the word describing the action of this life.
The real key to salvation, in my view, is to make Jesus Lord. Once we’ve made this commitment, we turn to the scriptures that hold his words, and the words of his authorized apostles. These words guide us. They speak of God’s marvelous grace, they speak of walking by faith, they speak of repenting of sin and being baptized into Christ, but none of that accomplishes its purpose if Jesus is not Lord. Far too often instead of being the key element, it has become the missing element among modern “Christians”.
As Jesus teaches in Luke 6, we hear him saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” And then he illustrates by saying those who hear his words and do them are like someone who builds on the rock, and his house stands. Those who do not, their house will fall. “You can’t make Jesus Savior without making him Lord.” Is there evidence to show Jesus is Lord? It is key to your salvation!
Cross Point: Hebrews 11 gives many examples of biblical people of faith, whose faith was defined by acting. It is followed by Heb. 12 saying, “run with endurance the race that is set before you, looking to Jesus…”
All of these things are keys to salvation, in reality, all part of the process as we learn from Jesus and his apostles, as they teach us in the Bible. As true as they all are and seeing that there are several important elements to this salvation process, I’d venture to say there is an additional key. I think it may be the most important one; the real key to salvation.
Billy Graham used to say repeatedly in his sermons, “You can’t make Jesus Savior without making him Lord.” I agree with him. Now, I don’t agree with Mr. Graham on all matters of doctrine, but on this I think he hit the nail on the head. Making Jesus “Lord” has to do with choice and commitment. There is no effective grace, no faith, no repentance and baptism, until we’ve made a choice to follow Jesus as Lord; to become his disciple. In fact, that’s exactly what Jesus tells his apostles as he commissions them. With him claiming all authority, he says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). The first action needed is to submit as a disciple of Jesus.
God’s grace is undeserved, but it is not forced. It is reserved for those who belong to Jesus. Faith in Jesus is a central theme for the redeemed, but it is not merely “believing” (the demons mentally believe and shudder as they await judgment – James 2:19), not merely feeling good about Jesus, real faith responds to the object of faith. If our faith is truly in Jesus, we act on it. Faith without action is dead – James 2:26. And isn’t this call to discipleship what repentance and baptism is all about? We reject sin and turn to Christ, identifying with his death, burial, and resurrection, as he then helps us live a new life. In Romans 6 the apostle Paul tell us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom. 6:3-5). “Walk” is the word describing the action of this life.
The real key to salvation, in my view, is to make Jesus Lord. Once we’ve made this commitment, we turn to the scriptures that hold his words, and the words of his authorized apostles. These words guide us. They speak of God’s marvelous grace, they speak of walking by faith, they speak of repenting of sin and being baptized into Christ, but none of that accomplishes its purpose if Jesus is not Lord. Far too often instead of being the key element, it has become the missing element among modern “Christians”.
As Jesus teaches in Luke 6, we hear him saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do what I tell you?” And then he illustrates by saying those who hear his words and do them are like someone who builds on the rock, and his house stands. Those who do not, their house will fall. “You can’t make Jesus Savior without making him Lord.” Is there evidence to show Jesus is Lord? It is key to your salvation!
Cross Point: Hebrews 11 gives many examples of biblical people of faith, whose faith was defined by acting. It is followed by Heb. 12 saying, “run with endurance the race that is set before you, looking to Jesus…”
Posted in Cross Points