By Bishop Jerry Peña, God’s anointed servant
“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.” – Romans 10:9
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” – Luke 6:46
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 7:21
This God given truth exposes perhaps the most dangerous truncation of the Gospel in modern Christianity: millions know Jesus as Savior but have never submitted to Him as Lord. They want His benefits without His authority. They desire His salvation without His sovereignty. They embrace His forgiveness without His rulership.
This isn’t a minor theological distinction – it’s the difference between genuine salvation and religious deception. The Scripture is crystal clear: salvation comes through confessing “Jesus is LORD,” not merely acknowledging Him as Savior. Yet even ministers – those who should know better – preach a gospel that offers fire insurance without life transformation, heavenly destination without earthly submission.
The result is churches filled with people who believe they’re saved because they prayed a prayer, walked an aisle, or “accepted Jesus,” while their lives show no evidence of His lordship. They have a Savior-relationship but not a Lord-relationship, and Scripture indicates this may not be salvation at all.
Romans 10:9 – The Confession That Saves
Notice what’s required:
The Greek word Kyrios (Lord) means:
What this confession actually means:
Acts 2:36 – Peter’s Pentecost Proclamation
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Peter’s emphasis:
The result: “Those who accepted his message were baptized” – they submitted to His lordship through baptism, a public declaration of allegiance transfer.
Philippians 2:9-11 – The Name Above All Names
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The ultimate reality:
1 Corinthians 12:3 – The Test of Genuine Faith
“Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
Paul’s principle:
How We Got Here: The Truncated Gospel
The gospel message has been progressively watered down:
Traditional truncation:
What’s missing:
The result: People think they’re saved because they emotionally responded to an invitation, intellectually agreed with historical facts, or said a prayer – without ever submitting to Jesus’ authority over their lives.
The Easy-Believism Deception
Modern evangelism often presents salvation as:
A transaction without transformation:
Fire insurance without life change:
Jesus as addition, not replacement:
Churches filled with false converts who:
Ministers who measure success by:
Luke 14:25-33 – The Cost of Discipleship
Jesus laid out non-negotiable terms for following Him:
Hate your family in comparison to loving Him (v. 26):
Carry your cross daily (v. 27):
Count the cost (v. 28-32):
Give up everything (v. 33):
Notice: Jesus doesn’t say “accept me as Savior.” He says “follow me as disciple” with these non-negotiable terms.
Matthew 7:21-23 – Calling Him Lord While Refusing His Lordship
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus’ devastating warning:
The critical test: Are you doing His will or just using His name?
Luke 6:46 – The Contradiction of Disobedient “Disciples”
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
Jesus’ rhetorical question exposes the contradiction:
The test of lordship: Do you obey what He says?
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Jesus’ simple equation:
Not: “If you love me, you’ll feel emotional about me” But: “If you love me, you’ll obey me”
Savior-Only “Christianity”
What it looks like:
Beliefs:
But lifestyle shows:
The heart attitude:
What genuine salvation produces:
Beliefs that transform:
Lifestyle evidence:
The heart attitude:
The Pressure to Produce Results
Ministry success measured by:
The temptation:
The rationalization:
Misunderstanding of Grace
The false dichotomy:
The biblical reality:
Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.”
The avoiding difficult truths:
The seeker-sensitive approach:
Jesus’ approach:
The most tragic reason:
The hypocrisy:
The Tests of Genuine Lordship
Jesus’ words: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)
Evidence of lordship:
Jesus’ demand: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37)
Evidence of lordship:
Jesus’ requirement: “Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27)
Evidence of lordship:
Jesus’ standard: “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:33)
Evidence of lordship:
Jesus’ equation: “If you love me, keep my commands” (John 14:15)
Evidence of lordship:
For Those Who Realize They’ve Had Savior Without Lord
If this teaching has exposed that you’ve never truly submitted to Christ’s lordship:
If you’re ready to truly make Jesus Lord:
“Lord Jesus, I confess that I have known You as Savior but not as Lord. I have wanted Your forgiveness without Your authority. I have lived for myself while using Your name. I repent of my rebellion and self-rule.
Today I surrender complete control of my life to You. I acknowledge that You are LORD – my Master, my Owner, my Supreme Authority. I transfer ownership of my life from myself to You. Everything I am and have is now Yours.
I commit to obey Your commands, follow Your leading, and submit to Your will. I choose Your kingdom over my comfort, Your glory over my reputation, Your plans over my preferences.
I understand that following You will cost me everything, and I willingly accept that cost. Take my life and use it for Your purposes. I am no longer my own – I belong to You.
Be LORD of my life, not just Savior of my soul. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
The biblical reality:
You cannot have Jesus as Savior without having Him as Lord.
True salvation includes:
These are not two separate experiences:
Romans 10:9 doesn’t say:
It says: “Confess Jesus as LORD”
Because when He is truly Lord:
If Jesus is not your Lord, He may not be your Savior. If you’ve never surrendered to His authority, you may not be saved. If your life shows no evidence of His lordship, examine whether you truly know Him.
Jesus is calling you to complete surrender, total submission, and genuine lordship. Not to religious activity, but to relationship. Not to behavior modification, but to life transformation. Not to Savior-only, but to Lord-and-Savior.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
Friend, if you have not understood this point, ask the Holy Spirit to give you understanding, to open your eyes to see the truth because only the Truth can set you free. Be set free today.
To God alone be the glory!
Share this teaching with a friend or loved one so that they could make Jesus Christ their Lord. 
Tears Have Weight in Heaven — God said, “I have seen your tears.” Hezekiah’s weeping was not weakness. It was worship. Tears are the language of a heart that has run out of words but has not run out of faith.
When Tears Cannot Undo What’s Done The Irreversible Consequences of Missed Opportunities By Bishop Jerry Peña, God’s anointed servant “See
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