Making Jesus Your Lord, Not Just Savior

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." (1 Peter 3:15)

The prepared answer starts with allegiance to Jesus—not just as Savior, but as Lord. The word "Lord" involves Christ's ownership and being master of our lives. Romans 10:13 doesn't say "whoever calls on the name of the Savior shall be saved"—it says "whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).

Jesus is called "Savior" 24 times in the New Testament, but "Lord" 433 times. He wants to be your Savior, but the agreement you must make to be a Christian is this: "I'll be your Savior if you'll make me your Lord."

After settling that allegiance, you need a prepared answer. "Always be ready to give a defense"—that word "defense" is the Greek word "apologia," meaning apologetics. We're defending our faith, telling not just what we believe but why we believe it.

If you want some good answers for the questions that a skeptical world would ask, consider authors like Norman Geisler and Frank Turek. They've written a book together called "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist," which gives you good answers for defending your faith.

If a skeptic were to ask you for a reason for your hope in Christ, what would you say? If a loved one was on their deathbed and asked you, "Do you have hope beyond the grave? What's going to happen when I die?" could you respond to them?

We must be ready to share with meekness (gentleness—strength under control) and fear (respect). You're not trying to win an argument; you're trying to win a person to Jesus Christ. There are times when you may win the argument, but you don't win the person to Jesus. Keep the goal of the conversation in front of you. You want them to experience the same hope you have in Jesus. We are to make ourselves available to God and be ready when those conversations arise.

Reflection Question: Have you truly made Jesus the Lord (Master) of your life, or are you trying to keep control while wanting Him as Savior only?

Lord Jesus, I don't want You to be just my Savior—I want You to be my Lord. Help me surrender control of my life to You completely. Prepare me to give answers for the hope I have in You, with gentleness and respect, always seeking to win people, not just arguments. In Your Name, amen.

Adapted from "Witnessing in the Real World": https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/s2bd93j/17-witnessing-in-the-real-world-1-peter-3-13-17